A loan for school supplies

It is an odd request from one of the area schools to have their elementary students bring as part of their supplies.

As a parent, I would question that number and wonder if it was a typo on the supply list. I may also wonder if the kids were eating the glue for afternoon snacks... (I had a girl in my class when I was growing up who ate glue - we had to hide our glue bottles from her.)

Granted, you don't want your kid to run out of glue during an art project but this seems to be an excessive amount. They could almost make an art project out of the glue sticks!

Some schools begin this week - parents of some kids probably don't think it's soon enough and for many of the older kids it is too soon.

The supply lists have gotten longer over the years and it's nearly necessary to take out a loan to pay for all of it - especially for those parents that have more than one child in school.

A few schools are asking students to bring two dozen pencils. Will they really go through that many? When my kids were in middle school, especially the boys, I saw them doing homework with pencils no longer than two inches - and that's counting the eraser on top. I remember asking them why in the world they didn't use a different pencil - because it's not like the didn't always have a whole pencil box full of brand new unsharpened pencils. Their excuse: "I like this one."

Okay then.

I haven't bought any pencils for years; if the kids need one for ACT tests or Iowa Basic Skills, they go to the pencil box that was created from the overflow from those required pencils lists over the years.

There are a few schools that require their youngest students to bring in an extra set of clothing - including underwear and socks. I wonder how many kids come home with their own set of clothes at the end of the school year? As quick as kids grow, those items brought in at the beginning of the year probably won't even fit nine months later if they do get them home.

That's a good idea - though - for those accidents. There were a couple of accidents by kids I went to elementary school with and when we graduated, we made sure we reminded them of those accidents they had in their younger years. I know, that was not nice of us.

Most of the kindergartners are required to bring something to lay on for rest time. I noticed most schools want the kids to bring beach or bath towels rather than rugs or mats.

If that had been true when my kids were that age, my oldest, Jordan, wouldn't have had anything to do at nap time. Yes, nap time is to rest but this kid was one that couldn't sit still; he was the busiest kid I ever saw.

So when he brought home his nap rug at the end of kindergarten I wasn't surprised. It was one of those weaved rugs and it was in shreads; it certainly couldn't be used again except for one thing - blackmail. I stashed it away, got it out for show and tell during his graduation, but then realized it was too disgusting to even do that.

And crayons. There will be millions of rainbows throughout the school year at all the schools!

A couple schools requires the students to bring in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters for use during math time. (Or is is to buy off someone to do homework?! Probably not. These are only second graders.) That's really a pretty good way to teach the kids values but will the parents see the money at the end of the year or will the kids claim they "lost" it?

Back packs are now required by most schools; I suppose so there aren't papers blowing around everywhere or that science books aren't lost in the street.

And most times those backpacks are over flowing and extremely heavy. Not good for those little backs that have to carry them.

If you think it is expensive sending kids to elementary and middle school, just wait until you see the supply list for college...

* Lorri Glawe is a member of the news staff. Reach the columnist at lglawe@stormlakepilottribune.com