Personalizing kid's backpacks.... Safety issue??

JenWhite123

So, DD is getting ready to go to pre-school soon, and I want to get her an LL Bean backpack. I was going to personalize it with her first name.  But, I'm hoping this backpack will last her for many years.  So, then, I was thinking... Maybe it's not a good idea for a kid at the bus stop to be wearing a backpack with their first name?? Seems like it might make them a target for creepy strangers.  Am I being too cautious??  Should I just monogram it with her initials??

HarrietNJMommy

B had her full name on her backpack and we didn't have a problem, but she doesn't get on a bus (she's a "walker" so I drop off/pick up_.......

trizzie

amy052006:

TBH, my bigger concern at that age is that she isn't going to want to use the same bag for many years.  Part of the whole build up of going back to school is new bags and all that jazz, coupled with the fact that favorite colors and characters change overnight.

I like LL Bean bags and would get one, I just wouldn't count on it being a muti year investment because the daily battle wouldn't be worth it to me.

I think the name on the bag is no big deal -- your kid shoudn't go with someone they don't know even if they know their name.  But I could see how a school might have the rule. 

I agree with all of this. 

Newt69

I would just put the initials. I still have my LL Bean Backpack from 97(seventh grade) and I love it, It was never embroidered, but I still use it.

I am a stickler for but I am also big into reusing things, If she doesnt want to reuse it next year you can always use it for overnights, family vacations, trip to park etc and you know its hers/yours becasue of the initials. 

hellopoppyseed

Yeah they say a stranger could say "Hey Susie Q, I know your mom. She says to go with me." As an adult I could see myself forgetting that I had my name written on something so I could see a child believing this. I'm a gullible person in general though. But I'd do initials. 

And yeah a kid shouldn't go with someone they don't know. Obviously. But it is powerful when an adult is telling you something and they know your name somehow.  

alli2672

Someone made an excellent point on here once that it would take about 30 seconds of hanging around me and my children to learn all of their names.  I am saying them constantly, and even shouting them accross a playground.  The name on the backpack doesn't pose that big of an additional risk. 

 

danienross

My DH works for TSA and is adamant that our children will not have bags monogrammed with their name.  So I'd just go with initials.

hellopoppyseed

alli2672:

Someone made an excellent point on here once that it would take about 30 seconds of hanging around me and my children to learn all of their names.  I am saying them constantly, and even shouting them accross a playground.  The name on the backpack doesn't pose that big of an additional risk. 

 

Yeah but at least you are around when that's going on. I think more about when they are at school waiting to be picked up or whatever. I think it's highly unlikely anything would happen anyway with a name on the backpack but I just wouldn't want to add anything to help make my child more accessible to strangers.  

stdldb29

DS has to be dropped off at school and you have to go inside every afternoon and sign him out. His name is on his backpack. I have no worries about it at all.

Mrs.Hizzo

scatteredtrees:

Duh Amy this is why we need to give our children uneek names! I may spell DS's name J-a-c-k but we pronounce it Pedro. Duuuuuuuuh.  

Have I never mentioned that Finn's name is pronounced with a long "i" and Clayton has a silent "t" and "n?" 

Seriously, I think it depends on your circumstances. If my child were going to be walking home from school solo, I'd probably avoid personalized stuff. But since I'll always be driving him and picking him up, I don't think it's an issue. 

Mrs.Hizzo

danienross:

My DH works for TSA and is adamant that our children will not have bags monogrammed with their name.  So I'd just go with initials.

I'm not meaning to be snarky, but I'm trying to figure out what working for the TSA has to do with it?

danienross

Mrs.Hizzo:

danienross:

My DH works for TSA and is adamant that our children will not have bags monogrammed with their name.  So I'd just go with initials.

I'm not meaning to be snarky, but I'm trying to figure out what working for the TSA has to do with it?

He didn't have an opinion on the topic until he started at the TSA.  Now that he sees thousands of people/carry-on bags daily he doesn't like the idea of a bag being monogrammed with a name for security reasons.  Although he understands the convenience of being able to easily identify a bag, he feels it isn't worth the risk.

roxy_jj

Mrs.Hizzo:

scatteredtrees:

Duh Amy this is why we need to give our children uneek names! I may spell DS's name J-a-c-k but we pronounce it Pedro. Duuuuuuuuh.  

Have I never mentioned that Finn's name is pronounced with a long "i" and Clayton has a silent "t" and "n?" 

Seriously, I think it depends on your circumstances. If my child were going to be walking home from school solo, I'd probably avoid personalized stuff. But since I'll always be driving him and picking him up, I don't think it's an issue. 

