Writing names on backpacks?

[sbell111]

I am amazed that there are so many people who think that the school should be 'made to pay' for the backpacks. How do you guys think this would work? Are you going to take the school to court to pay the $60 it would cost to replace the backpacks? What if they offered 50 cents for the alcohol to remove the marker?

 

[RunningGirl]

This person clearly defaced brand new personal property....
No request for parents to label the items in some way....
No asking for permission...
No prior notice "unmarked items may be labeled by staff... The school can accept no responsibility for unmarked items... etc...

There is simply no justification, reason, or excuse here, at all.

And, to the person who is actually questioning a parent for buying a nice backpack....

I agree with the above. I don't jump on the "don't display your child's name or she/he will be snatched" bandwagon. I just think that this really crossed the line and yes, did ruin 2 brand new backpacks. You will never get that completely off without taking out some of the color of the backpack. I would have been seriously peeved. Not sure how I would handle it, but it does need to be addressed.

 

[daisyduck123]

Well that explains why they are there, but it still seems odd to me that they wouldn't put them back in their lockers before going outside.

Our playground is right outside the cafeteria doors. Classrooms are on the opposite side of the school, on an upper floor. The kids would lose 1/2 of their 15 minute recess if we lined all of them up to go back to the 1st grade wing.

 

[marmalade]

Our playground is right outside the cafeteria doors. Classrooms are on the opposite side of the school, on an upper floor. The kids would lose 1/2 of their 15 minute recess if we lined all of them up to go back to the 1st grade wing.

Now it all make sense to me. I can now sleep peacefully at night knowing why there are lunchboxes on the playground.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I'm pretty upset about this one. I have twin girls that started kindergarten this year. On the first day of school the teacher wrote their names in plain sight ON their backpacks with a Sharpie!!!

These are nice new LL Bean backpacks and she wrote on them with a Sharpie without asking me. Not only is the graffiti bothering me, but you are NOT suppose to write your kids names on anything where a stranger can see it and use it against the child.

"Hey (name), your mommy told me to pick you up today.) I'm just plain mad about this. Would anyone else be mad?

If you are that worried set up a security word that only you, your kids and these you chose to pick them up know. Then if the word isn't said they know not to go with that person.

 

[kirstenb1]

My daughters have LL Bean packs too, and their lunchboxes. (well, our ninth grader has talked me into a North Face, but she still has the old one) I'll say, half the reason I buy them is the monogramming of their names. I'm generally very supportive of teachers, and try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but this was wrong.

 

[declansdad]

I am amazed that there are so many people who think that the school should be 'made to pay' for the backpacks. How do you guys think this would work? Are you going to take the school to court to pay the $60 it would cost to replace the backpacks? What if they offered 50 cents for the alcohol to remove the marker?

If someone defaced something you owned, wouldn't you expect them to pay.

The teacher in this case exceeded her authority and she/school should be held accountable.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have had bus duty, I have had before school playground duty...so yeah, I know about the whole sorting out the backpack issue. BUT....I found that the vast majority of kindergarteners knew which backpack theirs was. And the school advised against putting their names on the front of the backpack!!! Many kids had their initials on it, but no name.
I suppose that if the teacher had really felt it was necessary to have names on the bags, she could have gotten some duct tape, put the childs name on it and looped it around a strap.
But, there is no way I would be happy with a teacher taking it upon herself to mark up a backpack. LLBean bags are not cheap!!! If I wanted my child's name on it, I would have put it there.
The teacher could have had an activity in class....the kids could have been given tags to put their names on, and then color them in. The tags could have been attached to the bag. Yes, the name would have been on the bag, but it could have been attached to the back of the bag..no name showing on the front.

 

[declansdad]

In the letter home to the parents did it list the requirement for items to be labeled with your children's name? If so, then the teacher is doing the job you were suppose to do. You can use regular rubbing alcohol to remove Sharpe.

My wife is a teacher and you will not believe how often 11 year olds grab the wrong backpack / book/ stuff.

I didn't know LLBean sold backpacks with out initials on them.

Jansport also has a life time warrenty on their backpacks.

You pay for the monogram, it isn't there by default.

 

[declansdad]

Of course, there is no such thing as permanent marker. If the OP is that upset about it, she can spend five minutes removing the offending name.

It will still discolour the bag and the OP shouldn't have to do this. It should never have been done in the first place.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Best post yet...


This person clearly defaced brand new personal property....
No request for parents to label the items in some way....
No asking for permission...
No prior notice "unmarked items may be labeled by staff... The school can accept no responsibility for unmarked items... etc...

There is simply no justification, reason, or excuse here, at all.

And, to the person who is actually questioning a parent for buying a nice backpack....

Maybe I missed it but I didn't read where the op said there was no request for the items to be labeled. Parents don't alway read information from schools/teachers carefully. Its entirely possible such a notice was sent and the op missed it.

Either way, it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Try rubbing alcohol and/or hairspray to get if off, buy some type of sticker or patch to put over the name, have a discussion with the teacher about it. Ranting about kidnappers and demanding payment for the backpack is a bit much and a good way to set yourself up as being "that parent" before the first week of school is finished.

 

[goofy4tink]

Maybe I missed it but I didn't read where the op said there was no request for the items to be labeled. Parents don't alway read information from schools/teachers carefully. Its entirely possible such a notice was sent and the op missed it.

Either way, it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Try rubbing alcohol and/or hairspray to get if off, buy some type of sticker or patch to put over the name, have a discussion with the teacher about it. Ranting about kidnappers and demanding payment for the backpack is a bit much and a good way to set yourself up as being "that parent" before the first week of school is finished.

