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One thing that adds unnecessary stress to the new school year is the amount of lost gear that accumulates in my classroom.   Most of the time the “stuff” gets reunited with its owner, but that takes a lot of effort on my part to hunt down that owner.   Kids easily lose track of their belongings when they’re preoccupied with a new locker or deciding who to sit with at lunch.  Now, the mom side of things is a little different.  I tend to spend a great deal on my kids’ back to school needs and I want them to be responsible for it.  It’s really important to label it ALL before you set that child off into the big wide world.  Hopefully at some point it will return with the child.

If it’s not already in your drawer, or not on a school shopping list, go right now and add a SHARPIE to the list.  Keep a good permanent marker in your car or in your kitchen for those new items that will be purchased during the school year.   When you are packing that first-day bag, take a few extra minutes to write your child’s name on each item.  Even if it’s just a box of tissues, it’s helpful for the teacher to know who donated it to the classroom.  I prefer to keep a set of adhesive labels in my car because it’s even easier to just peel and stick.  We’re often in a huge hurry in the morning so just grabbing a label is a big timesaver for me.

If your child is involved in sports, having adhesive labels for the gear is a must-do.  The “permanent” marker will almost certainly rub off at some point, making that expensive gear the object of every kids’ desire.  It’s possible that the bag holding your child’s gear won’t fit in her locker so it will need to be kept in the classroom or in the locker room.  To make things easier for everyone,  Mabel’s Labels has a cool assortment of hockey labels for your NHL fan.  The combo kit comes with the custom hockey stick labels, equipment labels, number labels & skate labels.  You can also just choose their regular combo pack for simplicity.

Even if you think your child will recognize her own backpack or notebook, label it.  Many children in the same school will likely have that same backpack or notebook and it will save your child you a lot of headaches to be able to identify the item at a glance.

What is your must-do back to school timesaving tip?