Even without a Trapper Keeper, I blended in.
It's easy to dismiss our collective consumer ritual as another marketing season. Yes, it was invented by department stores selling school uniforms in the 1800s, and then turbocharged with seasonal catalogs and sales by retailers like Montgomery Ward and Sears in the century that followed. And it is a sort of pre-Halloween ritual in which we all foist new costumes on our children.
For two glorious summer months, we released our children from the routines and identities of school. They've spent a culturally sanctioned rumspringa at pools, beaches, and camps, in the woods, or on a Nintendo. Then, almost overnight, we thrust them back into desks, routines, homework, and a social world that is often new and uncertain.
We usually think possessions express who we are. Possessions send identity signals. Some are obvious. Owning a home makes you a homeowner. Owning a dog makes you a pet owner. A Prius says you care about climate change as much as a Ford Raptor pickup says you're ready to let the world burn.
That's why transitions are so often linked to new possessions. We wear funny hats and robes when we graduate from college. Wedding rings, dresses, and tuxedos mark our transition from singlehood to married life. We furnish nurseries before our babies arrive. A suit, scrubs, or a desk can make a new professional identity feel real.
Our children often face no less dramatic transitions.
Practically, their old backpack works. And, yes, buying what you already own is expensive and wasteful. A replacement will not kindle new friendships and a sudden capacity for algebra. Teaching our children about waste and having enough are important lessons.
A transition doesn't require us to replace everything. One or two new possessions may be enough to construct the new identity. A new ring is enough for many married couples.
A new backpack, sneakers, pencil case, lunchbox, or graphing calculator is a prop for this new identity. It tells classmates and teachers, “I belong.” More importantly, it can help our children say this to themselves.
Hence then, the article about the hidden value of back to school shopping was published today ( ) and is available on Time ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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