School supplies are tres annoying!
 

Why is it always one random stupid thing you can't find? This years issue.. a solid yellow 2 pocket folder. Seems simple right? Apparently every other teacher in the state asked for a yellow folder because I couldn't find one. I went to 4 stores grabbing supplies and just got too tired to look anywhere else LOL I suppose I'll go out again tomorrow.. I found the red, orange, purple, and green folders they needed.. Seems silly to be missing the yellow one :p kiddo suggested I buy a different coloured one and paint it hahaha.

Pllb. I wish they just had packages we could buy from the school instead of having to hunt down specific things.

They are so specific, I am sure it makes it easier on them, but its so hard to find. I went shopping in mid July so I could get to it this year before it was all picked over.

it can be such a pita. i about tore my hair out when my H was in Kindy... running all over town to 783 stores looking for that ONE last thing, that nobody had. grrrr. thankfully our school has a program that allows you to order supplies for the upcoming school year and while they may cost a little more in the end, it's totally worth it to me to have all those super specific/hard to find items delivered right to my kiddos classroom! now if i could only preorder all of their school clothes too!!

I have packages that you buy from the school :O Where I live I find it ends up cheaper than going to pick them up (our closest walmart is over an hour away) and yea.. its really affordable from where we order :)They arrive a week before school starts so you can pick them up. It is the greatest thing ever :)

I hate how specific they are! Took me 3 stores to finally find a plastic, 2-pocket orange folder with binder holes and without metal prongs. And some of it just annoys me. I understand wanting a certain level of uniformity and have no problem with them specifying colors if they're asking for a folder or notebook for each subject. But if the teacher asks for 1 composition notebook, what would it hurt to allow the child to pick their favorite color or pattern?

We get off easy in our school district. They specify notebooks and folders must be a solid color, but not a specific color. I could find everything at one place. I think it took me 40 minutes and $40 for two kids (not counting backpacks). Happy mom!

Clothes are a totally different issue. I have one child that begs for 1 of everything that glitters, sparkles or has ruffles and another that wonders why he can't wear the exacts same clothes he wore last year. I tell him they are dingy, torn and too small. His response, "So at least they are comfortable."

did you see this posted on Facebook. I had a good hard laugh over it. :)

A friend of mine posted this, I thought you all might enjoy it. I think several of us can relate....

Dear Mrs. X:

In just over a week, you will be my son’s Grade 1 teacher. He is ever so excited to be under your tutelage. Why, since the last day of kindergarten, entering your class was all he could talk about. He gleefully thrust a piece of paper into my hand on that June afternoon, and said, “Here’s a list of the stuff I need for school next September!”

And I have to admit, I, too, was excited. I’m a school supplies geek from way back. And so, in early August, I set out to buy the items you’d listed.

It was on my fourth store that the realization began to sink in.

You’re a crafty b*tch, aren’t you?

This list was a thinly disguised test. Could I find the items, exactly as you’d prescribed? Because if not, my son would be That Kid, the one with the Problem Mother, Who Can’t Follow Directions

For example, the glue sticks you requested. In the 40 gram size. Three of the little buggers. (What kind of massive, sticky project you’ve got planned for the first day of school that would require the students to bring all this glue, I cannot imagine.) But the 40 gram size doesn’t come in a convenient 3-pack. The 30 gram size does. But clearly, those would be wildly inappropriate. So I got the individually priced 40′s, as per your instructions.

Another bit of fun was your request for 2 packs of 8 Crayola crayons (basic colors). The 24 packs, with their 24 different colors, sat there, on sale. I could have purchased three of the 24 packs for the price I had to pay for the 8 packs. (Clearly, you’ll not be teaching the youngsters any sort of economics lessons this year.) Even the cashier looked at me, as if to say, “Pardon me, ma’am, but are you slow?” as I purchased these non-bargain crayons. But that’s what the list said. And I was committed to following the list.

But the last item, well, now, you saved your malice up for that one, didn’t you? “8 mm ruled notebooks”, you asked for. Simple enough. Except the standard size is seven millimetres. One. Millimetre. Difference. Do you realize, Mrs. X., exactly how infinitesimal the difference between 7 mm ruling and 8 mm ruling is? Pretty small, I assure you. The thickness of a fingernail, approximately. But that millimetre, that small bit of nothingness, made me drive to four different stores, over the course of three sweaty August hours. And when I finally, finally found the last remaining 8 mm notebooks, I took no pleasure in my victory. I merely shifted my focus. To you, Mrs. X.

