by Mary
Evan is a 14 year old going into the 9th grade. I remember the first few days of high school and it was exciting and frightening all at the same time. I wanted Evan to have new clothes to look nice and fit in to make the transition easier.
Not having children I was oblivious to the costs associated in getting a young man reading for his first day of high school. Going into high school, Evan needed more than just the basic school supplies. He also needed a ruler, protractor, compass, scientific calculator, graph paper and more…..
I virtually shopped at various stores and compared prices. Most of the items I bought were on sale. I can’t even imagine what you have to pay when they aren’t on sale.
I bought all of the supplies that Evan needed and spent over $79.00. My next task was to purchase a first day outfit for Evan to wear to school. I bought a nice pair of jeans, a shirt, a package of socks, underwear, a nice pair of tennis shoes and a coat. The total came to $72.00 for just one outfit!
In total, I spent about $152.00 for Evan to get ready for school. I was stunned! Sure, this gets school supplies but they can’t last all year. And it only buys one basic outfit for the child to start school. Without children, I still struggle to make it from paycheck to paycheck. I can’t even fathom having one and most times, multiple children to get ready for school. In Evan’s case, he lives with a single parent, two siblings, a disabled grandmother and additional extended family in a 3-bedroom home.
I really appreciate United Way’s Back to School program much more than I did knowing the benefit and joy it provides to the children and also the burden that it lessens on the parents of the children.
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