OT: What does your Pre-K or K Child Carry to School?

[SalandJeff]

I feel like this is a silly question, but I can't figure it out and need some help from all the great moms on here.

My dd, who will be 4 in October, will start preschool in the public school system next week. She will go to preschool 3 mornings per week. I will drop her off and then the bus will take her from preschool to daycare (this is an entirely other reason for the knot in my stomach ). The other 2 days she is at daycare all day.

She needs to bring her lunch to have at daycare (which has to be kept cold). So I am thinking she will need a backpack and her lunchbox, with a coldpack in it, when I drop her off at preschool. Which she will then have to manage on the bus by herself. She is a tiny little girl (5% for weight/25% for height). All the backpacks I am seeing are huge and heavy.

What do your preschoolers or kindergartners carry their stuff in? Have you found small backpacks anywhere other than the very tiny ones for toddlers to play with? Any suggestions?

 

[gabbysmom04]

My DD just turned three and is in preschool. We use a backpack that is just about reg. size. She is there all day so she has lunch also that she has to carry. She is also on the bottom of the chart but she seems to have no trouble with it. There are a few kids at her school that use a rolling backpack, maybe that would help.

 

[mericletwins]

My dd, who will be 4 in October, will start preschool in the public school system next week. She will go to preschool 3 mornings per week. I will drop her off and then the bus will take her from preschool to daycare (this is an entirely other reason for the knot in my stomach ). The other 2 days she is at daycare all day.

She needs to bring her lunch to have at daycare (which has to be kept cold). So I am thinking she will need a backpack and her lunchbox, with a coldpack in it, when I drop her off at preschool. Which she will then have to manage on the bus by herself. She is a tiny little girl (5% for weight/25% for height). All the backpacks I am seeing are huge and heavy.

What do your preschoolers or kindergartners carry their stuff in? Have you found small backpacks anywhere other than the very tiny ones for toddlers to play with? Any suggestions?

We had the same situation. My kids are in the low percentiles and we did the pre-k/daycare split with bussing in between. For the backpacks, we got ours from Lands End. They have a smaller sized backpack, but is stilllarge enough to fit a folder from school, a lunch box and a change of clothes. My twins are going into third grade now and the Lands End back packs have lasted. In fact, they are still in great shape, but the kids wanted new ones and we figured we had got our money out of the other ones. Any other questions, please fire away.

 

[Perditamarie]

LL Bean also makes a perfect kids sized backpack...it's the one w/jr in the title!

 

[Robmom]

I saw some cute tiny character backpacks in Kohls last week.

 

[pooh4evr]

our pre school kids need full size backpacks or at least one large enough for folders and a notebook DD carrries her lunch in hers too

 

[SalandJeff]

Thanks everyone. I will try Kohl's first (since she wanted a princess one) and if that doesn't work, order from land's end. Preschool needs a notebook...jeez she is just my little baby (mom in denial here)

 

[Gillian]

Although they're a bit on the small side, the Disney ones with the clip on lunch box worked well for my kids for preschool. They had to carry (in the car though) a change of clothes and some emergency food, plus lunch. The clip on lunch thing made it easier for them to carry. They used them for camp where they had more stuff and a longer distance to walk.

DS almost 7 now has an LLBean critter backpack. It's very light, but kind of large. Probably too large for pre-k, but a nice in between option for K because it has one large pocket. DS found that easier than several smaller ones. He has only had to carry lunch and a folder most days, so not too heavy yet.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I just want to add that our preschool requests the regular sized backpacks because of art projects and such. You might want to check. I also like the Lands' End backpacks. They hold up very well. That said the regular one has about three zippers which is fine with my 8 year old but maybe not a preschooler.

Good luck!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Our preschool also requires a full size back pack. i was aso going to ask if there is any way to avoid her having to carry her lunch to preschool before day care. that is a LOT for a little person and there is always the chance of it getting left at preschool. yes, teachers try to always chedck behind the children but sometimes things happen...

Could you pack a lunch that does not have to be kept cold for those days and drop it off at the preschool the day before whe you pick your child up???

Maybe peanut butter sandwich (if allowed) or some type of pasta dinner with the pop up tops that most kids like room tem, and a juice box. Fruit or crackers or what ever that would be ok left out could work as well.

 

[ardig123]

The Children's Place also has smaller size backpacks...they are just a bit smaller than the full size ones...i think we got DDs for $12.00 at TCP.

 

[Disneymoon]

I teach PreK at a public school and request that parents do not get bookbags with wheels for their child. Often the bookbags with wheels do not fit in cubbies correctly and tend to be a tripping hazard while walking in line.

Good luck with sending your baby off to school. Preschool is an awesome time!

 

[thepeach80]

The Children's Place also has smaller size backpacks...they are just a bit smaller than the full size ones...i think we got DDs for $12.00 at TCP.

This is the one AJ used last year and is using this year (my mom is set on buying him a new one at WDW though). They also sell lunchbags there that fit right into the front pocket of these book bags. They're a great size for this age IMO. AJ just started pre-K through the schools here too.

 

[SalandJeff]

Our preschool also requires a full size back pack. i was aso going to ask if there is any way to avoid her having to carry her lunch to preschool before day care. ...Could you pack a lunch that does not have to be kept cold for those days and drop it off at the preschool the day before whe you pick your child up???
Maybe peanut butter sandwich (if allowed) or some type of pasta dinner with the pop up tops that most kids like room tem, and a juice box. Fruit or crackers or what ever that would be ok left out could work as well.

This is a great suggestion and I thought about this. But dd is sooo finicky - I swear she wouldn't eat at all if it was up to her. No peanut butter allowed. Biggest problem with this would be Mondays. I am going to have to give it more thought and see if I can come up with something so she doesn't have to carry lunch.

You guys are so awesome. Thank you ALL for the feedback. I never thought about a lot of these things (having no experience!). You can always count on your DIS family!

 

[ZPT1022]

This is a great suggestion and I thought about this. But dd is sooo finicky - I swear she wouldn't eat at all if it was up to her. No peanut butter allowed. Biggest problem with this would be Mondays. I am going to have to give it more thought and see if I can come up with something so she doesn't have to carry lunch.

You guys are so awesome. Thank you ALL for the feedback. I never thought about a lot of these things (having no experience!). You can always count on your DIS family!

Could you leave Easy Mac and a cup of applesauce on Friday, to be lunch on Monday? Then on Tuesday, bring food for Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Thursday bring food for Thursday and Friday? Only Mondays would need to be prepackaged kind of stuff, and only because it would need to be left over the weekend. You could also, depending on what storage is available at daycare, leave some frozen things on Friday. I would talk to the daycare and see what their take on it is- tell them you're worried about it being to much for her to deal with- both carrying it and having to remember it too. If frozen and prepackaged is an option, you could almost bring it all on Thursday or Friday for the entire next week, provided they have the storage and are willing to work with you





ETA- by frozen, I don't necessarily mean frozen kids' meals, although my kids do think those are a treat. I meant things that can be frozen in tupperware in portions for her. Like if you made a favorite dinner of hers, purposely make more and freeze a few portions to have for upcoming meals.