RM August 31 - Cost of back to school

Well the holidays are nearly over and all over the country parents are heaving a sigh of relief, or are they? Small mortgages are being taken out to cover the cost of school books and uniforms, not to mention schools fees or voluntary contributions.

So parents aren’t sighing at all.

When the Young Wan made the transition from primary to secondary school I was floored by how much it all cost.

Her uniform cost an arm and a leg. The coat alone cost €60 and it all had to be a particular coat from a specialised shop.

Then there were the books. We had a list to get as long as your arm. And it felt rather like owning a car, not that I have but I imagine.
You know if your car breaks down, it doesn’t cost €20 to get fixed, no, not at all. You are more likely to be forking out either your week’s wages or a large percentage of your month’s wages.
The books were costly. There were few costing around the €10 mark, but there were many costing €40+. I spent hundreds. What is worse is that you should see the state of them now two years on, I could cry. They are dog eared, battered, graffitted on and are generally a disgrace.

I turned down the school’s recommended art kit, I would compile that myself. And I refused to buy the calculator and other stuff like that.
But I still spent a fortune. The whole thing cost more than a grand. I am still paying it off on my credit card. And now I have to get more books, more bits and pieces for her uniform. Whoever said education is free here is a bloody idiot.

While those who are on social welfare get some help towards uniform costs, it is inadequate to say the least. What do they do if they have a couple of kids in secondary school? The mind boggles.

The Young Wan is now going into third year, or Junior Cert year, and I am absolutely dreading it. I am dreading a year of constant nagging to do homework. I am dreading a year of nagging over studying or her organisation (or not) of notes. I am dreading it.

But I have taken some action. I am organising grinds because she lacks confidence in maths and hates science, so any help along these lines will be gratefully received by both of us.

We are also planning more fun activities because from Sunday to Thursday she is mine, she will do homework and study, nothing hectic but she will do a little from September if it kills me. The weekends are hers to do with what she likes. We have enrolled her in a drama class – she will absolutely love it. We are looking at guitar lessons. Basically I am looking for things to occupy her, for her to have fun and meet new and lovely teenagers who are on her wavelength.

For now though she is still on holiday and loving every moment. She has been on wee dates all under the watchful eye of her Nanny. How uncool is that, to have a date and have your Nanny in the background. And fair play to her she didn’t think of grumbling at all, she just enjoyed her date with the little fella who kept telling her how beautiful she is.

So now after all that she has to come home to dirty Dublin, start a tough school year and I am sure she is dreading coming home. But I cannot wait to see her, the flat has been far too quiet without her. So roll on the year, let’s get cracking.

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Everyone everywhere knows what size their feet are, it is official

CAN someone tell when shoe shops stopped measuring feet? Seriously does everyone, whatever age, know their shoe size?

Apparently so according to Clarkes on O'Connell Street where I went in last week to buy the Young Wan some school shoes.

In we went to Clarkes, after all they have a reputation of good shoes and we browsed and saw two or three pairs of acceptable school shoes that we could both agree on.

Course we also had help from Boliath and her young son. But back to the story when I asked the woman working there if she could measure my daughter's feet and she said sorry we don't do that.

And I went what!

She said no we don't do that, you'll find most shoe shops don't do it anymore.

And I went again (only a little louder much to Boliath's despair) What!

It was at this stage things became a little bizarre for me. The woman said do you not know the size of your daughter's feet?

Things were starting to really annoy me now and Boliath was already thinking defuse this situation quick.

I said I am going to invest in a pair of school shoes and I want to know that they fit properly. I was also thinking but didn't get to articulate I was so mad that of course I know a ball-park figure of what size her feet are BUT I would like to know for sure.

The shop woman (who was about 20) looked at my daughter and said you are about 14? I'd say you are about a 6 or 7 and sure you have stopped growing at this stage.

Ehm no darling she has not stopped growing, I know her feet are about 6 or 7, I would like to know for sure.

It was at this stage poor Boliath brought into action all her best peacekeeping abilities. She started picking up shoes saying arent these lovely? These are nice, try them on?

While doing this she tried to make soothing noises to me, while I glared and wanted to go elsewhere and spend my money.

I mean come on, they didn't even have one of those standey-on thingies which measure your feet. How much room do they take up? Can a store not even hold onto one?

So against my better judgement, despite Boliath's best efforts to make me feel otherwise, I bought them. It was more about getting out of town quickly, we had all had enough.

When we got outside Boliath told me she tries to be calmer about these kind of things and she wouldn't let it annoy her and sure didn't that approach get me my shoes?

Don't get me wrong I wasn't shouting and roaring, I believe I was asking legitimate questions in a shoe shop which doesn't measure feet (I am even laughing at the absurdity of that statement but how and ever).

I just feel that I have given out good money to a shop that doesn't tick the boxes in customer support and also talked to me in a pretty appalling manner.

I was up in Belfast earlier in the summer and had my pal's three-year-old's feet measured during the summer in another store, no problem at all. It seems that when they are older and only able to get shoes in adult stores that they are not worthy of feet-measuring anymore.

You live and learn.

But thanks anyway to Boliath whose visit home brought me no end of pleasure! Can't wait until the next one.

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