The Math of School Shopping

Nana and Poppy have always been the go-to team for grandchildren’s school supplies. We did years of searching for red pencils, construction paper, calculators and school clothes with our Hatten grandchildren. Although we have done school supplies for Jennette and Geordan before, this is their first year for standardized dress (the politically correct way to say uniforms.)

We are quite experienced and were ready to take charge.

STORE ONE

We have been here before. They offer a variety of styles but not much selection of sizes. And no dressing room. We bought a sampling of items, then took kids and clothes to a parking lot behind a school. The back seat of the car was the dressing area and the parking lot became a runway. The pant sizes were all wrong resulting in another trip to Store One, and another selection to try in the off-site dressing area. A third trip to Store One and we were ready to move on.

STORE TWO

This was another familiar store but in my memory it was much more organized.

We gathered pants, shorts and shirts then a staff member pointed us to a plywood row of “dressing rooms.” One door revealed a storage room, another was being used, and the third looked like a janitor’s closet with no seating, no hooks for hanging clothes, and very little space. We chose door number three. None of the pants fit, so we just grabbed the next size down, opted not to enter the questionable dressing room and crossed our fingers because of the exchange only, no cash refund policy. At the register we threw in a couple of small belts.

STORE THREE

Although this store was highly recommended, we did not need to go as we had completed our purchases!

FASHION SHOW

We offered a fashion show for parents, exhibiting the outfits from our 8-hour shopping marathon. We found that we had exchanged pants for different brands that did not fit. And, although I explained the concept of sucking in your stomach and holding your breath, the belts did not fasten. It seems size small belts are  designed to hold up diapers on infants.

DAY TWO – STORE ONE

Attempted to return pants for cash refund and found they, too, had the exchange only, no cash refund policy. Without kids to try them on new ones, I left with a stack of un-usable pants. 

DAY TWO – STORE TWO

Was able to exchange pants and belts and left with $3 cash refund. Some rules are just guidelines.

DAY TWO – STORE THREE

Went to The Children’s Place and found great service with a good selection of styles and sizes.

Thanks for the recommendation, Cyndie.

The Children's Place

And then I did the math. 

2 children x (7 long pants + 3 shorts) + X pairs of unreturnable pants = 27 pants

(20-20) + X = (27 - 20)

X = 7 pairs of pants to be donated to a local school

 

Next year we will plan a one-stop shopping day to Store Three. Or find a school with a dress code that says “whatever is in the closet.”