I have had fabric backpacks get permanent marker on them.It's called permament for a reason...it didn't come off, at all.

The vast majority of school systems advise against putting a childs name out for all to see. That would include on their backpack. Dd had her name on her lunch bag (from LLBean) but never on her backpack. She had just her three initials...nicely monogrammed. In fact, the elementary schools used to send home a mid-summer packet of info for the families. In this packet was a notice that asked for backpacks to not have names on them, at least not on the front. Some parents chose to put their childs name on the strap, or on the rear of the bag.
I just don't think a teacher has the right to do what this teacher did.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

I dont think the teacher should have taken it upon herself to write the childs name in permanent marker on the backpack. If she wanted it labeled, she should have notified you that the name needed to be visible somewhere on the bag. In the meantime, she could have just used a piece of masking tape or something similar and given you the opportunity to label the bag accorfing to her specifications, but in a way you wished to do so.

Just my opinion as a mom of 4.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I have had fabric backpacks get permanent marker on them.It's called permament for a reason...it didn't come off, at all.

The vast majority of school systems advise against putting a childs name out for all to see. That would include on their backpack. Dd had her name on her lunch bag (from LLBean) but never on her backpack. She had just her three initials...nicely monogrammed. In fact, the elementary schools used to send home a mid-summer packet of info for the families. In this packet was a notice that asked for backpacks to not have names on them, at least not on the front. Some parents chose to put their childs name on the strap, or on the rear of the bag.
I just don't think a teacher has the right to do what this teacher did.

Sometimes people need to let things go and move on. The op said it was the first day of school. Getting into it with the school and teacher over a backpack is only setting her and her children up for a difficult school year.

 

[jrmasm]

Maybe I missed it but I didn't read where the op said there was no request for the items to be labeled. Parents don't alway read information from schools/teachers carefully. Its entirely possible such a notice was sent and the op missed it.

Either way, it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Try rubbing alcohol and/or hairspray to get if off, buy some type of sticker or patch to put over the name, have a discussion with the teacher about it. Ranting about kidnappers and demanding payment for the backpack is a bit much and a good way to set yourself up as being "that parent" before the first week of school is finished.

I probably wouldn't be thrilled if a teacher did this to one of my children's backpacks but it's hardly the end of the world.

Next time label it yourself.

 

[mad madam mim78]

I'm going to be completely honest here. I really am not worried about stranger danger. I am more upset about how it looks. I was afraid if I posted on the Dis about how I'm more worried about the looks than my childs safety I would get flamed. Looks like I lose no matter what lol!!!

 

[Coconut36]

I'm pretty upset about this one. I have twin girls that started kindergarten this year. On the first day of school the teacher wrote their names in plain sight ON their backpacks with a Sharpie!!!

These are nice new LL Bean backpacks and she wrote on them with a Sharpie without asking me. Not only is the graffiti bothering me, but you are NOT suppose to write your kids names on anything where a stranger can see it and use it against the child.

"Hey (name), your mommy told me to pick you up today.) I'm just plain mad about this. Would anyone else be mad?

Was there any prior notification that you might have missed? I wouldn't be OK with that either. Not "take it to the Principal" unhappy but I would be giving the teacher some direct feedback. I also do not want/have my children's names visible like that and I don't see the necessity for the teacher to write on the OUTSIDE of the backpack permanently. I am guessing it is their way of identifying everyone has the right back pack but there are plenty of other ways to do this and to me what they did was the lazy way. If it was absolutely required to be outside she could have used tape and put it on the part that connects with the child's back so it was there but not visible to anyone who sees the child.

I would make it clear to the teacher if any permanent alterations are made to any items like lunch boxes, back packs, clothes or anything else she notify you in writing prior to doing so.

 

[Sanchez]

I probably wouldn't be thrilled if a teacher did this to one of my children's backpacks but it's hardly the end of the world.

Next time label it yourself.

I would not like it either, but as usual it is the level of anger exhibited by some that I cannot understand.

Back to school threads sure are fun. The DIS angst level reaches its high point during this time of year.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Was there any prior notification that you might have missed? I wouldn't be OK with that either. Not "take it to the Principal" unhappy but I would be giving the teacher some direct feedback. I also do not want/have my children's names visible like that and I don't see the necessity for the teacher to write on the OUTSIDE of the backpack permanently. I am guessing it is their way of identifying everyone has the right back pack but there are plenty of other ways to do this and to me what they did was the lazy way. If it was absolutely required to be outside she could have used tape and put it on the part that connects with the child's back so it was there but not visible to anyone who sees the child.

I would make it clear to the teacher if any permanent alterations are made to any items like lunch boxes, back packs, clothes or anything else she notify you in writing prior to doing so.

Too late now. What if it were your childs shoes? What if they wrote on you childs shoes with sharpie? For whatever their reasons were. What if they started writing on their shirts? They are twins you know and it's hard to tell them apart just write the name on the back of their shirts. The thing is I don't understand this action she took. So careless. So disrespectful. So presumptuous. Yes I've learned my lesson. I will label and embroider and engrave every quality item I send with them to school. Heaven forbid I expect a teacher to respect peoples personal belongings.

 

[design_mom]

I agree that it would annoy me if someone wrote my child's name on the outside of her backpack (especially if it was not done neatly). This would probably not be something that I would be willing to "get into it" with the teacher over, but I would definitely be frustrated.

For what it's worth, I usually do label my kids' backpacks on the outside -- but last name only (for safety and hand-me-down reasons), and in an inconspicuous spot (usually on the side that faces the child's back, and always neatly.