If you’re an organised school parent, by now you have the uniform ready, the shoes polished, the sports kit checked and replenished. School bags may need replacing – or simply throwing in the washing machine to see them through another year.
But are you all stocked up on the stationery drawer? I’m going to presume you’ve already thought of a large pack of biros, pencils (don’t forget to get them in a range of hardness if you have an art student; I particularly love THIS tin of sketching pencils from Derwent, the same set saw me through my own GCSE Art a*cough* few years ago… ), a really good eraser that actually works (not the hilarious ones that look like a bottom and smell of raspberry) and a stack of A4 refill pads. But what about the other bits? The small often-overlooked items which are suddenly neeee-e-e-ded (often right in the middle of a homework crisis)? Here’s my top five items to be sure you’ve got stashed and ready for the start of term:
1 – A Notebook
We’re not talking about the A4 refill pad every student works their way through reams of; pretty sure you’ve already got those. No, they also need a decent notebook for making non-school notes, reminding themselves about homework, for doodling in during French, tearing out pages to pass a note, and a gazillion other reasons.
You could, of course, go practical, and get one divided by subject. But me? I think notebooks are ALL about the pretty.
And actually, I’m not sure you can do finer than a glittery notebook covered in unicorns…
2 – Paperclips
No one expects to need a paperclip. Until they need one. And yes, of course you should absolutely have a boring old big box of super-practical silver curvy paperclips in your drawer. Obviously.
But how about a few snazzy flamingo paperclips, just to make you smile? These ones from Paperchase are just £3!
3 – Coloured Sharpies
Once you’re out of primary school, you’re out of the need for colouring pens, pretty much (except for the obvious colouring book hobby). But actually, a fine array of coloured markers are the most handy thing int he world. And right now you can buy them in packs just like a pack of felt tips (watch it if there are younger children around. these are still permanent markers, no matter that they’re in bright colours, and you do NOT want them in the hands of a three year old…).
And we’ve spotted this pack of 30 Sharpie babies on sale for just £8. YES – EIGHT POUNDS!!!
4 – Treasury Tags
Yes, yes, totally unglamorous. But look, these things will be a perennial source of ‘I-got-this’ satisfaction. Perfect for holding piles of hole-punched paper together, you need them for presentations, collating class notes, essays…And they make for MUCH smaller staking files than a bunch of ring binders. Simple Treasury Tags are just essential to have lying around.
5 – A Decent Pencil Sharpener
Of course they should have a small plastic pencil sharpener in their pencil case in case of emergency lead snappage. That goes without saying. But I’m a huge fan of having a really good pencil sharpener in the house. If you’re a keen pencil-writer like me, then it’s entirely necessary; and you can’t be dealing with the wood shavings dripping all over the floor every day. Having a good solid metal one means you sit and sharpen all the pencils – which actually leads to far less in the way of snappage emergencies.
You can go ooh-la-la fancy with a battery-powered version, of course you can. But me? I like going retro, with a sold metal pencil sharpener that simply lives in one place for everyone to use as they need it.
Gracing my own desk is this retro metal desk pencil sharpener by Jakar – highly recommended, I honestly wouldn’t be without it.
Anything I missed? What else do you stock up on?
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