Writing names on backpacks?

[jc040404]

And I wouldn't expect a 2-3 year old to completely get the whole permanent marker thing.

I do expect a 22-33 year old professional to understand that you don't write on others' belongings. What would this teacher do if her students wrote on her belongings?

Let's take this to a different hypothetical... what if the teacher took the same sharpie and wrote a kid's name on the outside (not in the pocket, inside, or label) of the kid's sweater or hoodie? Would people still feel the same way?

That happened to us just last year when ds was in K. His teacher wrote his first and last name along the bottom of his jacket. (outside, on the back - if that makes sense - clearly visible if you were standing behind him!) He'd lost one on the playground the week before, so I could understand why she did it. However, his last name was already written on the tag inside! Why wouldn't she look there first? As his brother is only two years younger, I'd fully expected to pass this jacket along soon. Not happening now.

Was I annoyed? Very much! Did I say anything to the teacher about it? Nope. I understood why she did it and didn't think it was worth causing silly stress for ds in the classroom.

 

[sam_gordon]

That happened to us just last year when ds was in K. His teacher wrote his first and last name along the bottom of his jacket. (outside, on the back - if that makes sense - clearly visible if you were standing behind him!) He'd lost one on the playground the week before, so I could understand why she did it. However, his last name was already written on the tag inside! Why wouldn't she look there first? As his brother is only two years younger, I'd fully expected to pass this jacket along soon. Not happening now.

Was I annoyed? Very much! Did I say anything to the teacher about it? Nope. I understood why she did it and didn't think it was worth causing silly stress for ds in the classroom.

Yup.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

My DD went to Catholic school for years. The very first back to school night we got the following lecture.

"There is a chain of command that I would like you all to respect. You have an issue with something that happened in class, you speak to the teacher first. If it isn't resolved, you speak to me, the Principal (and scary nun ). If it is still not resolved to your satisfaction, you contact the priest. If you contact the priest or I first, we will ask what the teacher said. If you haven't addressed it with the teacher, you will be instructed to do so and our conversation will end." It worked. We went to the principal with only things that didn't pertain to the teacher (like parking lot pick up issues).

The current principal has the open door policy. She spends her entire day placating parents and investigating issues that supposedly happened in the classroom. It has gotten so bad at the school that if we hadn't moved, my DD would have been yanked anyway as the principal just listened and appeased whining parents all day and did nothing else.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

That happened to us just last year when ds was in K. His teacher wrote his first and last name along the bottom of his jacket. (outside, on the back - if that makes sense - clearly visible if you were standing behind him!) He'd lost one on the playground the week before, so I could understand why she did it. However, his last name was already written on the tag inside! Why wouldn't she look there first? As his brother is only two years younger, I'd fully expected to pass this jacket along soon. Not happening now.

Was I annoyed? Very much! Did I say anything to the teacher about it? Nope. I understood why she did it and didn't think it was worth causing silly stress for ds in the classroom.

I'm not saying that I would go global-thermonuclear on the teacher or escalate to the principal, but I can't imagine saying nothing. We try to take very good care of our things. We don't beat on them or destroy them.

With respect to teachers and schools, I let so many things go. I agree with people that worry about becoming "that parent." But this is that one step too far for me.

 

[DizBelle]

I don't understand how a grown adult doesn't understand that this is defacing someone else's property.

You DO NOT write on anybody's anything with markers or writing instruments of any kind unless it is designed to be written on. i.e. it is ok for a teacher to write a childs name on a worksheet or something. It is not ok to write on any article of clothing or bag.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I will admit I did not read the whole thread, just the first 2 pages.
I'll go back an re-read later.

ETA: ok went back and skimmed...

But yes we had a teacher do that to DS16 when he was in Kindergarten. I made her replace the bag with the same one, which we labeled on the inside.

I also won't label clothes because I pass them down since we have 3 boys and we donate a lot of clothing to Goodwill.

Also I wonder, if the bag has been written on like that will it void the LL Bean warranty?? We only buy LL Bean because of the warranty and have used it twice.

My steps would be:
Discuss with the teacher. Say you will attempt to remove the lettering but if it doesn't work you expect her to replace the bags with exact matches (if your kids are as picky as mine) or with ones of equal value and/or quality.

If she doesn't comply, then take it up with the principal.

There should have been a note sent home with the supply lists/welcome to the classroom letters/at orientation (or what ever communication the school has) requesting that personal items be clearly labeled.

 

[Scurvy]

I don't understand how a grown adult doesn't understand that this is defacing someone else's property.

