Back To School For Kids Means Stress For Parents

Have you ever heard about the back-to-school fairy. You know, the one who brings the sacks of back-to-school supplies home for your children, which probably includes pencils, pens, notebooks, gym bag, paper, erasers, paints, compasses, calculators, chalk, paint brushes, staplers, gym attire, new clothes to start school in, new tennis shoes (a must, of course), and other necessary school stuff.

Who pays for all of these? And that’s not even counting actually enrolling your children in school and paying the school fees for all the activities they want to participate in.

How much do all of these cost? And who really saves to be able to buy all of these things?

The back-to-school phenomenon has become a huge business for stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Staples. Back-to-school sales are advertised months ahead of the actual sale. Add that to parents who end up making late night trips to get all of their children’s back-to-school supplies and it adds up to major stress.

And, as if that isn’t enough, parents then have to worry about their children’s schedules, carpooling rides if need be, child care for the babies, and after-school activities that children want their parents to attend.

“So much seems up in the air,” says Naomi Riley, a New York Post columnist and mother of three. “You’re trying to put together a schedule for the whole family including carpools, after school activities, child care. Is it all going to work?”

According to Fortune, the National Retail Federation says back-to-school spending has grown 42 percent over the last 10 years. It says that most back-to-school supplies are bought in physical stores and that on average, a family spends around $630.

According to the KPVI, 84 percent of Americans say the most stressful back-to-school shopping item is clothing.

A lot of stress is also brought on by social media websites, television, and the ads that they run. It’s not enough anymore to just have a backpack or a lunchbox. Now, it has to be the lunchbox or the backpack with the most popular music star, sports star, or television star on it.

Denise Schipani, mother of two middle schoolers and author of Mean Moms Rule, argues for perspective on this “season” which is not a season. “It’s one day,” she says. “It turns into a season thanks to pressure by stores and marketers to get parents to buy everything they may possibly need in the month or weeks before school starts, which is kind of insane and unnecessary.”

How do you handle the stress of back-to-school?

“One of my biggest pieces of advice is to make a plan and stick to it,” says Amy E. Goodman, lifestyle editor at Zulily. “From bedtime routines to getting outfits ready the night before to figuring out how to organize all those forms, being prepared will keep both parents and kids happy.”

Focus on what the child actually needs. It’s not going to turn extremely cold on Labor Day, so buy clothes as they need them, not all at once. Also, it’s important to talk. Talk to your children about your schedule and their schedules. Let them know what works and what may not work.

lnstead of being stressed out, laugh with them, talk to them, figure schedules out, plan ahead, and make their back-to-school days a fun, memorable time for them.

(image: via Shutterstock)