Do you remember the first day you went to school?  I do – Mom waved me off, and I tromped down the sidewalk, my hair in two braids, one on each side of my head.  I think I was wearing a pink sweater that day.  Some older neighbour girls, far more experienced in the ways of school than I, provided my escort to school that day.

My mother had carefully printed my name on the inside of my jacket and backpack.  With my shoes, my name was written along the soles on the inside edge of each shoe.  To put then on the correct feet, all I needed to do was line up the printing – make the words kiss as Mom always said.

In kindergarten we didn’t use desks much – that came later.  In higher grades we used the old steel single seat desks with the tray underneath, easy to keep all your school supplies together.  But then the school board got all fancy on us and installed multiple person seating arrangements – large, multi-sided tables that sat around 5 students, 1 to each side.  We all shared a single shelf beneath the table top.  Try to keep your school supplies straight now, children!

Disagreements often sprung up about who took whose ruler, or writing implement, or eraser.  Mistakes were made, and honestly enough!  All those school supplies were on the loose on the same shelf! What I wouldn’t have given for some Color labels back then. No more attempts to prove my word over the other child’s – I’d just have to point at the label, and the teacher would know.

We’re homeschooling our children, but name and item labels come in handy in the homeschool as well – particularly when you have multiple children.  Need to figure out what’s in a binder – label it, whose pencil case it is without opening it, what manipulative are in each small, opaque box on your shelf or in your supplies cupboard without having to open every one?  Yes – labels are imminently useful regardless of where your children are receiving an education.

My mother is still homeschooling the youngest child of the family, and she obtained a Dymo label maker a number of years ago.  My little brother is the only child homeschooling right now, but it still helps everything stay neat, tidy and easy to find when clear descriptive labels are applied.  I’d really like a school supply cupboard like the one pictured here – all clearly labeled and organized !