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When I was a teen, my mom would give me money to go buy school clothes, and my best friend would try to convince me to buy ugly clothes from the clearance rack so we could spend the leftover money!
Her mom not only bought her clothes from Sears but even as a teen, her mom would buy clothes without my friends input at all! She would come home with hideous things (to us) and if my friend got upset she would be called ungrateful (many really were hideous).
I always had Bo-Bo's, although she sprung for the high end for my brother, he got Converse High-Tops.
Very cute. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and there was not much fan fair for back to school. What I remember is everyone showing up in their new duds that were meant for late fall or winter (because that was what the stores were selling).
We had our spiffy back to school sweaters on even though it was still 80 degrees out. By the end of the week everyone was back to wearing their regular t-shirts. The big deal was at least one new outfit, new shoes, a new lunch box, a trapper keeper and maybe a haircut.
Definitely much different when my son was in school. He graduated high school last year. I do not miss the back to school preparation.
OMG. I'd look in the back to school issue of Teen Magazine and try and emulate the Fall outfits they put together. Somehow it took me until my oldest was in second grade to realize they'd be wearing summer clothes until nearly Halloween so why kill myself over this. LOL
I actually spend more on school supplies than I do on clothes. I'm in a lower middle to upper middle class area, but it still shocks me that school staff think I can afford all this. Maybe I got spoiled because my son's inner city school didn't ask to much in terms of school supplies,
The only time we would go to Sears for clothes was in August before school started - we would go to downtown Louisville, and I loved riding on the escalator there! The clothes were boring yes, but I loved that escalator ride!
My Mom was health conscious also, so I never got the Twinkies either...but for some reason bologna was okay and that disgusting cheese which is only one ingredient away from being plastic! Ick! (Even though I begged and begged she wouldn't let me have sugary kids cereal or pop tart either!) My dad wouldn't even let me have hawaiian punch or Hi-C - he said it is only ten percent fruit juice -so what was the other 90 percent? Sugar water! I thought they were totally unreasonable back then!! I guess I am kind of thankful now though, that they were that way.
I liked getting the big bag of popcorn at Sears next to the entrance.
My lunch was a single slice of ham with mustard on white bread, potato chips, Hostess Ho-Ho or Big Wheel, and thermos with milk or Kool-Aid.
I liked getting the big bag of popcorn at Sears next to the entrance.
My lunch was a single slice of ham with mustard on white bread, potato chips, Hostess Ho-Ho or Big Wheel, and thermos with milk or Kool-Aid.
I went to school during the 60's and early 70's. Though we were a relatively small school in South Dakota, we always had a hot lunch program. I never had to bring my lunch to school.
The kids, as kids will do, always made fun of the hot lunch provided. I always thought it was excellent. I grew up on the farm eating real home cooked meals while many of my town buddies were used to hamburgers and pizza and expected that at school.
The hot lunch program at the small school my kids attended in the 90's and 2000's didn't even come close to what we used to get. They might as well have brought a sack lunch. Very little was actually prepared. Just warmed up along with your 1 little box of milk and a small bag of chips. I'm guessing it's no better today.
The lunch program over the years have taken a hit financially in favor of, you guessed it, more money budgeted for expansion of athletics.
When we went shopping for school supplies and clothes it was one full day in Sioux Falls. Mom picked out most everything, but thankfully my sister and I did have some veto power. The money spent was a pittance compared to what's spent today. When it came to buying sneakers your choice was black high tops or run in your stocking feet. When low tops became the popular thing, we really thought we were cool. They came in black AND white thanks to the marketing genius of Converse and Joe Willie Namath wearing white cleats with the NY Jets.
Am I not sorry that I don't know what a bento box is?
I didn't even have a lunch box - our entire school dismissed for lunch, even kids who rode the bus. That changed when the district consolidated with another, and then only high school kids ate at school. My elementary school, which had been the high school up until the time I was in third grade, did not have a cafeteria.
I'm always amazed at the lists of stuff the school expects the kids to bring. I just hear my mom's reaction: "That's bull$#@!!!! If she has a cold, I'll give her a box of Kleenex. She can take two pencils to school, and when she loses those, I'll give her two more. Otherwise, forget it!"
My mom doesn't have a lot of patience for a lack of common sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinm
I liked getting the big bag of popcorn at Sears next to the entrance.
The school lunch program is a federal program that has nothing to do with school athletics.
Partially true. Are lunch room employees paid from federal dollars? Are even the checks that are purchased to pay for their salaries paid for by the Feds? Does the federal government mandate whether there's a hot lunch program offered or that students must bring there own lunch?
Does the federal government outlay money to schools to build cafeterias?
There's still a lot of local taxes that go towards lunch programs and how expansive each school may decide to have them.
No one on this board likes athletics more than I do. However, the money spent and dedication expected towards athletics by our students has totally gotten out of hand.
When my kids were in school the school board was discussing buying more books for a class because there wasn't enough and kids were needing to share their books. The board decided not to spend the money for more books at the same time they decided to add the boys and girls golf teams. A friend of mine was a board member and resigned in disgust after the meeting. Just an tiny, but all too common example of mixed up priorities.
Partially true. Are lunch room employees paid from federal dollars? Are even the checks that are purchased to pay for their salaries paid for by the Feds? Does the federal government mandate whether there's a hot lunch program offered or that students must bring there own lunch?
Does the federal government outlay money to schools to build cafeterias?
There's still a lot of local taxes that go towards lunch programs and how expansive each school may decide to have them.
No one on this board likes athletics more than I do. However, the money spent and dedication expected towards athletics by our students has totally gotten out of hand.
When my kids were in school the school board was discussing buying more books for a class because there wasn't enough and kids were needing to share their books. The board decided not to spend the money for more books at the same time they decided to add the boys and girls golf teams. A friend of mine was a board member and resigned in disgust after the meeting. Just an tiny, but all too common example of mixed up priorities.
I don't know everything about the school lunch program, even though I'm often accused of thinking I know everything! No, the feds do not mandate participation in the school lunch program. Most public schools do participate, and a number of private schools. I know some schools also chip in some of their own money. You can read a lot more about the program here: National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | Food and Nutrition Service
Most public schools do participate, and a number of private schools.
Yes. When my son was attending a private (K-5) school, they partially participated in the form of subsidized milk. This meant that any soda machines, etc., needed to be off limits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt
I know some schools also chip in some of their own money.
Our public K-5 ends up footing the end-of-year bill for unpaid school lunches to the tune of about $1000 each year. We used to be able to withhold report cards, records etc., but no more (unsure why). The unpaid EOY balances get larger each year as parents have begun to figure it out...
The hot lunch program at the small school my kids attended in the 90's and 2000's didn't even come close to what we used to get. They might as well have brought a sack lunch. Very little was actually prepared. Just warmed up along with your 1 little box of milk and a small bag of chips. I'm guessing it's no better today.
When I was in elementary through junior high in the '70s into the early '80s, our district served frozen dinners for lunch. Actual frozen dinners, with the metal/tin holders and the paper lid. They just whipped off the lids, heated them in the oven, and we were good to go! It wasn't until I went to high school (in a nearby district) that I realized some people actually got "real food" at mealtimes!
I've never heard of anyone else having frozen dinners like we did for lunch. I'm sure you're out there...
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It wasn't until I went to high school (in a nearby district) that I realized some people actually got "real food" at mealtimes! 
