Don't Send Your Child Back to School Without a Locker Mirror

By Charlene Arsenault

Parents are not scrambling to pick up packs of banana clips, Levi’s cords or Trapper Keepers with unicorns on them for their kids this year, clearly. The back-to-school list does not include paper bags to cover textbooks, a boombox or even a pack of pens and a notebook.

It does, however, include backpacks with either dinosaurs on them or a speaker embedded in it (depending on the student’s age). Apparently, it’s also somewhat imperative that they get an acoustic guitar starter kit, a workout bar and a Kindle Fire. And a wardrobe of throwbacks from the ‘90s.

Marlborough students head back to class on Thursday, Sept. 4.

Students are heading back to school soon, whether you like it or not (admit it, you like it). And there are lists of things you “need,” apparently, to get for your son or daughter to avoid any and all social pitfalls as they head back to class.

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Census, families across the country spent some $8.6 billion last year at this time on clothing alone. The bookstore estimate is $1.6 billion.

All My Faves recently announced its back-to-school must haves for 2014, with a list based on Amazon and eBay’s top 30 supplies.

For preschoolers, a rolling dinosaur backpack tops the shopping list. It’s light, it rolls and it’s got dinosaurs on it, so kids are crazy about it. Others on the preschool list include the Learn to Play Piano (not sure how this is a back-to-school item, or how it would ever fit in the dinosaur backpack, for that matter), a Despicable Me T-shirt, and a Phineas and Ferb notebook and pen set.

Heading to the elementary school grades, this is what the kids want (need) to get them through the school year, according to All My Faves: a basketball backpack, a Brita-filtered water bottle, acoustic guitar starter kit (that’s on the preschool list, too), and the book Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.

For middle schoolers, the backpack choice is by Hershel, and doesn’t need to be all fancy with basketballs or dinosaurs on it. Also, according to All My Faves, middle schoolers should like a Nook, a Wilson football, a dry erase board and a Connect 4 pen.

Soundwave makes a backpack that also has a speaker in it, so you can turn your book carrying device into a sound system at any given time (not in the library, though!), and that’s the big pick from All My Faves for a back-to-school item for high schoolers. Also on the high schooler’s back-to-school checklist are a Kindle Fire HDX tablet, an Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar and a locker mirror.

For clothes, it’s back to the ‘90s

According to authority Seventeen Magazine, teen fashion is trending toward a nod back to grunge - “romantic grunge” specifically - marked by bowler hats, worn-in sweaters, faux leather skirts and kitschy prints.

Fashion Trend Guide, an L.A. based blog, echoed the trend, commenting on its page, “For fall, I’m especially drawn to darker, moodier florals. Not sure how to style flower printed pieces for fall? If you’re brave, mix florals with plaids for an updated take on grunge, or opt for an understated vibe by anchoring florals with solid separates such as moto jackets, cozy cardigans, dark denim, cute boots, and sleek blazers.”

“Tiffany” may have put it best when she answered a plea for fall fashion help:“Fringe, bows, animal print, floral print tops & skirts, motorcycle jackets, ripped jeans, acid wash jeans, skinny jeans, leggings, bangles, neon, converse, booties, city meets country, clear purses, 90’s fashion.”

Amazon’s “Back-to-School” store features a wide array of backpacks, the Kindle Fire and water filter bottles as spotlighted items.

What are your kids declaring that they must have in order to head back to school this year? Share in the comments section.