Don’t make these back-to-school shopping mistakes. Advice from Tri-Cities school staff

The transition from summer to fall brings many changes with it. Natural change, like the leaves changing colors and temperatures dropping, and cultural change, like draining and closing pools and back to school preparation.

Back to school preparation is a major time of year for parents of schoolkids. You have to ensure your kid, or kids, are fully prepared for the upcoming school year. That includes appropriate clothes and shoes, while keeping each individual child’s tastes and style in mind, the right supplies for their grade, and any specific requests from the teacher.

But it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the demand that comes with back to school shopping.

That can cause over spending and even missing important items. Many teachers see the same common mistakes year after year.

So, we used a few methods to ask local school employees which school shopping errors are the most common in Tri-Cities. Here’s what they said.

Tri-Cities most common school shopping mistakes

Far and away the most popular response on back to school shopping mistakes parents is related to the supplies lists.

Supply lists

Each school offers a recommended shopping list for each grade, and individual teachers may have specific items as well. These lists are usually available online.

The best way to shop for school supplies is to follow these lists. They are made specifically for that year’s curriculum, and will include the best specifics, like wide-ruled or college-ruled notebooks. Local teachers highly advise following the provided lists, to avoid buying unneeded items or forgetting something important.

Mega packs

Be mindful of quantity. One student does not need pencils in bulk, so don’t buy a 100-pack. Same goes for pens, markers and crayons. If these items are on the list, purchase a reasonable amount for your student. No elementary school student needs the large pack of crayons with the built-in sharpener at school. If your child loves coloring, purchase a larger, fancier crayon pack for home crafts, and a regular size for school.

“Crayon boxes with built-in sharpeners are not needed,” stated one popular comment on NextDoor, from user Marjy Leggett. “Kids will sharpen their crayons until there is nothing left of them and leave the sharpened remnants on the floor to be stepped on and tracked through the classroom.”

Desk decor

It’s also important to be mindful of utility — don’t buy anything your kid won’t be able to use. Small trinkets for desk decor may not be allowed, so wait and see what classroom time will be like before buying unspecified items.

Water bottles

Kids won’t be able to utilize water bottles bigger than their means. If you want your child to bring a water bottle to school, make sure it’s an appropriate size and material (nothing breakable).

Also, individual items like water bottles and safety scissors should be labeled with your child’s name.

School supplies help in Tri-Cities

Several teachers complained about the quality of dollar store supplies. For those who cannot afford supplies elsewhere, some alternatives were suggested.

Local schools use Communities in Schools and Americorps, which offer individual assistance for students in various ways, including supplying needs for school.

There are also some events still offering free school supplies in the area:

• Sips and Supplies at the Richland Target from 2 to 4 p.m. on August 22
• Back to School Farmers Market at Century 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. on August 24

• Maverick Cares Back to School Giveaway at Crazy Moose Casino from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on August 24

Parents can also communicate with teachers if they need assistance obtaining school supplies.

On the other hand, those looking to donate to local classrooms can find wish lists posted online, like this post with several dozen comments.

This story was originally published August 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.