New school, new friends, new shoes, new clothes. Sound familiar? It’s back to school time and I’m really going to try and enjoy these last two weeks with the kids before regular routines, carpool, and homework begins. But, nonetheless, all the stores already have school supplies on the shelves and we’re picking out all the necessities plus the essential wardrobe. Due to trends and style and to be honest, the lack of stores we have in our town it’s inevitable that lots of kids have similar backpacks, outfits, and sometimes shoes.
In junior high, my oldest moved to a new magnet school where she knew few people. It can definitely be a scary time, yet with many kids coming in from different schools, they do have that “newness” as one commonality. It was her first year dressing out for P.E. and because the school wasn’t a traditional junior high, there was no gym or lockers. Everyone changed in a classrooms and it often resulted with a huge pile of shoes that all looked alike on the floor.
Can you imagine the chaos and sometimes accidental realization, “oops these aren’t my shoes” when you got home from school. Same style, same brand, same color! I won’t say that actually happened to my tween, but I won’t say it didn’t either. This can happen with the little kids too, my youngest daughter had a rest period where they took off their shoes and slipped them in their cubby. How often did those shoes get put back on to the wrong feet unnoticed?
How do you prevent these little mishaps from happening this year? Here are some tips!
1. LABEL EVERYTHING Bright Star Kids have labels for everything your child needs for starting back to school, including shoe labels! Their shoe labels are made from top quality vinyl and come with clear covers for extra protection. They can be easily stuck to the smooth surfaces of most footwear. 
Easily personalize them with your child’s name, favorite color, and icon (great for non-readers). Labels are for everyone who wants to personalize their belongings, they even have designs for teens and adults.
2. STAND OUT Often kids hesitate to stand out because they don’t want to be different. But unless you’re all wearing uniforms, you want to find your own personal style. Find one pair of bright colored shoes that you’ll always know are yours. Maybe choose a neutral white or beige and decorate them with puffy paint or colored laces. If two girls in the class have the same jacket, sew a patch or a ribbon on your child’s!
3. PERSONALIZE Having been a school teacher, I’ve seen up to 4 kids in the class come in sporting the same backpack. Labels work, but another easy fix that works out in the long run, spend a little more to buy a personalized product. 
In Kindergarten, my youngest had a backpack with her name embroidered on it and there was never any confusion to which was hers at the end of the day. Having a unique name helped to, but here we are heading into second grade and that backpack is going on it’s 3rd school year! Trends may change, but her first name won’t.
Put a label on it! Kick off the school year right and prevent unnecessary mishaps. Reply below for $5 off your Bright Star Kids order.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bright Star Kids. The opinions and text are all mine.
