Back to School: Where are the Pencils?De vuelta a la escuela: ¿Dónde están los lápices?
By: Keith
I got the Target Welcome Back to School flier in the mail a few days ago. It’s loaded, presumably, with offers on all the things my kids will need to be successful students. I thought to myself “It looks thick. I wonder what sorts of things public school kids need these days.” This morning, because The Economist was in another part of the house, I flipped through it over breakfast. I saw pencils, erasers, crayons, book bags, calculators and a section devoted to clothing. These, I agree, are all standard back to school items I’d buy if I were a parent of a public schooled kid. But, beyond what we all think of as necessary school supplies, I was surprised (and a little repulsed) by the branding of certain items. When we buy pencils and pens it doesn’t matter what brand they are as long as they write. The same goes for notebooks. I don’t think kids care if they have a Bic pen as opposed to some other brand. I don’t think they care if their notebook is made by Mead or another company. The first part of this magazine (it looks like a magazine), for the most part, sticks to the point and tries to sell me all the things I, a parent concerned about his kids’ education, am likely to buy. The back half, however, is segmented by brand rather than by product. Backpacks and all the other things fit to print cartoon characters on are found at the back. It’s annoying.
Branding Makes Buying Confusing:
If I want Band-Aids, I should be able to find them by looking in the health and personal care section. How am I supposed to know I need to look in the section dedicated to Go Diego Go or Dora the Explorer? The same goes with backpacks. There is no longer a backpack page. Now I have to flip though the selection of branded cartoon characters my kid likes to find the backpack with the right character printed on it. I am literally, because one cartoon festooned backpack is sold on every page of the magazine, forced to look at the entire magazine to see if Target sells a backpack my kid thinks is cool. What if I don’t want the Buzz Lightyear Band-Aids? What if my kid doesn’t give a damn about cartoon characters on his medical supplies but still needs to protect a paper cut? There are no regular Band-Aids sold in this magazine. They are all printed with cartoons and they’re distributed throughout the magazine by cross branded category rather than in some logical order. It’s stupid.
Is all this Stuff Necessary?
Actually, I can’t distinguish the necessary stuff from the unnecessary. They make it all look so useful. Advertisers these days have become sophisticated. For instance, I see Kid’s Tums (the antacid stuff) being sold next to lunch bags and crayons. Oh, well naturally my child is going to need an antacid! Notebooks, crayons, lunch box, antacid, bike helmet. Yup, that makes perfect sense. On the next page I see more useful things, pencils, pens, personal label maker, notebooks, and erasers. Wait. A personal label maker? One more example on the next page: dry erase markers, colored drawing pencils, lined writing paper, dry erase learning mat, felt tipped markers. That’s right. How can I do without the activity learning mat from Roseart? It’s right next to all those other things that are traditionally accepted school supplies.
When did Food Become a Back to School Supply?
I don’t begrudge Target for advertising food in a back to school mailer even though as far as I’m concerned my kids’ food should be no different than mine. What bothers me is all the terribly unhealthy branded crap. Being a semi responsible parent I know things, things like my kid should probably eat nutritious food if he’s to have a functioning brain for class. Orange/Cherry/Grape Popsicles don’t do it. Neither does the Sponge Bob Taco Kit or the Kid Cuisine (It comes in a cardboard box and a TV dinner style tray, but I’m not sure if that’s what it actually is) thing which I can’t identify. There are of course also, Nutter Butter Bites and Mini Oreos, a Kool-Aid FunFizz drink and Capri Sun. I’m not sure Target really cares about the health of your child. This is what my kid’s lunch would look like:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly (natural and on whole wheat bread)
- An Apple
- Milk
- A Cookie
I know it’s crazy. I mean how in the world can a kid get along without a Sponge Bob taco kit and Kool-Aid?
