Schools are an important part of every child’s life most of our early memories seem to revolve around school. One of my earliest memory is standing on the road outside our house in the fog watching for the yellow bus that was to take me to my Kindergarten. It was the kind of day that just stuck with me. Of course as we grow up they become our primary place where we interact with people in a multitude of ways.
For a parent schools can mean a whole host of things. Right now it means exasperation. Every year in Canada parents get a list of school supplies to buy for their children. They have new clothes to purchase and many new and different arguments with their child about all sorts of ridiculous subjects. Honestly, do you care what colour your glue stick is? My kids do apparently at times.
Given this our society has become built around the event. “Back to School” is both cringe worthy and glorious. For most parents the end of summer means the novelty of children around the house has worn off. This is true of the kids as well. They are frustrated and tired of the same old stuff, even if they believe they are not.
Yet, for a parent, getting the school lists together becomes a mountain of work. We, for example, have to buy no less than twelve pairs of shoes for five of our kids going to school. When I was going to school I had one pair of shoes. Now the school wants you to have up to three.
Then there is the sticker shock of the price increase in shoes over the past few years. About ten years ago in an outlet store in St. George Utah I bought a pair of Reebox which cost about 30 dollars. Now the same type of shoes at a regular store usually start at about 130 dollars and up. Our local outlet store now sells it for 80 dollars.
Combine with that is the large amounts of supplies, some of which you get back with hardly anything done. If a teacher wants a kid to have twelve scribblers their had better be a reason. I had one child come home with exactly two pages used in two separate scribblers. It is such a waste. I feel like saying, look we do not want to pay for all this junk. As well teachers have gotten into actually suggesting specific brand names. Imagine your delight when they recommend a brand twice the price of another one which looks basically the same. This leads my wife to say, “tough they can deal with it,” as she grabs the cheaper one.
This of course does not include all the fees we will have the pleasure of covering as well at some point in the fall.
Ah the pain we suffer for education.
Then you go to church and they ask you for 61 dollars for each boy in mandatory scouts. Ack, Ack, Ack, I feel a furball coming on… oh no that is not it. Something has just been a bit hard to swallow.
August, Christmas for the stationary stores.
“tough they can deal with it” I just became a huge fan of your wife. Although I share your annoyance that they specify name brands. Unless there is a significant qualitative difference between the name brand and store brand that is completely uncalled for. Thanks for the post!
Yeah, our first experience with school systems started in Wales. At that point we sort of accepted their word on a lot of things. However, when we returned to Canada our children were about two years ahead of where the Canadian system would have placed them. Because in Britain you are in full-time school from age 4.
Our five year old had already been through grade one and they wanted to put him back to Kindergarten. My wife first argued with the Principal of the school. Then she went up against the Superintendent.
There insistence was that they do not put children ahead just because they are smart according to the parent. My wife kindly pointed out that the boy, who is fairly intelligent, had already gone through a full year at full time regular school and would take a step back if he went back to just play half time Kindergarten.
Then they said she would have to talk to the school board. So she said she would. Meanwhile I was writing for the local paper and covering the school board. So before she was going to appear they finally gave in.
It was an eye opening experience and one that taught us that we did not have to take their word on any subject we did not agree with.
Oh and by the way our son was top in his class both years we were there and has been close to the top ever since. So I have no regrets.