You wanna dance, lady? Let’s dance.

Because I am just batshit crazy enough to play your games. And, in turn, come up with some of my own.

On show and share day, my son will be bringing the video of his birth. It will be labelled, “Ben’s First Puppy.” Enjoy.

He will be given a list of words, and daily, he will ask you what they mean. Words such as, “pedophile”, “anti-semite”, and “skank”. Good luck with those.
At some point, you will attempt to teach him mathematics. And I’m quite sure that, like most of your ilk, you will require my son to “show his work”. And he will, through interpretive dance.

Because that is who you’ve chosen to tangle with, toots. A stay at home mom who is not entirely balanced, and has altogether too much time on her hands. But is, most certainly, A Mother Who Can Follow Directions.

Sincerely,
Ginny

I'd had not seen that Julie. Too funny!

THAT was hilarious!!

I love that letter lol

This is the first year they haven't asked for specific colors on the folders. I have, however, seen the 5th grade list and I'm not looking forward to next year. :blink:

I've actually heard of people covering notebooks with different colored paper. You could probably cover a folder with scrapbook paper.

Oh man, love the letter!!!
My major pain was the additional list our teacher gives in addition to what the school has declared each grade needs. 3x5 index card on a spiral with a solid cover.... really? 6 stores.... none. I had to out of town to find the buggers! Doesn't help that we don't get these list till the day before school starts and the supplies are all basically gone. :(

i spent somewhere over $150 on school supplies alone, not counting lunchboxes, backpacks or any clothes. I seriously have 2 huge totes full of the stuff requested between the 4 boys! Craziness!

I really don't mind doing it because i know it helps the teachers, but it is a chore and a half - this year i was lucky and found everything i needed between walmart and target - BUT i bought a few things right at the beginning of back to school season that i knew would run out (18 DOZEN pencils to sharpen now)...

That letter was awesome!

We don't have kids, but I see tons of moms out there on the verge of a breakdown while we take advantage of buying office supplies for the business during these sales. I feel so bad for them, because the lists seem overly specific and they're at their wits end.

But then, I step back and let out an evil laugh.





All the yellow folders are mine.
all. mine.

yeah. i could totally hear you... all the way in isle 9.
so devious!!
*snort

Oh gosh after reading that letter, *I* am one of those problem moms who cant follow directions. No orange 2 pocket folder... yeah, you're taking a black one kid. My 2 pocket folders all match each other, but I was NOT searching multiple stores for one silly folder / spiral notebook.

School supplies cost me a fortune between three kids this year and Katie is taking Algebra I in 8th this year, so she needed that lame TI-83 calculator that was nearly $100 all on its own.

The school supply lists here in North Carolina are crazy compared to what they were in AZ. There's a definite difference in what the schools expect based on affluence alone.

I noticed this, too! We moved from a district that was very varied, every where from low income housing to the mayor's house, to a neighborhood with the cheapest housing being apartments that are $800+ a month. The old school had a list with 5 items on it and the new one was 29 items plus 48 pencils. Really, 48 pencils??

Haha! This would be me. I can't... no, won't, follow silly directions like that. I am so much like that that I became a homeschooler. It's the non-conformist in me. :D

I shopped for school supplies once... when my oldest was going into K (he's in 4th this year). Ever since then, I very happily write my check to the PTA and smile when the supplies magically appear on their desks the first day of school. This year it cost me $100 for three kids... totally worth it!!

That was how it was for us last year. The previous years the school the boys were at (just one school over in the same district) furnished all of the supplies ... I had no idea how good we had it!

This year, school starts the Wednesday after Labor day and we still haven't found out who the boys' teachers will be or received a list of supplies, which we will inevitably get the day before school starts. Of course, they have an open house on 8/28, but we are out of town for Labor day weekend, so it leaves only Tuesday before school start to do any shopping, wah, wah. Uber annoying.

My son has to bring 72 Ticonderoga pencils. And yes, they must be that brand and sharpened. 72 pencils when my son only has 171 days of school. :blink: I guess the teacher is going to be working those little fingers to the bone with all the writing they must be doing to go through almost half a pencil a day.

Haha, I've never done the math on it, but you are right. That is a lot of writing.

I've been put on pencil sharpening duty as a parent volunteer and some of those off-brand pencils are awful. They fall apart as you sharpen them. After going through that several time, I've swore to always abide by the Ticonderoga/Dixon brand requests.

oh, Julie - that letter is classic!!