All the school supplies you had when you were a kid are still for sale today. But, instead of a random advertisement for a Dukes of Hazzard Lunch box, now you get random advertisements for notebooks and erasers. And because advertisers are so much better at advertising these days, it’s hard to distinguish the things you need from the things they just want you to buy. Be vigilant, folks. Protect your wallet by knowing what you want and going to the store with a checklist. If it helps I suggest blinders to keep you focused.
Hace algunos días recibí por correo el panfleto de Target con ofertas para el regreso a clases. Estaba lleno, presumiblemente, de ofertas para todos los artículos que mis hijos necesitarán para ser prósperos estudiantes. Yo me dije “Se ve gordo. Me pregunto qué tipo de cosas necesitan estos días los niños que atienden escuelas públicas.” Esta mañana, porque El economista estaba al otro lado de la casa, me puse a hojear el panfleto durante el desayuno. Vi lápices, bolígrafos, borradores, crayolas, mochilas, calculadoras y una sección dedicada a la ropa. Estoy de acuerdo en que todas estas cosas son artículos usuales para el regreso a la escuela, y que yo les compraría si fuera el padre de hijos que atienden a una escuela pública. Pero, más allá de lo que todos creemos son artículos escolares necesarios, fui sorprendido (y un tanto repulsado) pro la marcación de ciertos productos. Cuando compramos lápices y bolígrafos no importa de qué marca sean siempre y cuando sirvan para escribir. Lo mismo ocurre con los cuadernos. Yo no creo que a los niños les importe si ellos tienen bolígrafos de Bic o de cualquier otra marca. Yo no creo que a ellos les importe si sus cuadernos fueron hechos por Mead u otra compañía. La primera sección de esta revista (pues se parece a una revista), en su mayoría, se mantiene enfocada y trata de venderme todas las cosas que yo, como padre preocupado en la educación de mis hijos, posiblemente compraría. La segunda sección, sin embargo, se encuentra dividida por marcas en lugar de por productos. Las mochilas y otras cosas que se prestan para tener imágenes de personajes caricaturas se encuentran en la parte de atrás, y es fastidioso.
Las marcas hacen del comprar algo confuso:
Si yo quiero curitas, yo debería poder encontrarlas si busco en la sección de salud y cuidado personal. ¿Cómo voy a saber que necesito buscarlas en la sección dedicada a Ve Diego Ve o Dora la Exploradora? Lo mismo ocurre con las mochilas. No existe una página para mochilas. Ahora tengo que hojear por toda la selección de personajes de caricaturas que les gustan a mis hijos para encontrar la mochila con la estampa del dibujo correcto. Me veo, literalmente, porque existe un tipo de mochila con una caricatura impresa en cada página de la revista, forzado a leer la revista entera para ver si Target vende el tipo de mochila que mis hijos piensan es padre. ¿Y qué si no yo quiero los curitas de Buzz Lightyear? ¿Y qué si a mi hijo no le importa un cacahuate que sus artículos médicos tengan un dibujo de caricatura pero aún necesita proteger su cortada? No hay curitas normales en venta en esta revista. Todas tienen impresiones de caricaturas y se encuentran distribuidos por toda la revista categorizados de acuerdo con la marca en lugar de un orden más lógico. Es estúpido.
¿Son todas estas cosas necesarias?
De hecho, no puedo distinguir las cosas necesarias de las inútiles. Ellos hacen que todo se vea útil. Hoy en día los anunciantes se han vuelto más sofisticados. Por ejemplo, yo veo Tums para niños (el producto antiácido) siendo anunciado junto con las loncheras y los crayones. ¡Bueno, naturalmente mi hijo va a necesitar un antiácido! Cuadernos, crayones, loncheras, antiácido, casco para bicicleta. Sí, tiene perfecta razón. En la siguiente página veo más cosas útiles, lápices, bolígrafos, una etiquetadora, lápices de colores, papel con líneas, un tapete de actividades de borrado en seco, marcadores con punta de fieltro. Es correcto. ¿Cómo puedo sobrevivir sin mi tapete de actividades de Roseart? Esta junto a todas esas otras cosas que tradicionalmente son aceptadas como artículos escolares.
