It's the last day of school. Your child is in a state of euphoria. You, not so much. At your feet lay nine months worth of stuff scooped from their desk or locker. Now, the first inclination is to take the whole mess and deposit it in the nearest trash can.
Let's face it. Sorting through your child's backpack can be a pretty scary proposition. But let's not be hasty here. There really is quite a bit that's salvageable.
In these tough economic times, it pays to hold onto useable items instead of going to the expense of replacing everything in the fall. Granted, you're going to have to toss the disemboweled pens, the broken ruler and the dried up glue stick. However, pencils can be sharpened. Scissors can be cleaned. Pens, especially red ones, usually have plenty of life. Notebooks with blank pages can be used around the house (for scrap paper, if nothing else). I have turned some into recipe books, pasting favorites on their pages. Filled notebooks can be recycled (yes, even with the metal spirals). And let's not forget the crayons. They may have lost their nice sharp points, their wrappers may be gone, and some may have snapped under pressure. Believe it or not, though, these workhorses can still color. They may not be suitable for the first day of school, but they're fine for a rainy summer afternoon at home.
So, when your child bursts through the door after being sprung for the summer, take a breath. Think green. Reuse and recycle instead of discarding the year's school supplies.
