Getting back into the swing of the school year is exciting for everyone — especially when it comes to loading up on supplies. That's why we partnered with Target for this post.
School supply shopping is such a nostalgic experience. The smell of binders, erasers, and new backpacks takes me right back to the classroom. Now that I have a school-age child, hitting our favorite store for all her supplies can turn into a bit of a challenge. I wanted to be the "cool mom" and let her pick out everything she wanted, but the school-issued supply list clutched in my hand put us all in check.
This year I decided to turn the event into a family adventure. My plan was to split up the list and then divide and conquer. But the minute we walked into the store, the entire family bounded in different directions. I went chasing after my daughter with a shopping basket in hand while my husband headed for the backpacks. By the time we all converged in the school supplies section, the shopping list had been almost completely forgotten.
My daughter blew my mind as she grabbed the list and selected four folders (number recognition, yes!), then scrolled through the list while sounding out other supplies (budding reading skills, YES!). I started thinking less about what she was putting in the basket and more about how much she was learning during our shopping experience. She surprised me by skipping over the hot-pink items and tossed vibrant red, yellow, and blue solid-colored folders in our cart instead. Her hands gravitated to markers instead of crayons, pencils, rulers, and big-kid scissors. My little girl was turning into a smart and self-reliant being and I was so excited to see where she could go.
Once everything was checked off the list, we hit the snack area for goodies to add to her lunches. As we scanned the fun options, all I had to do was reach up and grab applesauce packs that she couldn't reach herself. Before I knew it, we had a full cart but I had that feeling it was "the time" to make a final decision, and I braced for a meltdown. I was beyond surprised when my daughter attacked the pile and self-edited, being realistic while noting that she "really didn't need four packs of markers, let's put the glitter ones back." While she was focused on putting them back I also snuck a few things out of the basket before we hit the checkout line.
After loading up the car, the entire family couldn't stop talking about how this was the best shopping experience yet. I knew our daughter had everything she needed for an awesome school year while my husband and I were surprisingly impressed with her decision-making skills. Instead of back-to-school turning into dramatic meltdowns (for everyone), we all left amazingly happy. Here's to a new school year!
More from Target
Product Credit: Tibi Dress, Vince Coat, M2Malletier Bag, Miansai Necklace, Crew Cuts Backpack, Stuart Weitzman Boot