¿Cuándo se convirtió la comida en un artículo escolar para el regreso a la escuela?
Yo no resiento que Target anuncie comida en su panfleto de artículos para el regreso a la escuela aún cuando en mi opinión la comida de mis hijos no debería ser diferente a la mía. Lo que me molesta es toda la terrible e insalubre porquería de marca. Al ser un cuasi responsable padre de familia yo sé algunas cosas, cosas como el que mis hijos probablemente deberían consumir alimentos nutritivos si es que van a tener un cerebro funcional para sus clases. Las paletas de naranja/cereza/uva no funcionan. Tampoco el Kit de Tacos de Bob Esponja o esa cosa llamada Kid Cuisine (que viene en una caja de cartón y en estilo de bandeja de merienda, pero ni siquiera estoy seguro de lo que es) la cual ni siquiera puedo identificar. También hay por supuesto, Nutter Butter Bites y Mini Oreos, una bebida de Kool-Aid Fun Fizz y Capri Sun. Yo no estoy seguro que a Target verdaderamente le importe la salud de tus hijos. Es por eso que el lunch de mis hijos sería lo siguiente:
- Un sándwich de mermelada con crema de cacahuate (en pan de trigo integral)
- Una manzana
- Leche
- Una galleta
Yo sé es descabellado. Digo, ¿cómo es posible que un niño pueda sobrevivir en el mundo sin su kit de tacos de Bob Esponja y Kool-Aid?
Todos los artículos escolares que existían cuando tú eras niño todavía se encuentran en venta hoy en día. Pero, en lugar de un comercial al azar de la lonchera de los Dukes de Hazzard, ahora te encuentras con comerciales al azar de cuadernos y borradores regulares. Y porque los anunciantes son mucho mejores con lo que hacen hoy en día, es difícil distinguir entre las cosas que necesitas y las que simplemente ellos quiere que tú compres. Amigos, sean vigilantes. Protejan sus carteras estando conscientes de qué es lo que verdaderamente quieren y yendo a la tienda con una lista de artículos a comprar. Si ayuda yo sugiero que utilicen anteojeras para mantenerse enfocados.
i don’t get suckered my the advertising. i know exactly what i’m gonna get & i get it. it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the non-essentials cos kids love them and ya get them to please your kids. one thing i’m good at though is saying ‘no’ lol i say it often. haha i’m gonna try the healthy kid lunch thing this year cos i admit to putting in crap like the ones advertised into my kids’ lunches.
/ i want to eat healthy & i want my girls to do it, too. 
) any suggestions on food items that won’t break the bank organic or natural wise?
.-= ciara´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday-Summer is Almost Over =-.
Ciara: That’s one of the biggest issues, isn’t it? Finding quality food that’s not obscenely Whole Foodsie expensive. Walmart has just started selling quality peanut butter at low cost, and I’ve been surprised at some of the other acceptable foods they have too. I guess it all comes down to reading the ingredients. Now that you mention it, I think that’d be a great topic to research and do an article about. Thanks for the idea!
Maddy eats Sponge Bob Taco Kits everyday……okay I’m kidding. What the hell is a Sponge Bob Taco Kit anyway, for real?!?!?!?
I loved this post
I don’t know how old your kids are, as this is my 1st read, but from 9 yrs experience homeschooling, here are my suggestions:
Only buy school supplies that are on sale. Period. Meaning…ridiculously cheap, not just included in the ads. Most of the time we over buy for 1 yr’s needs anyway, especially when it comes to what amounts to the useless stuff.
