If you have a child who is due to start high school this September then be prepared for the biggest transition of them all. This is the one where your sweet child who still needs and wants you for most things suddenly becomes very independent and grown up, seemingly overnight. If you are about to embark on the back-to-school shop then here are some tried and tested products that we recommend to help make the transition to high school easier.
An insulated water bottle
If you want to avoid being in debt to the school due to your child’s Radnor Fizz addiction then I suggest you send them with a water bottle, even if they are buying their lunches everyday. Furthermore, I recommend an insulated one that will keep their drink cold all day and one that they can fill up easily at the water stations around school. Another top tip is to make sure it fits in the water bottle pocket on their school bag otherwise it will be lost and forgotten on day one. We recommend this one from CamelBak as it’s eco friendly, leakproof, and comes with an easy to use straw. It’s also available in a range of colours.
A decent school bag
When your child starts secondary school they will find that they have to carry more books, kit and possibly a laptop than ever before so finding a back that is a) big enough and b) going to protect your child’s back long term is important. You should also consider the fact that your child may be working to and from school or the bus stop on their own and come winter both the mornings and evenings can be dark, so a bag with reflective panels is also a good idea. We recommend the Futliit backpack that not only has reflective panels but also LED lights that can be turned on and off by the child whilst being worn to ensure they are visible at all
times.
A key ring
This may seem like an odd choice but chances are your child will at some point this year require there own house key and even if they don’t, they will have a locker key, which will probably result in a fine if lost. A key ring that is easily identifiable and big enough to spot in their bag and hear when dropped is best. However, avoid anything too big, childish or personalised as they won’t thank you for it. We recommend something like this torch keyring from Amazon.
A mobile phone
Now this is the big one and I appreciate not everyone can afford to buy their child a phone but let me remind you that it doesn’t have to be brand new or the latest model but for your own piece of mind it will be beneficial, especially if your child gets the bus to and from school. From experience school buses are often late, they break down and sometimes simply just don’t turn up. If this happens you will be stuck at home worried sick when your child is late but if they have a phone they can let you know what’s going on and if they need any help. It’s also great for when they start wanting to go out with their new friends and as everything is done online now if their phone has internet access it means they can check their online portals, emails, timetables and homework whenever they need to. TCL offer some great starter phones for teenagers.