You DO NOT write on anybody's anything with markers or writing instruments of any kind unless it is designed to be written on. i.e. it is ok for a teacher to write a childs name on a worksheet or something. It is not ok to write on any article of clothing or bag.

I agree. If the teacher absolutely required that the backpacks have names written on the outside, that is something the parents should have been told before this happened. Many parents buy more expensive backpacks than they otherwise might so that they can pass it down to a younger sibling or other child or resell it at some point. The backpacks with kids' names written on the outside are useless for those purposes. I just can't understand how a teacher could ever think writing on the backpacks was appropriate. I would be extremely annoyed and would be talking to the teacher about it.

 

[LuLuO]

I would speak with the teacher to find out what happened. Edit: I may or may not ask for replacements depending on the answer.

I put my kids' names on masking tape on the inside of the bags and the teachers put hanging name tags on the outside top handles. I label everything and have a roll of masking tape sitting on the counter that I pull from all year long. Having volunteered at the school, I can tell you what a pain it is to be trying to match up coats and hats and gloves that aren't labeled. Still, the teacher should not permanently mark on any belongings.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

OH just thought of something. I would also ask the teacher if it was her or maybe an aide or parent volunteer that wrote on the bags, just for clarification.

 

[mhsjax]

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...

Most schools want you to label the Inside of the bag, not the outside for the world to see. Most will tell you not to put your child's same in plain site.

FWIW, I know a girl that got killed this way, the killer, saw her name on her shirt and told her some lie about how her mom was seriously hurt, she was so upset by this that she didn't think clearly, she went off with him and was killed and she was a teenager. Now does this happen often, no. But this is reason enough to me not to put my kids names on things. there has been show after show, about how kids are trained over and over again not to with with someone they don't know, how and what not to do and guess what they still do them. No one needs to know my child's name, and I would be very upset if the teacher did this. But then again, most here won't. they tell you to label inside. NO teacher is goin to tell me that I have to label anything on the outside, it won't happen. My child, my choice, not hers.

 

[Poohforyou]

I don't see the big deal with putting my child's name on the outside of her school backpack. In elementary school the only people who would have seen it were teachers, staff, student and a handful of parents that already knew her name anyway. She wasn't out and about on her own & the bag was only used for school. As a matter of fact, I think a teacher did write her name on her lunchbox. Wasn't something worth even addressing.

I would however be annoyed that I wasn't given a chance to put an identifier on it on my own such as a laminated luggage tag. This is only because a good backpack lasts several years & I don't think my 3rd grader would be happy having her name on it.

 

[mhsjax]

Well all I can say is that if you want to assume you know what is going on in our school based on my posts here, that's fine. I actually know what is going on

Ours is the same way, we can go to him with anything. Wonderful man.

 

[mhsjax]

That happened to us just last year when ds was in K. His teacher wrote his first and last name along the bottom of his jacket. (outside, on the back - if that makes sense - clearly visible if you were standing behind him!) He'd lost one on the playground the week before, so I could understand why she did it. However, his last name was already written on the tag inside! Why wouldn't she look there first? As his brother is only two years younger, I'd fully expected to pass this jacket along soon. Not happening now.

Was I annoyed? Very much! Did I say anything to the teacher about it? Nope. I understood why she did it and didn't think it was worth causing silly stress for ds in the classroom.

There would be a major problem with this. I have 3 kids and we do hand me downs. I would have raised some heck over this, and someone would have paid for this jacket.

 

[Help Please!]

Some of you say that the principal wants you to come to them with issues. I'm guessing she means issues regarding safety or some sort of serious reoccurring problem...NOT a one time issue with a teacher! Seriously, our principal has enough to do dealing with the many new ESE student at our school, students who are coming to school hungry and dirty or with bruises, overcrowded classes, scheduling, etc. Sorry, but this doesn't make the list! If you bring this issue to a principal, you must think they don't have more important issues to deal with.

Do I think this teacher was wrong? Yes. I would explain to her that I spent a lot of money on good quality backpacks, and I would appreciate if she wouldn't write on my students' items. It would end there. However, if it was a repeated thing (she continued to write...on personal items like jackets, lunch boxes, hats, etc.) then I would probably speak with her again, and I would also send a nice e-mail to the principal explaining my view.

