Writing names on backpacks?

[HelenePA]

Have you tried to get it off? nail polish remover works great... just test it in a spot to make sure it wont remove the color as well.

 

[Coconut36]

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.

Why the heck are you jumping all over me? I didn't say I thought it was appropriate..I simply asked if you missed something that indicated that is what they planned to do. It happens in the mess of starting school paperwork. I also said I would tell the teacher directly this is not to happen again to any of my children's items without prior permission/notification to you and I would express express my extreme unhappiness about what was done and why it wasn't OK for them to do this.

 

[Minnesota!]

Not something I would be upset about in the least.

Of course, I labled my kids backpacks and lunchboxes with a Sharpie, too.

Like we were told to do...

 

[tink20]

Yes I would be annoyed, if she did that to an expensive backpack. My DS's is a cheapo, so I wrote his name myself. There is nothing you can do now, so I wouldn't let it eat away at me.

 

[sam_gordon]

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.

As mentioned, kids could go to recess immediately after or before lunch, or even right before getting on busses. The layout of the school factors in also.

My first reaction would be to make them pay, but then after thinking about it and after buying new backpacks, I would just take it as a lesson learned and to label everything the way I wanted it labeled and be done with it.

Should the teacher have done it? No.
Would I be upset? Maybe
Would I be calling the school/teacher and asking them to replace the backpack? No. I agree with those who say this isn't worth "dying over". Maybe at the end of the school year, donate the backpacks to the school and get the tax write off.

I wrote the kids names on the outside of the backpack, at the top, on the side that faces their back. I'm more worried about kids saying "that's MY backpack". Having the names on the outside allows someone to quickly look and see who's it is. Labels & tape come off. Writing on the inside could be problematic if the inside is black.

At the most, I'd send a note or write an email to the teacher simply saying you wish she hadn't written the names on the backpack, and if she needs something labeled to simply let you know and you'll take care of it.

And really? "hand me downs"? If the pack survives year to year, wouldn't the same child be using it? OK, maybe not if they graduate HS or college, but we're talking elementary, right?

 

[eebadeeba]

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!!!

If it was really a situation of being more worried about child safety that looks, I would assume that you would chose child safety.

My kid's school does not send anything home about writing names on things, nor have I ever written names on any of my items. There are fewer students in each class than normal. My kindergarten daughter had the same backpack as a friend. They got them mixed up occasionally. No big deal.

I don't like names on things because we buy things second hand and would pass them down. I usually don't get backpacks at a thrift store because they have names in them, but I did find a great LL Bean one last year with no name!

I would be very upset, especially when you decided to invest a larger amount to last a long time. I would much rather my kids use a backpack for years rather than having cheap ripped backpacks that get thrown out each year. It is easy to say it is not worth getting upset about (which is probably the best thing to do), but it is hard to do when you look at the backpack everyday and are trusting this teacher with your kids.

 

[StephMK]

As a parent, I would be highly annoyed too and as a teacher, I'd never use sharpie on a kid's personal belonging like that. She could have used tape then sent a note asking for some id on it if needed.

If I put a name on DD or DS's things, I put it on the bottom of the "back" of the pack that is covered when they wear it. No need to have their names drawn on the front, whether for safety or looks.

 

[Mkrop]

We buy the Lands End backpacks with initials embrodiered in them, and those bad boys last a very long time!

So my kids are labeled on the outside and on the inside, and we have a really long last name to fit on those teeny tiny labels.

I would be FURIOUS if a teacher took a permanent marker to my kids' stuff.

As others said, masking tape is a wonderful tool. It work's for coaches at football practice.


In our school, the Kers get a laminated animal with their name, car line or bus # on it. It is attached with heavy duty yarn to the backpack, and then the children hang them on a hook with their name.

 

[khertz]

I don't think you are overreacting in this situation. I would be really upset too, and probably talk to the teacher about it. Especially considering it was the first day of school and mistakes happen. The teacher could have easily put the children's names on the backpacks in a temporary fashion and sent a note home reminding you to label the backpacks yourself. Hopefully you can get the Sharpie out!

 

[luvsJack]

masking tape is not going to stay on a backpack. They would be re-doing it every day.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Why the heck are you jumping all over me? I didn't say I thought it was appropriate..I simply asked if you missed something that indicated that is what they planned to do. It happens in the mess of starting school paperwork. I also said I would tell the teacher directly this is not to happen again to any of my children's items without prior permission/notification to you and I would express express my extreme unhappiness about what was done and why it wasn't OK for them to do this.

Lol I'm sorry I quoted the wrong post.

 

[Coconut36]

Lol I'm sorry I quoted the wrong post.

I was totally confused about that because I agreed with you!

 

[luvmy3]

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.

So what is the appropriate level of anger one should display. I'd be POed, not a little mad, I'd be pretty angry and I would be calling (or emailing) the teacher and the principal to let them know I don't appreciate a teacher making that decision for me. That is usually how it works, you have a problem with something, you let them know.

 

[luvmy3]

masking tape is not going to stay on a backpack. They would be re-doing it every day.

Then you can use duct tape, that stays on.

 

[Mkrop]

masking tape is not going to stay on a backpack. They would be re-doing it every day.

It is a good temp fix, then send a note home asking the parent for a more permanent visible ID, maybe even offer suggestions.

 

[sam_gordon]

So what is the appropriate level of anger one should display. I'd be POed, not a little mad, I'd be pretty angry and I would be calling (or emailing) the teacher and the principal to let them know I don't appreciate a teacher making that decision for me. That is usually how it works, you have a problem with something, you let them know.

The level of appropriate anger will differ based on the person. For example, I don't think it's appropriate to be "pretty angry", "furious", or even "highly annoyed".

To me, I would be "disappointed" or "upset", and don't think it's appropriate/necessary to ask the teacher/school to replace the packs. I don't think the principal even needs to be notified. A simple, polite note/email/conversation with the teacher is about as far as I'd go.

 

[luvsJack]

Then you can use duct tape, that stays on.

Yep, and if it stays on all year it will leave a messy residue on the backpack.

There isn't an easy, one size fits all answer to this for the teacher or the parent. That's why, normally, the teacher or school will request "label all items with child's name"; it puts it back on the parent.


The teacher could have come up with a dozen alternatives to what she did. I still wouldn't have a hissy over it.

There are ways to remove Sharpie. Just get it off and re-label the backpack in a more acceptable manner. Having to label everything would be why some parents don't go for the expensive, "it will last for years" stuff until the kids are a bit older.

If someone else's child had mistakenly (or purposely) taken the OP's child's back pack there would be a whole different discussion going on here. While in school, kid's stuff needs to be labled. Kids take things that aren't theirs, they forget what IS their's, they get things mixed up; its just better for everyone if its labeled.

 

[sam_gordon]

If someone else's child had mistakenly (or purposely) taken the OP's child's back pack there would be a whole different discussion going on here. While in school, kid's stuff needs to be labled. Kids take things that aren't theirs, they forget what IS their's, they get things mixed up; its just better for everyone if its labeled.

 

[jodifla]

While I think the teacher made a mistake, this isn't, like PPs said, a hill I'd choose to die on. They are backpacks, they are replaceable....or you can just live with it.

In the scheme of school issues, it's small. And you really don't want to go into K this way...EVERY TEACHER will know about you if you try to demand payback for the backpacks.

 

[Swimnoid]

I'd be totally ticked if that happened to my DD's back pack! I am the one using my DD's Kindergarten back pack now. She is 25! I surely wouldn't want to be hauling it around with her name on it...written poorly!