The B2S Backpack Debate

School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here.

Winifred C. Marshal

It’s hard to believe B2S is just around the corner, it feels like just yesterday I rolled up to school pick up blasting schools out for the summer and royally embarrassing my kids. How does summer go by so fast yet feel so slow at the same time?

I remember as a kid how much I loved getting ready for B2S - the backpacks, the school supplies and of course the clothes. My favorite was picking out new shoes - that smell, there’s something about it - and a new pencil case. What I don’t remember is if I got a new backpack every year or not but I do know, this is a hot topic these days.

A lot of families I know purchase their kids a new backpack and lunchbox every other year and I know others who purchase a fresh backpack every year. While I realize the cost savings of only getting a backpack every other year, I’m in the camp of you get a new backpack when you need a new backpack. Could we afford to get a new backpack every year? Sure, we definitely could. But unless that backpack is tattered and covered in stains we will be reusing it the next year. Part of me feels it’s wasteful to get one for the sake of getting one. We have gone some years reusing the bag from last year and other years buying a fresh one because the bag was in such destroyed state. I honestly don’t know what they do to these bags to get to that state - are they dragging them down the halls, I’m not sure - but I wouldn’t want to carry something so destroyed so I don’t make them either.

This year will be a year we reuse the bags from last year. But if you happen to be on the purchasing cycle my kids and I have rounded up a few of our favorites. They were a little sour about picking out bags they couldn’t purchase themselves so I hope you make great use of this list ; )