Slightly Sarcastic

A Back to School Bitchfest

Posted on18 Aug 2010

I was putting together a shopping list of back to school supplies and realized I really can’t afford my kids anymore. I wonder if it’s too late to return them? I guess I could start my own mini temp agency and hire them out to neighbors for odd jobs.

I used to love the back to school shopping ritual when only one of the kids was in school and my husbands job wasn’t affected by the economy. Now with 3 kids in school and an extreme lack of jobs in my husbands field, I’m afraid of it.

When did the grade school supply list start looking like the inventory of an office max store? Back when my mom had to shop for six of us back packs were only used by major geeks and the only supplies we needed were paper, pens and pencils. Look at my shopping list (and this doesn’t include new shoes and clothes and backpacks I HAVE to get for my kids that are growing like a bunch of crazy freaks).

Kindergarten
white glue or stick
crayons
pencils
scissors
pocket folders
composition notebook (hardback black and white)
towel/rest mat
tissues
supply box
dry erase markers

6th Grade
· pencils (No. 2, mechanical)
· pens (black and dark blue)
· loose-leaf paper
· scissors
· 2 or 3 Composition books
· Several 3-prong and 2-pocket folders
· 3 or 4 Spiral notebooks
· 2 or 3 3-ring binders (At least one “trapper keeper” style binder is suggested)
· dividers for binders to separate classwork
· ruler
· hand sanitizer
· hole puncher for binder
· colored pencils
· highlighters
· index cards
· glue stick (not neon or gel)
· personal pencil sharpener with top for shavings
· tissue

7th Grade
½ inch 3-ring binders – 4
2 inch binders with tabs – 2
Composition books – 1
Spiral notebook with 200 sheets – 3
Notebook paper
Pens (black and dark blue)
Pencils (no. 2)
Box of colored pencils
Box of markers
Highlighters
Box of tissues
Ruler with inches and centimeters
Protractor
Scissors (round tips only)
Graph paper

Freakin Underhanded Obnoxious Manipulating Producers

Generation Me Can Kiss My Butt!!

Poor Pedophiles, No one Understands Their Pain

Featured Articles, family stuff

http://www.alfredliveshere.com Brahm (alfred lives here)

Holy crap, that is quite the list! I am impressed. No kids here, I now understand why my brother is always so stressed out… yikes!
http://www.silvergurl22.blogspot.com silvergirl

This list will make you feel dizzy when your already in store to buy this stuff.. And thanks, I already graduate for this, because my 2 kids are already in college, they are the one who buy their school supply, my youngest is in grade 9, she will always accompany me to buy her things. Because if i will buy, she don’t like it…

Have a good day!

irma
http://mymommadrama.com Momma Drama

oh, I feel your pain!!! well… one third of your pain anyway. It sucks.
http://www.redheadranting.com/ Jen

We have to to supply our schools with a ream of white paper and a ream of colored paper as well as two rolls of paper towel in addition to all the other stuff. But, they don’t allow the kids to use folders yet (second grade) so every thing gets shoved into the backpack and gets torn or ruined.

I just noticed the dry erase markers on my daughter’s list…for some reason that one pisses me off.
http://www.injaynesworld.blogspot.com/ injaynesworld

I would definitely be renting them out. So glad I never had kids. It’s all I can do to keep my printer in ink.
http://mommamiameaculpa.com meleah rebeccah

Good Lord, and I thought my son’s back to school list was out of control! On the bright side, with school starting soon, I am very much looking forward to having the house to myself again.
http://thatsrightisaidit.com/ Brian D. Hawkins

My kids (four kids) are grown now, thank God, but I can remember two of them needing scientific calculators in High school the same year. They were like sixty bucks each! At least you can look forward to the days they come home saying they need ? dollars by Thursday for a class trip or something. I always felt like the school was trying to sabotage my ability to buy groceries and pay my bills. Just days of notice and always before the next payday.
sheila

Brahm – and you probably laugh and say, “I’m glad I don’t have any kids!”

Silver Girl – you’re lucky – can’t wait til I get there

Momma Drama – 1/3? I’ll trade ya.

Jen – Why do they need dry board erasers? Are we supplying the teachers stuff now too?

Jayne, Jayne, Jayne – you sound just like my big sister – she’s up in New York with her horse, goats, dogs and three legged cat – the only kids she’ll ever have and she loves it.

Brian – I HATE when they wait til the last minute and I have said more than once to my husband, “how do people do it?” Last year there was a $75 Williamsburg trip a $30 end of school lunch and many, many others in between – it’s crazy.

meleah – I know – everytime I start getting irritated by the amount of money I have to spend I think of the hours of peace and quiet and it brings my heart rate back down.
http://harrietandfriends.com Harriet

You are too funny.
My kids are pretty much grown and I can tell you that the $$$$ never ends.
You just gotta appreciate the moments.

Take care
http://www.shoot-me-now.com Katherine

Yup, your list sucks like my list. And three kids… backpacks, with the cheapest that will hold up starting at 34 bucks. And for mine, two scientific calculators and thumb drives whoo hoo! Last year was 450!!!
http://kidwonderful.com Jenny H

We didn’t even get a stupid list this year, which means I had to wing it in hopes that when she gets to school and gets the list, I’m at least ahead of the game. Such a pain!
http://www.smalltownmommy.com Anne

When I got the supply list for my 6th grader, I was overwhelmed by the specificity. I ended up ordering them from the school because I just couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. For my 2nd grader, I am going to wing it. I figure in 2nd grade if I’m wrong, she can make due.
http://www.tarheelramblings.com Tarheel Rambler

I’m one of those with grown children, and I’m very happy about that. I can’t imagine what my grandchildren are costing their parents…and frankly, ignorance is bliss. Back in the day, most of the paper products were supplied by the school, with the exception of notebooks and binders.

Not to make you nervous, but wait until they get to college. I just read an article that the average college student is paying over $700 a semester for books. There is some movement to lower that by renting books, and the move to e-books on Kindle and other readers is helping push the cost down.
http://mymommyconfessions.blogspot.com Mama Mia

Goodness me! I got stressed out by simply looking at that list o yours! My daughter is only 2 years old. And we don’t plan to enroll her to school till she hits 4. Now, I’m thinking that my hubby and I should REALLY start saving for the future. Geesh!
http://www.timmylicious.net TimmyLicious

life is getting more complicated….and with the prices of good nowadays i beginning to think what does the future hold…