Back to School Checklist

Posted on 30th August 2016 by Kelly From Red Cow Media

The time has come – we’re heading back to school! If you’ve not been fostering for long, or it’s been a long time since you sent a child off to school, it can be hard to remember everything that you need to buy and have ready!

Whether you are sending them off to school for the first time or are tasked with getting begrudging teenagers through the school gates, September marks a stressful shift from the lazy summer haze to the busy weekly routine. The key to starting an efficient, stress-free school routine is good preparation.

This means making sure that each member of your family is kitted out and ready for the weeks and months ahead. It’s no lie that communication between teachers, pupils and parents can often be cloudy. This can lead to forgotten supplies and essentials.

To avoid any hurried last minute runs to the shops, we’ve put together a handy list of school essentials so that at least you’ll be confident that you’ll have the basics covered!

Uniform & PE Kit

Make sure that you’ve got a full list of exactly what the uniform code of the school is. Not only is it important to adhere to this so that you don’t upset the school, but it’s also important so that your foster child will feel like the fit in and don’t feel different to the other children. This goes for both uniform and PE kit.

Shoes

In their earlier years, children’s feet grow at amazingly fast rates and so a new pair of school shoes for the start of the school year is essential. The school playground is notorious for its ability to wear shoes down, and so investing in a high-quality pair of school shoes is a good idea and will save money in the long run. When dealing with older children and teens, you may have a bit of a battle when compromising style and strength! We recommend sitting them down and getting them to go through some pairs they really want online, that way you can see which will be suitable and which won’t be in the comfort of your own home!

Book bag

All those textbooks and folders will require a sturdy carrying companion. While it will be important for your child to look ‘cool’, it’s important that as with the shoes, you select a bag that’s strong and sturdy. Again, it will save you buying another one in a few weeks! As suggested with the shoes, sit down with your foster child and pick a bag together at home.

Lunch Box

My getting a strong and durable lunch box, you foster child will be more like to bring a packed lunch, which is often more cost effective and healthier than buying a lunch in school!

Pencil Case

A well-stocked pencil case will encourage your child to work hard. Remember the excited of buying your new school things when you were younger? You should delight in this with you foster child, and try to get them as excited as you were.

These things may seem obvious, but it’s important you get it right! All of these things can help ease your foster child back into school life in a fun and exciting way.