Geez, we homeschool.. - yet, this stuff annoys my hubby when talking to the "boys" at work... I hear all about the odd ball stuff - or really expensive item like calculators and a certain type of gym shoe - that they are on the hunt for their kids that year. What really puzzles hubby is that most of it is "community" use... like the 4 boxes of the big box of kleenex, the gallon of hand sanitizer and 6 containers of clorox wipes that each kid has to bring... so if you have a class of 28 kids, where does the teacher store all that? And then, come January, they are required to send the same amount again...

I love Jr. High - filler paper, binders, pens, pencils, flash drive, calculator, and book covers. No specific colors. No specific sizes. No specific brands.

I have to say though that none of the grade school teachers ever required specific colored items, etc. That is a bit over the top!

I'm curious what you think... This year I hardly even had to replenish supplies for our homeschool. We used up or misplaced maybe 10 pencils total? And pretty much the only thing I had to buy (other than new curriculum) was construction paper, writing paper, dry erase markers and glue sticks. But I can't understand classrooms where the teacher is asking each student to bring 4 dry erase markers. I write on our board every day and only used up 3 markers last school year.

Rebecca I never supply the classroom stuff. I'm sorry. Buying the teacher a 4 pack of dry erase markers (x 20 something kids ) is not on my priority list. Nor the tissues wipes ziplocks trash bags etc etc. when Connor is sick I send him with his own little packs of tissues and done. I know teachers don't make a ton and having to supply things for their class sucks. But I don't either and we live in a very affluent district. The other moms can supply the 800000 wipes :p


Marie my 4th grader also needs a flash drive. Lol. Craziness.

We have 2 of the TI graphing calculators because I had two in high school at the same time and they both needed them. My youngest will be getting a hand-me-down when she needs one. She's in 8th grade and Algebra I but the teacher has a class set so she doesn't need one yet and can use her siblings' at home.

Don't even get me started on books for college. My son buys his own books (and thank heavens for Chegg.com!) but the prices are crazy. However, his school supplies consisted of a notebook and a pack of pens. So maybe it balances out...

My niece had oil pastels on her list for kindergarten.

Yeah, here too... I really only got was a few more boxes of crayons and markers (for use in traveling), and another package of more dry erase markers, which like you, they get used daily... and Jake is really bad at remembering to put the cap all the way back on. I was a bit sad this year... buying new school supplies was my most favorite thing about this time of year... and I didn't have to get much... did get a few organizing things to separate books. Even have a ton of left over in our art supplies - need to kick that up a bit this year... :)

From what I read on facebook from our area teachers (one of the news stations creating a bit of storm asking about what people thought having to buy school supplies and teachers being "picky" about brands and colors of things... teachers were not happy)... that many kids press really hard on the tips and drives the tips into the marker and it can't be used.... and that is why they need so many markers. Same with the glue sticks... kids don't put the caps on all the way.

This is yet another reason I'm glad I homeschool.... I'm super picky about some of the supplies we get, but not nearly as picky as the schools are sometimes.

I did take the exchange students shopping for supplies, and... yikes. Not fun at all.

I couldn't find one of those stupid yellow folders either! I sent a neon green one with her. I figured it was close enough. Oh, but this is the best part. After searching around for specific colors of folders and notebooks for both kids, my son came home with 2 of each that he said they didn't need! :/

Lol I had to laugh at this thread because I felt like I was the only one who suffered this dilemma - of being the mom who followed directions. Our hard to find item was 2 sharpie liquid pencils. I was stunned because if she was to have a pack of No. 2 pencils so what possibly could she need these for and who knew sharpie made pencils? I had to search it on my cell phone to make sure the teacher was not mistaken and then gasped at the price - a 2 pack ran as high as $9! I was shocked knowing my dd would surely lose these within a week or two. But we bought them to be in compliance and an extra pack so I could see what was so wonderful about these pencils. My findings - they write smoothly but certainly no different than the regular No. 2 pencils!

We couldn't find the 2 green folders with pockets and no prongs, though we found the other colors. So they picked out two random folders and I wrote GREEN on the top and side of them. I think they have prongs too. I also only bought 24 pencils each instead of the 48 on the list. I told my kids if they need more I'll buy them. Same with the 9 packs of wide ruled loose leaf paper. They each got two. I think I was supposed to get 24 crayons for one of them but the store only had 48 packs so that's what we got.