One of the absolute most winning benefits of homeschool is you do not have to deal w/constant barrage of marketing ploys that creep into the classroom through peer pressure or exclusion. Keep it real. Save the cutesy brand supplies for holidays. The more basic, the better. The more convoluted the item, the less likely you are to need it. That includes laptops for elementary students – or even middle school if they aren’t mature enough to care for it properly.
The truth of the matter is we could outfit our kids w/the most advanced everything right now, & trust me, by the time they are competing for college, it will all be outdated & irrelevant, while they are begging for the newest to keep them ahead as they enter college. Essentials for progression, yes — habitual budget busters, no. Just like a college student has no true need for a credit card. I’m 33 & haven’t had one since age 20 when I maxed out my dept store card & ruined my credit. The only debt now is our mortgage. Teach your kids early on to keep the shopping list simple, & that immediately frees up time & money for experiences – the true spice of life.
I plan for my boys to begin specialized courses in high school; early enrollment into community college either brickfront or online. There is a time for everything, & parents are only asking for it if they continue to push those times too quickly, or allow their child to bully them beyond reasonable decisions.
As far as lunches go – I agree Whole Foods is a sham. However, let’s shake our heads of our own marketing brainwashed dust & think a second….Just like your post compared branded tools v.s. the original basic tools, what makes parents believe they need brand names of “premium” foods that have dishonest labeling, exaggerated prices, & alot of the times are still very unhealthy? An “organic” label unfortunately doesn’t shield you from high fructose corn syrup, a cause of diabetes, pancreatic cancer (if not further cancers as well), & ADD among other disorders, or MSG and aspartame. Any carbonated drink will have phosphorus preventing calcium absorption, and do we really want water bottled in plastic that releases toxins as it sits in the back of a hot shipping truck? Or water w/pharmaceutically derived vitamins and such added? yikes! Also, is the fact that fluoride & chlorine are deadly poisons added to not only our treated water at home, but at all the food processing facilities.
My point = less is best. Simplify. Get back to the original source. Fresh fruits and veggies, fresh meats (processed meats are being proven to be the heart attack/stroke culprits, not necessary the cholesterol/fat levels of meat), slow cooked beans where the soupy juice is served as well rather than drained, whole grain rice, etc…
At home we try to cook in bulk as often as possible, but the older our kids have gotten the harder it is to remember to make enough for >1 meal. The best, easiest plan is to at least cook enough supper that you have healthy leftovers for lunch. You can at least do the main course this way, then switch up the sides at lunch. This is still as convenient as it’s gonna get. Give me an extra half hr prepping veggies v.s. a superstore grocery line anyday. Oh – & 1 more thing — produce stands/farmers’ markets are your friend. The produce comes from closer source, is in season, picked when ripe, & is always, always, always cheaper — and — you support local families and allow them to feed themselves as well as you do this. Folks have become more conscious about where their food is imported from, and reported seeing garlic imported from China at their grocer. As if … we needed…garlic from China. Garlic abounds in the US & is 1 of the easiest superfoods to grow.
My point is
Jen: Wow, that’s great about the credit card. I wish I could say the same thing.
I have found one of the cheapest and healthiest meals available is stew and, like you say, it makes for excellent leftovers! Thanks for the comment, Jen, and thanks for reading ! 
As if I could’ve forgotten anything, lol, but I did….There is no need in expensive, again branded, curriculums. Free library card, internet access, used books, and new books to fill in the gaps. Amazon, eBay, half.com, Edward McKay’s Used Bookstore are all excellent resources, and have filled every need we’ve had or will encounter. 99% of the textbooks/workbooks I’ve purchased have been <$10 each, and over 50% <$5. My kids are performing above grade level, for the record.
Just a couple of things…
Branding DOES NOT make it confusing. Why would you be confused? You’re an intelligent parent. Get over it. Branding is there for those who give branding importance. There are people in this world who WANTS a certain brand, label, character insignia, etc. You just have to accept it. I’m not one of those parents who cares about branding but there are a lot of consumers who do and Target, and other stores, are only trying to satisfy those consumers. Get over it. the world does not revolve around you.