I agree with this.  I remember reading an article written by some law enforcement agency and they really discouraged parents from having their children's names embroidered on backpacks.  I will be dropping off and picking up my kids, so they'll be with me or at school when using the backpack.  I probably still won't get their backpacks personalized, but I don't think it would be something I would need to worry about as much as someone with a child who would be walking to school.   

Mrs.Hizzo

danienross:

Mrs.Hizzo:

danienross:

My DH works for TSA and is adamant that our children will not have bags monogrammed with their name.  So I'd just go with initials.

I'm not meaning to be snarky, but I'm trying to figure out what working for the TSA has to do with it?

He didn't have an opinion on the topic until he started at the TSA.  Now that he sees thousands of people/carry-on bags daily he doesn't like the idea of a bag being monogrammed with a name for security reasons.  Although he understands the convenience of being able to easily identify a bag, he feels it isn't worth the risk.

OK, gotcha. 

outnumbered

We put initials on the backpacks.  My daughter's name has 9 letters and would have looked squished.  My son did not want his full name.  We have LL Bean packs and I am glad for the initials to distinguish their packs from all the other ones. 

shipsshoessealingwax

Ok, so I'm not a SAHM yet (see ticker below for our 1st) BUT - have you considered putting her name on the side against her back? That way no one will see it any time she has it on, but she can easily find her name in class. Just a thought.

hokies94

We have several LL Bean backpacks.  Do you plan on getting her the preschool sized one so that it fits now?  Chances are that this will only last you through K maybe 1st grade size wise.  My older DDs both had preschool size backpacks and we needed to get bigger ones towards the end of 1st grade-they needed room to carry more stuff.

As for personalization, all of my kids have their names on their backpacks so I obviously don't have a problem with it.  At this age the chances that they will be alone where a stranger could call out to them are slim to none.  My oldest is going into 4th and some days walks home from the bus stop with a group of kids.  She is still never by herself-there are always a group of kids.  I've never had an issue with a stranger knowing her name.  I get that some people are freaked out about stranger kidnapping but I seriously doubt having your name on your backpacks makes much of a difference.  

I asked my kids if they wanted their name, initials or something else on their backpack and they all picked their name.   

penguingrrl

I have no worries about stranger abduction from a name on a backpack. And I never got a new backpack every year. We got one as the one we already had wore out. I used the same LL bean backpack (with my initials embroidered) for all of middle and high school and only got a new bag for college because I was tired of it. In our town everyone had LL bean backpacks with initials or names except the really nerdy kids. And nobody got a new one every year.

notkateanymore

DD has an LLBean backpack and it has her initials on it instead of her name.

notkateanymore

scatteredtrees:

amy052006:

hellopoppyseed:

Yeah they say a stranger could say "Hey Susie Q, I know your mom. She says to go with me." As an adult I could see myself forgetting that I had my name written on something so I could see a child believing this. I'm a gullible person in general though. But I'd do initials. 

And yeah a kid shouldn't go with someone they don't know. Obviously. But it is powerful when an adult is telling you something and they know your name somehow.  

I get this. I am just thinking a perv could yell, "Hey, Emma" on a schoolyard even w/o seeing it on a backpack, and would problem get a response from at least one kid. 

Duh Amy this is why we need to give our children uneek names! I may spell DS's name J-a-c-k but we pronounce it Pedro. Duuuuuuuuh.  

The J is silent then... 

kacelle

NandaB:

LindsayB8469:

I would just put the initials. I still have my LL Bean Backpack from 97(seventh grade) and I love it, It was never embroidered, but I still use it.

I am a stickler for but I am also big into reusing things, If she doesnt want to reuse it next year you can always use it for overnights, family vacations, trip to park etc and you know its hers/yours becasue of the initials. 

I'm still stuck on the fact that you were in 7th grade in 97 ;-) I feel old now!

I wouldn't do it because I think it is an unnecessary risk, but I also will never have a family sticker on my car with all our names + pets. BUT (or also?) I think it is more likely that a stranger would "fake out" a kid if they came up to them and said... "Gregory! Im friends with your mom Nanda. She had to take Hazel to the vet and she asked me to come get you".

 when I was a teacher we never put the kids names on them during fieldtrips. they had a sticker with the school name and sometimes teacher or group.

 to me it is a precaution, just like talking to your kids about strangers, but hopefully my kid will never be in a situation where this would be an issue.

if you have your heart set on the monogram I would do it, but many pp pointed out that the backpack probably wont actually last years. 

I was 7 in '97.  So now I'm feeling very young...

notkateanymore

kacelle:

NandaB:

LindsayB8469:

I would just put the initials. I still have my LL Bean Backpack from 97(seventh grade) and I love it, It was never embroidered, but I still use it.

I am a stickler for but I am also big into reusing things, If she doesnt want to reuse it next year you can always use it for overnights, family vacations, trip to park etc and you know its hers/yours becasue of the initials. 

