<p>Thinking ahead.......</p>
<p>How do you pack your child's stuff to take with them to school? We will be driving distance to any school my daughter attends. </p>
<p>Do you use a trunk or duffel bags/suitcases or plastic totes?</p>
<p>Also, how much/little do you pack?</p>
<p>Dorm rooms are kinda small. I'm learning towards less is more and I can always bring/mail additional items. </p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>there is a great thread somewhere here that is called “the ultimate packing list for BS” I dont have the skills to post it, but search for it.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/311892-ultimate-supply-list-boarding-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/311892-ultimate-supply-list-boarding-school.html</a></p>
<p>Through trial and error, I have figured out it is best to take personal items and buy the rest when you get there.</p>
<p>I thought I would save money shopping early and with sales, but then I had to haul all this stuff with me. We are not driving family, thus we brought or shipped stuff, expensive.</p>
<p>Kids will tell you quickly when they want stuff from home, send it. They love getting mail–lol</p>
<p>Sounds like you were asking more how to pack than what to pack. I think plastic totes are a good idea as they can be stacked and stored in the closet or used as underbed storage. I ended up buying my son 5 of them on Parent’s Week-end and they really helped tame the chaos in his room. A trunk might serve the same purpose, but a plastic container without its lid is easier to throw things into and then stuff under the bed.</p>
<p>You got it - “less is more”. It is a common mistake for the new students to have a lot more in their dorms than needed. You can always buy more after you arrive when you see the need or when you visit for events like parents weekend later, since you are within driving distance.</p>
<p>We are in driving distance (barely) and we manged to cram everything into our two door hatchback with son in the back seat. Those plastic totes were packed with toiletries, towels, school supplies, and folded clothes. All hanging clothes were left on the hangers and laid on top of everything else. Things that were bought new, like a printer, were shipped directly to the school, (take advantage of this as often as possible, especially when you run across free shipping offers). Surprisingly, not much else was needed. I brought the heavy quilt and other colder weather things over parent’s weekend.</p>
<p>It might be different for my daughter, however. Boys are easier.</p>
<p>You can stock your student up on snacks or make a Target / Wal Mart run after you get to school. (Go to any Wal Mart or Target in late August or early September and you will see dozens of Moms pushing carts with teen boys lumbering behind, most going to college. “Do you want a mattress pad? What about this color sheet set? No, honey, you need extra long twin.” And when the boys make eye-contact, they share a secret shame. It’s pretty funny.)</p>
<p>Be warned: the car will be very very empty on the way home <em>sniff</em></p>
<p>Agree with Neato 100%, that is exactly what we did. We actually used those plastic containers for storage under the bed for extra shoes etc. Bought bedding once we got there. Fan is an essential at my son’s school as it can get quite warm even in September/October. The school provided a list of recommended things to bring and even more useful, what NOT to bother bringing such as school supplies.</p>
<p>Ziploc makes plastic zip cubes. These are a godsend! They’re small enough to fit in weird spaces in the car and hold a ton of stuff.</p>
<p>Great advice above. Definitely start small. Once she’s living in the room, she’ll begin to have specific ideas about what she needs and then you can be strategic with additions. Also, most schools have portions of their website for incoming parents that identify local stores to buy supplies in case something “critical” gets forgotten.</p>
<p>It always seemed to me when we’d walk past the girls’ dorms on move-in day that they had twice the amount of stuff that the guys did. :)</p>
<p>hockey mom: ditto on the shoes. When I saw my son’s room on Parent’s week-end, the mess was 80% shoes and schoolbooks/notebooks strewn over the floor. One plastic bin for shoes, another beside his chair for school books and the room was suddenly cleanable. </p>
<p>Oh and garbage is another issue–If I were driving, I’d pack one clean wastebasket that could be used for recycling. Walking to the common recycling bin on a daily basis is just not happening in my kid’s room. A few plastic shoeboxes with lids are good too, to store snacks and extra supplies in the desk. </p>
<p>If you’ve got a boy, I’d encourage him to pack a few of the things from home that have hang around his room forever–my kid didn’t take anything and then was overwhelmed by the alien feel of his room. A box of his favorite books, some posters and photos, and a few of the things from the top of his bookshelf helped a lot.</p>
<p>Those soft plastic zippered cases are great for packing clothes in, stuff you don’t mind getting wrinkled. You can stuff them in on top of a big load, or put them in a roof carrier. Small soft items can go in the ones blankets and sheets come in. </p>
<p>The plastic tubs are excellent for under the bed storage of extra toiletries and books. Just make doubly sure you get the right lid…the stores never seem to shelve the right lid with the right box!</p>