Shopping, Packing ... Freaking Out

Prep School Admissions Prep School Parents
1

<p>DD is off to her BS a week from today. DS is off to his BS the day after Labor Day. We have shopped til we dropped and are still not done. I am so overwhelmed! It's our first experience with BS -- DD will be a junior and DS will be a freshman. We have to outfit both from scratch, including computers and dress code clothes and ... WOW. It's a lot of decisions to have to make.</p>

<p>So I came here because I figured someone else would be writing about how overwhelming this outfitting/packing process is and ... nope! Everyone seems cool as a cucumber. Please tell me there are others out there who are hanging by their fingernails like me! </p>

<p>And now I'm off to start labeling clothes, which I understand is necessary. <em>sigh</em> Really and truly, I'm happy we are giving our kids this opportunity and I'm so excited for them. I just ... didn't know I'd be this stressed out about the packing part.</p>

<p>Thanks for listening. I can't talk to any of the parents I know because none of them can relate. :-&lt;/p>

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<p>It will be okay. It is really easy to send them stuff later. Labelling does help - the sweatshirt that ended up down the hall had my son’s name on it and was returned a few days later. Without the label, probably not! </p>

<p>Anyway, take a deep breath. There’s always Amazon and the postal service. Yes, I was hanging by my fingernails this time last year…and ended up sending him off to school with way too much stuff. I know - we worry about them. But they will be fine.</p>

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<p>I remember being a little frazzled when sending my kids off to BS. I packed way too much. If the school has a packing list try to stay close to their suggestions. The odds and ends can always be shipped to them.
Now three years later my D is heading off to college and I barely notice what she is packing.</p>

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5

<p>We’ve done all the stuff for the dorm room so far – one trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond took care of everything. Will still need to buy some new clothes for the fall, but that will have to wait until we’re back from vacation. Here’s a tip for you. If your DS needs dress shirts, Old Navy has mens’ slim fit no-iron dress shirts on sale for $20. I ordered 10 shirts for my DS last week, plus I had a 20% off coupon, so 10 dress shirts for a grand total of $160 – hard to beat that! Now he just needs some ties and blazers, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.</p>

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<p>Remember, the rooms/closets/wardrobes are small. You shouldn’t have to buy much for the room, maybe a desk lamp, some extra hangars, and an alarm clock (although kids can set their smartphones to wake them up in the AM). We live in a warm climate, so we did buy some cold-weather clothes and a blazer, but @RuralMama has it right – “It is really easy to send them stuff later”. I also highly, highly recommend the general practice of purchasing online (Amazon Prime, L.L. Bean, etc.) and shipping to the school as well as sending them with as little as possible, just what they can fit in a couple of suitcases, a carry-on, and backpack. Really, there isn’t space for much more, especially if your child has a roommate.</p>

<p>On another thread, I indicated that we initially used bedding (pillows, comforter, and towels) as supplemental packing material when shipping out electronics and instrument. Once all the stuff gets to school the first year, not much of it will be coming back. Kids can take advantage of local storage programs to hold all their stuff over the summer, and the storage companies will move it right into kiddo’s new room the next year (and to their college after senior year). ChoatieKid ships his computer home at the end of the year using casual clothing like tee-shirts, socks, etc. as supplemental packing material so he doesn’t have to head to the airport with anything more than one suitcase, one carry-on, and his backpack. Everything else is stored, including bedding and winter clothes.</p>

<p>If we could have seen what the end of the first year looked like at the beginning of the first year, we would have realized that the actual packing list was rather small—think two-week trip to grandma’s. All incidentals, like toiletries and laundry aids were picked up at the local WalMart when we arrived a couple of days prior to the start of school. At the end of the school year, it’s shocking how much stuff gets donated to local charities that kids don’t need or value enough to store or bring home. Most of that stuff shouldn’t have made it to school in the first place.</p>

<p>I also agree with @muf123 about the school packing list – stay as close to that as possible. The school’s have been in this game forever and know what’s necessary and what’s not. Also understand that kids can supplement once they get there. The school store will be able to provide much of their day-to-day or emergency needs, and there are usually weekly trips into town (if not walking distance) for stuff they can’t get on campus.</p>

<p>So, relax. Forgetting something is not an emergency. As long as your kids have some clean school-appropriate clothes and a toothbrush/toothpaste, they’ll be fine. ;)</p>

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<p>Less is more. Dorm rooms aren’t palatial. Too many items in a small space will create clutter, which is the enemy of organization.</p>

<p>Most boys grow. My teenaged boy has been growing out of clothes for three years straight. Pack enough clothes for a couple of months away from home. One or two sweaters would suffice. I would throw in really bulky stuff such as winter boots and a winter coat at this point, unless you live close enough to visit on weekends. </p>

<p>Every campus is slightly different in the “must have” clothes. Don’t spend lots of money on Hunter boots if your child will attend a Bean boot campus. Just an Example! Although I’m not really joking. Let your kid get to campus, and suss out the situation. </p>

<p>Do take measurements, though. It’s easier to order online if you know your kid’s arms are X inches long. Or, as it usually happens, “OK, in August your inseam was X inches. How much sock is showing? Hmm, we should be OK with X + 3 inches, then.” Write down shoe size, too. </p>

<p>A laundry pen or Sharpie pen is fine for marking. If you use the laundry service, I believe they stick little bar code labels in the seams, which cuts down on losses in the laundry. I know kids love to blame the laundry, but they’re also teenagers, who are masters at losing clothes. Also, if everyone wears the same school sweatshirt, in the same size, it can be challenging to match sweatshirt with owner.</p>

<p>Settle ground rules with your teenager re: sharing clothes. Is it ok with you if your teen gives a friend the sweater she’ll outgrow in November? </p>