I'm still stuck on the fact that you were in 7th grade in 97 ;-) I feel old now!

I wouldn't do it because I think it is an unnecessary risk, but I also will never have a family sticker on my car with all our names + pets. BUT (or also?) I think it is more likely that a stranger would "fake out" a kid if they came up to them and said... "Gregory! Im friends with your mom Nanda. She had to take Hazel to the vet and she asked me to come get you".

 when I was a teacher we never put the kids names on them during fieldtrips. they had a sticker with the school name and sometimes teacher or group.

 to me it is a precaution, just like talking to your kids about strangers, but hopefully my kid will never be in a situation where this would be an issue.

if you have your heart set on the monogram I would do it, but many pp pointed out that the backpack probably wont actually last years. 

I was 7 in '97.  So now I'm feeling very young...

And I'm feeling very old... 

WestCoastMommy

amy052006:

TBH, my bigger concern at that age is that she isn't going to want to use the same bag for many years.  Part of the whole build up of going back to school is new bags and all that jazz, coupled with the fact that favorite colors and characters change overnight.

I like LL Bean bags and would get one, I just wouldn't count on it being a muti year investment because the daily battle wouldn't be worth it to me.

I think the name on the bag is no big deal -- your kid shoudn't go with someone they don't know even if they know their name.  But I could see how a school might have the rule. 

I agree with all this!

jehprb

As far as name vs initials vs leaving it blank goes, do what you're comfortable e with :-)

But for LL Bean backpacks I can tell you that DS is taking it to 1st grade with him next month and this will be the 4th year using it - still looks brand new and he still loves it.  He's not into character stuff though - he likes plain/solid colors when it comes to backpacks and lunchboxes etc.

kacelle

I Heart The 80s:

kacelle:

NandaB:

LindsayB8469:

I would just put the initials. I still have my LL Bean Backpack from 97(seventh grade) and I love it, It was never embroidered, but I still use it.

I am a stickler for but I am also big into reusing things, If she doesnt want to reuse it next year you can always use it for overnights, family vacations, trip to park etc and you know its hers/yours becasue of the initials. 

I'm still stuck on the fact that you were in 7th grade in 97 ;-) I feel old now!

I wouldn't do it because I think it is an unnecessary risk, but I also will never have a family sticker on my car with all our names + pets. BUT (or also?) I think it is more likely that a stranger would "fake out" a kid if they came up to them and said... "Gregory! Im friends with your mom Nanda. She had to take Hazel to the vet and she asked me to come get you".

 when I was a teacher we never put the kids names on them during fieldtrips. they had a sticker with the school name and sometimes teacher or group.

 to me it is a precaution, just like talking to your kids about strangers, but hopefully my kid will never be in a situation where this would be an issue.

if you have your heart set on the monogram I would do it, but many pp pointed out that the backpack probably wont actually last years. 

I was 7 in '97.  So now I'm feeling very young...

I was 7 in 1978. Lord.

But I am a young 40, I promise!  

I believe it!    

I'd almost rather be a few years older than put up with all the crap young moms deal with.  I get my fair share of judgmental looks, probably because I look closer to 17 than almost 22.  DD's daycare teacher thought DH and I were high school students with a baby until we corrected her.  Try being taken seriously as a publicity director or wife and mother when everyone assumes you're in high school...

notkateanymore

jehprb:

As far as name vs initials vs leaving it blank goes, do what you're comfortable e with :-)

But for LL Bean backpacks I can tell you that DS is taking it to 1st grade with him next month and this will be the 4th year using it - still looks brand new and he still loves it.  He's not into character stuff though - he likes plain/solid colors when it comes to backpacks and lunchboxes etc.

DD has had hers since K, going into 3rd grade this year and it looks great. I think it's only been washed once...oops. 

BakerMommy

This post made me think of something my mom did when we were little.  She of course taught us never to go with strangers, but we also had a "code word" on the very off chance someone we didn't know needed to pick us up.  We never needed it, but I think it was a smart idea.

We also had a code for "I don't like what's happening where I am, please come pick me up" --good for more independent kids who want to get out of possibly dangerous situations. 

regenab

I got each of the girls a Land's End backpack last fall when they started 3 year old preschool. I had their names put on them. They will use these bags again this year for Pre-K. Next summer they will get new bags to start Kindergarten because 2 years is all I expect to get from these bags. Plus they will need the next size up since they will be growing. At that point I think I will probably just get their initials on them. I don't have a problem with having their names since my girls also won't be riding the bus because we don't qualify. We live less than a mile from their school so they will be walking with me or I will be dropping/picking them up. If they did have to ride the bus and walk from the bus stop by themselves then I would not embroider their names on them, again just to the initials.