Should you put your child’s name on their school supplies? The cost of back-to-school shopping is continuing to reach new highs as prices surge and schools remain chronically underfunded.
In the midst of all this, one mom had a hot take on the issue.
How much do families spend on back-to-school supplies?
On average, families with children in elementary through high school spent about $890 on school supplies, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported. It’s a number that has been steadily increasing since NRF started collecting this data more than a decade ago.
In 2007, the average household spending was $563, which is a $327 difference.
And families with students going away to college spend even more. College students and their families spend an average of $1,366 on supplies per college-goer. This jump started happening after 2019. Back then, spending hovered around $970—a nearly $400 difference.
Why are parents spending more?
NRF reports that this jump is driven by an increase in demand for electronics. Last year, 69% of shoppers expected to buy electronics as part of their back-to-school list.
In other cases, it’s due to school districts shifting the cost of certain communal classroom supplies. For example, parents and teachers are now expected to provide items like cleaning wipes and tissues. Teachers themselves spend upward of $600 on supplies for their classrooms, the Association of American Educators found.
Some believe districts should be fully covering the cost of these school supplies. However, they also acknowledge that school supply budgets have remained mainly the same in recent years. That’s all despite school supplies costing more due to inflation.
Should parents buy supplies for other kids?
Mom Amy Jackson (@amyjackson9213) shared a school supply hot-take that has viewers split. Her video has more than 1.6 million views.
In the TikTok, Jackson loads up a haul of school supplies into the back of her car. School supplies lists are often supplied to parents by the teacher, school, or district.
Jackson states that she won’t be putting her kid’s name on the supplies because “if someone should need them they should have access to them.” Many parents include their child’s name to try and ensure the supplies are only used on their child.
@amyjackson9213 I will die on this hill. So many moms posting themselves saying they want every supply their bought being used for only their kid. I buy extra… we aint the same sis. #momssupportingmoms #momsoftiktok #backtoschool #schoolsupplies #fyp ♬ Alibi – Sevdaliza & Pabllo Vittar & Yseult
“Y’all are weird AF for being so worried about SCHOOL SUPPLIES getting used for another student,” Jackson says. She gives a knowing look at the camera.
In a reply, Jackson clarified that she was referring to communal supplies like tissues and wipes, not the special stuff that kids pick out themselves, such as their notebooks and folders.
“I will die on this hill. So many moms posting themselves saying they want every supply their bought being used for only their kid. I buy extra… we aint the same sis,” she added in the caption.
Commenters are split on putting names on school supplies
But commenters are split on the issue, with several saying that they don’t have the financial means for their child to share supplies or to buy extra. Others say it’s not a big deal.
“It’s not weird. I’m struggling myself to get supplies/clothes/shoes. If I was able to do more I would. But as of right now I can’t so my kid comes first,” a top comment read.
“I write my sons name because I’ve had teachers tell him he ‘owes them school supplies’ when in fact he did bring all his own,” a person said.
“This was my mom and now as a mom i will be this person. my mom would always buy double of all three of our school supplies just in case someone didn’t have it. it’s never the child’s fault,” another chimed in.
And people watching from outside of the United States are confused about why we’re buying supplies at all.
“Live in Belgium and are so confused by this??? here we all by our own stuff and if the class has supplies for everyone it comes from the teacher/school,” a commenter shared.
“Never bought any single things for my daughter here in the Netherlands. no school supplies, just a bag and lunchbox,” another added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jackson for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
Update 10:12am CT August 28: In a written response to the Daily Dot, Jackson said that she made the video after seeing clips of other moms putting their kids names on everything from hand sanitizer, tissues, Clorox wipes. “Things that are bought for the use of the classroom, not necessarily individual students,” she said.
“I thought it was very petty because they were saying things like if I buy the supply, I want my child and only my child to be able to use it. When it’s obviously, a classroom item.”
She added that there are a lot of parents struggling financially and she doesn’t want that to limit what their children have access to in the classroom.
“Labeling every single item could make those kids feel bad if they needed something and it had another kids name written in sharpie,” she said. “How are our kids supposed to learn to share and care about their fellow man if we as adults act selfish?”
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