Asking the school to pay for the bags? With what money????? Do you think the school has a fund for things like this? Your husband must not know the budget schools are working with. Asking the school to pay would probably result in the PTO paying somehow...at our school that would mean $100 would be going toward your kids bags and NOT toward the the fund for our very disadvantaged kids...who take a cheap backpack home every weekend with enough food for a few meals (that they can make themselves) because they don't eat over the weekend. Sorry...tell your husband to search the internet and get the sharpie out himself. No, it's not your fault, but definitely a "1st World Problem."

 

[crazyme5kids]

I'm with the group of people who feel everything should be labeled where it can be seen without having to search. If you don't want first and last name on it, just put the last name. If you don't want any name, at least put initials. Why should a teacher have to waste time searching for whose backpack is whose?

If you are handing it down to your next child, the last name only suggestion works.

If you donate the bag after your child is done with it, you can cover the name up with a piece of fabric before giving it away, or let the whoever the bag goes to figure out how to put their child's name on the bag.

 

[mhsjax]

I'm with the group of people who feel everything should be labeled where it can be seen without having to search. If you don't want first and last name on it, just put the last name. If you don't want any name, at least put initials. Why should a teacher have to waste time searching for whose backpack is whose?

If you are handing it down to your next child, the last name only suggestion works.

If you donate the bag after your child is done with it, you can cover the name up with a piece of fabric before giving it away, or let the whoever the bag goes to figure out how to put their child's name on the bag.

If the parent doesn't want to mark up the outside of an item that they purchased then they shouldn't have to, period. If the school wants to mark on personal property, then they can make the purchases.

I have 3 kids. one in 10th, one in 8th, and one in 6th. Not one of them has EVER had to right anything on the outside of a back pack lunch box coat or anything else that you can think of. My kids teachers have never had to waste time searching for a child's backpack, it is the child's responsibility to keep up with it.

 

[spacemountainmom]

I've got a radical idea. How about we actually expect that children know what belongs to them and be responsible for it?

In all the years I went to school, I do not remember any teacher ever being that worried about keeping track of kids' belongings.

I actually get the frustration. My dd was always meticulous about her things and kept her stuff together and organized. My ds generally has no idea where any of his stuff is. I generally have to check in at school every now and then to look through the lost and found. I find plenty of ds' stuff in there. I also see quite a bit of stuff there that belongs to other kids. It's rather amazing to me. I also cannot believe how many pairs of glasses, housekeys, ipods and cell phones are turned into the office at the middle school and never claimed. Believe me, my parents would have made me go through the school with a fine tooth comb if I had ever lost my glasses. There just wasn't money to replace them willy-nilly. Luckily ds does not share my poor vision. Then again, if he did wear glasses and lost them, I would expect him to hunt and low for them as well.

Who are these parents that just don't seem to care when their kids lose stuff?

Enough of my rant. I actually agree that the teacher was in the wrong. I would not be happy with her actions. She could have easily sent a note home or shot the parent an email requesting that the backpack be labeled. It was inappropriate of her to write on the backpacks on the first day of school and I would discuss it with her.

 

[lawnmd]

My son has L.L. bean backpack as well. This is the reason why we bought a backpack from them.. "if you are not 100 percent satisfied L.L. Bean will replace it for free."
So when something happens to backpack like a tear, a rip, or dog chews it up. presto a brand new backpack. Problem solved.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have 3 kids. one in 10th, one in 8th, and one in 6th. Not one of them has EVER had to right anything on the outside of a back pack lunch box coat or anything else that you can think of. My kids teachers have never had to waste time searching for a child's backpack, it is the child's responsibility to keep up with it.

I've got a radical idea. How about we actually expect that children know what belongs to them and be responsible for it?

I'd just like to point out (and someone else mentioned it before)... OTHER kids may, intentionally or not, take your kids stuff. So it wouldn't matter if your child is responsible, it wouldn't matter if you make him hunt high & low for an item. If another kid took it, you're not seeing it again. If you do, and your child's name isn't on the item, now you're "he said/she said".

THAT'S my worry & why we mark our kids stuff. Has it happened to us? No. Does that mean it will never happen? No.

My DS lost TWO jackets last year (one spring, one fall). He left one on a field trip and we don't know where he left the other one. Should he be more responsible? Yes. But the fact is he then didn't have a jacket. I guess "tough noogies"?

 

[lawnmd]

As for the parents who say its the kids responsibility. That's true. But try loading 20 young kids together and let the wrong kid accidently take it home And you may never see that $30 backpack again.
I don't think the teacher should have put the kids name on it anywhere. That is the parents choice. It they want it on there they would have put it on there. But you would be surprised how many things get lost and get claimed by person who it doesn't belong to. Especially if there is no name on it any where.