I like teachers to know up front who they are dealing with. I am a "close enough" type parent and they can expect "close enough" throughout the year from me. :)

I know in the neighboring county they ask for huge amounts of supplies because they put them all in one cupboard & they get shared out as needed & cover people who can't or won't buy their kids stuff. In ours everyone keeps their stuff to themselves, puts their names on it and it all comes home at the end of the year. The really strange part is I live in a poor rural county and the neighboring county is very affluent and I would have expected mine to the one pooling supplies.

I agree with Stacey, not every one can afford supplies, so one of the reasons teachers ask for more supplies than what would seem necessary is because they know not everyone can contribute and they want every child to have what they need despite those circumstances. My husband is a high school teacher and I have lots of friends that are teachers and they all spend a lot of money out of pocket, even with these lists of supplies. For example, most of the books in the classrooms were paid for by the teachers. I made an effort this year to buy several books for the classroom since my son used them all year and surely they are not in as good of condition as they were before. While teachers get paid pretty well in our area, there are many places in the country where that is not the case. That and they are required to pay for continuing education to maintain their licenses, etc ...

.... anyway, I totally agree that the specificity and volume of some things on the list can border on absurd, lol. I'd definitely rather write a check to contribute to the supplies than be expected to find them.

LOL - Cheyanne started needing one at the beginning of Jr. High (6th grade here) and they use them a lot. They'll start projects on their school computers and bring them home on the flash drive to work on them at home and vice versa. I totally get the flash drives - definitely the way of the future and the kids are doing more and more work on computers. This year each 8th grader gets a Mac Air to bring back and forth from school to home so she might not use the drive as much this year.

I guess we got off lucky...Rachel's 2nd grade list was pretty short, and she could have whatever color folders she wanted. Our Walmart had every color but pink (which is what she wanted)...so she wasn't happy, but oh well. I spent about $25 total for all of her supplies this year (no coupons or anything).

I will admit when I taught I asked for Crayola crayons as opposed to other (*cough* crap Roseart) brands. And every year a kid would bring in Roseart, and then he or she would be crying because their crayons didn't show up on the paper that we were using.

Whatever happened to writing the subject on your folder with a pen/sharpie? It's hard to believe that teachers are that specific. I'm curious to hear from teachers on here. We were in a small town that only had a Walmart, so everyone's lists were always on a display there and we could always find what we needed

Here's an idea for those of you needing graphing calculators: my mom had all of us pay half of the cost, and we knew so at the beginning of the summer so we had time to earn the money. I loved my graphing calculator. My bro was out of the country the first year I needed one, so I used his, but I knew I had to pay for half of mine like I did for any larger purchases I needed. I don't think I needed one until high school, but I used that thing as a second brain for 9 years straight, and now DH uses it at work (I had the Ti-89, his is the 84 or 83). So I think going on 13 years it was a pretty good investment. I'm also surprised that they make you buy an 83 or 84 because the 89 will last them through all of calculus, and any tests that require a lesser calculator only need a basic calculator like the Ti-35 anyway.

I just started homeschool preschool with DS and spent maybe $20, and I felt like I was splurging. I guess it's different because I can buy as we need, but teachers can't expect kids to remember to tell their moms that they need more pencils, etc. the only thing I couldn't find wasa hand sharpener that had fat and skinny holes. My mom bought DD some chunky colored pencils, so I had to order the sharpener on amazon.

I'm telling you... everyone needs to move to our district! We buy all the supplies as a school. You pay nothing. You buy nothing. You won't even have to look at the supplies if you don't want to. :)

As a teacher, I'll say that I'm always thankful for the parents who don't have to send anything, but do. I teach pre-K and we don't ask for supplies but if a parent sends in a package of Lysol wipes or nice Puffs tissues, I'm more than happy to have them. The district provides cleaning solution but I dont' like it -- it's too concentrated and leaves a scum on my tables -- and the tissues they provide are horrible. Rough and thin. I buy crayons and markers myself during back to school (but I bought so much last year and used them so rarely that I have plenty... I tend to do more manipulative stuff than drawing stuff). I buy tons of snacks for my students to use during speech therapy. We use reinforcers to get them to use pictures or words to request and the reinforcers need to be highly motivated. I buy a lot of M&Ms, goldfish crackers and Skittles over the course of a year... but am happy to do it if it means my students are talking by the end of the year.

My 3rd grader has to bring 60 sharpened pencils. There are at least 25 kids in his class. I have a hard time believing that his class will use 1500 pencils over the course of the year.