And of course none of this stuff is NECESSARY. But loosely, it is an artistic expression of oneself. Some of us like to be simple, and focus on more important things. Others like to be more wild, or artistic, or trendy, or they simply like the cartoon characters they watch or identify with…maybe some are role models. Whatever. But criticizing peoples’ ways of expressing themselves simply because you don’t express yourself in the same manner is a bit egocentric. Your way of life and beliefs is just as important, right, and valuable as the next person. Different, but still good all the same.
Vy Vo: It was a rhetorical statement. Clearly you missed it. Every opinion, by definition, is egocentric. This opinion your spouting right now is ego centric. This is a blog that contains opinions. “Get over it.”
That flyer looks like it was designed and published by Real Simple Magazine. (One of my favorites because it provides lots of material for my “Are You on Drugs?” blogpost series.) I think a lot of this is from the school systems. I remember being put off by the stuff my teachers commanded us to by back when I was in grade school. You must have a pencil box (that we never used). You have to have Elmers brand glue. The stores just take that ethos and crank it up a notch. You don’t want your child to be different, do you? Doesn’t your child’s future deserve it??? And yet, actually gaining knowledge becomes less and less common all the time in the schools.
.-= Dad is in the House´s last blog ..Care and Feeding of Bath Toys =-.
DadintheHouse: That, unfortunately, is the truth. Now that you mention it, I too remember having to have Elmer’s glue. Weird.
I know what you mean, Keith the band aids should be on a page with other first aid items, and not on a Dora the Explorer page.
Being a homeschooler too, I like that we can choose what we actually need and not have to go by some list that the school created.
We had fun shopping the last few weeks.
I got my pencils at Walgreen’s last week.for 9¢ for a pack of 10.
I got packs of index cards for 29¢ a pack
Packs of 6 different colored highlighters for 19¢ a pack, that they are selling at the grocery store for $4.99
At Target, I got packs of Bic pens on sale for 99¢ a pack of 10
The only reason I chose BIc was because I had coupons for $1.00 off two Bic products, so that brought my price down to 50¢ pack.
Last year we got boxes of spiral notebooks for 5¢ a notebook, and still have plenty left.
I love getting a deal.
I find a lot of my deals using a site called weusecoupons.com
I always figure if they have to brand the product with a cartoon character etc. it’s probably an inferior product because they are relying on the cartoon character to sell it rather than the quality of the product.
I think the Dora the Explorer antacid is totally hilarious and they are really going way too far on the branding thing.
My MIL did all the school supply shopping for my daughter going into Pre-K this month. None of it has any characters on them. Because for Pre-K, the kids don’t carry them around, they’re all put in their cubbie. And they will probably never see their own again.
Only character driven item I did but my daughter was her Disney Princesses backpack. It’s her first year and I let her decide what she wanted.
But I AM going to fill it with Sponge Bob Taco Kits..
My biggest issue with the back to school supplies at our local school is that they want us to NOT label anything. They want the girls to get quart size ziplock bags and the boys get gallon size. 2 boxes each! Or if your last name is A-M get red, black, yellow, green construction paper and if your last name is N-Z get blue, purple, white, orange construction paper, with a note that says it’s only sold at X store & assorted packages will not be accepted. I know when I was in public school our list did include things for the class (i.e. tissue, soap, etc) however my parents did not have to provide pencils and paper for the entire class! I’m so thankful that we can homeschool and that I don’t have to shop off of a list of labels! As long as we have what we need it doesn’t matter who makes it!
Kristina: Oh, Jeez, judging by what you just said, I’m glad we homeschool, too. I would NEVER be able to keep track of all those instructions.
I truly thought I was the only at home dad that noticed these flyers and how absurd they are for listing so many nonessential items as back to school essentials. Fantastic article!
.-= Stay at Home Dad´s last blog ..Bad Management =-.