<p>Label shoes. They’re hard to replace. Blisters are no fun.</p>

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<p>Spot on, @Periwinkle, especially about growing out of clothes and letting them “suss” out the situation AFTER they arrive.</p>

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<p>OTOH, in that case it doesn’t matter which shirt ends up with which kid --who’ll know the difference. Ha!</p>

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<p>Dad’s perspective: less is more. Not to be sexist…but I have vivid memories of the bedraggled Dads of the girls on opening day, sweat pouring off, lugging endless trunks, suitcases and boxes, staring at the other fathers as if to say…please let this madness end. Great advice from the parents above…take much less than you think you need and it will still be more than you want.</p>

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<p>Thank you all for chiming in. The two schools basically said to show up with some clothes, bedding and a lamp. Not very helpful! So I have been working from lists I found here, which itemize all the other stuff you really must have, like toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, razors, etc. I work full-time and we’ve been away every weekend, so we just haven’t had time to go do a “get everything” run. Which means it’s been piecemeal and therefore mentally draining. I still have to take stock of what we have. Thankfully DS doesn’t have a dress code beyond “neat and clean,” so we haven’t had to get him special clothes. That’s all been DD. </p>

<p>I will work hard to keep things to a minimum! We didn’t buy furniture or curtains or any of that unnecessary stuff. So that’s good!</p>

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<p>They weren’t kidding.</p>

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<p>Before u arrive on campus, find out ahead of time where the local Bed Bath Beyond, Target, etc. are. </p>

<p>Don’t over-purchase new clothes. DS never wore or used half the stuff he brought w him. Know what size your child wears in different brands. U can always mail order more stuff-- besides, everyone loves receiving parcels :)</p>

<p>Remember that FALL PARENTS WEEKEND is only a month after school starts. That is a perfect opportunity to top off any xtra clothes n supplies.</p>

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<p>^^Also a great time to bring home anything they won’t use until spring. </p>

<p>Don’t overpack. The school store will sell basic school supplies. If your child’s a girl, someone in her dorm will have packed artsy stuff, not that they will necessarily need it. Life will not end if she doesn’t bring scissors and glue to school.</p>

<p>Stick to the school’s packing list. </p>

<p>Just a few items can make a difference. If not on the list, bring:</p>

<p>Swimsuit, even if the school doesn’t have a pool. Why? Well, sometimes there are trips off campus, or invitations home over weekends. He/she will probably not need it, but they don’t take up much space, and teens are picky about swimsuits.</p>

<p>Eye shade (for sleeping), and/or earplugs. (Personally, I worry about earplugs and fires in dorms, so your mileage may vary.) At any rate, sharing space with a roommate can mean disrupted sleep. They don’t take up much space, but can make a huge difference if needed. </p>

<p>Flashlight.</p>

<p>Sunscreen, especially if they’re fair-skinned, playing sports outdoors.</p>

<p>Some laundry detergent from home, if your child finds certain smells comforting.</p>

<p>Removable hooks, the sort found in drug stores, made by 3-M (?), and over-the door hooks. If your school allows them, it can be very helpful to organize hanging items.</p>

<p>Surge protector/outlet strip (if permitted). Flash drives. Keychain and wallet. Headphones.</p>

<p>An extra pair of eyeglasses, if your child wears glasses.</p>

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<p>I found these stick on labels called “name bubbles” - they are personalized with child’s name and small enough to stick on a shirt label - other sizes also exist for laptops etc. </p>

<p>We covered the school list at bed bath and beyond in about an hour but Im lucky my dd is a minimalist by nature - bought wastebasket, underbed storage, desk lamp, bedding and towels, surge protector, shower caddy, hangers and 2 laundry bags - done!</p>

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<p>I confess, we did not label. I’m not sure it’s really worth the effort. Don’t stress out if you don’t hit every single item!</p>

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<p>Periwinkle, I hadn’t thought of a bathing suit. Of course I found out just this morning that DD should bring a “modest” one. So … she only owns bikinis, and “modest” is in the eye of the beholder (or judger). Luckily we aren’t far from a Target, so DD went and found something more modest than what she currently owns. On sale! Yay!</p>

<p>The school DD is going to doesn’t actually have a school store, hence my anxiety about supplies. I’m sure they take the kids on a supplies run, I just don’t know how much she might have to get and when they take them to get it. If she’s not nervous about it, I guess I should just calm down. </p>

<p>Also, thank you (truly) for reminding me that parent’s weekend is only a month in. I’m sure she can limp by without a few things until then.</p>

<p>We just have today and tomorrow now, then pack the car tomorrow night and off we go on Wednesday morning. I will be glad when it’s over!</p>

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<p>Well. The car is packed. Almost. We are leaving a week early as it is a long drive and we are taking a mini-vacation along the way. I will let you know later whether that was a wise idea! LOL It certainly made packing more complicated as we need to pack one pile for school AND a separate pile for the week. </p>

<p>Should be fun though. Will see some sights, and some family and friends along the way. </p>

<p>I labeled selectively, by the way. If an item was of good quality or was (in my viewpoint) a desirable item, I labeled it. The rest was either not lablelled or “sharpied”… with the price of the popular athletic socks today, those got labels. LOL</p>

<p>For reference, the Lands End square-ish duffels are phenomenal… they hold loads and can still be carried (well for a short disatance anyway).</p>

<p>Good luck to all still packing! It will be nice to get all that stuff out of my house! :-)</p>

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<p>We’re just closing the suitcases and are off to the airport in the AM. I can’t believe this is our third year. Where has the time gone? I can’t get enough hugs. ChoatieKid says I’ve used up my quota.</p>

<p>Safe travels to all.</p>

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<p>Tell ChoatieKid you have an unlimited plan!</p>

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<p>^+1000 :slight_smile: :)</p>