Starting school = Time to put name labels on clothes and belongings. Then you are ready to start a new school year with good control. It is a good feeling for both children and parents to get started after the holidays.

If you don’t have name labels in stock, it may be wise to order them at least a week before school starts. That way, you have plenty of time to receive the name labels in the mailbox, and you also have enough time to put name labels on clothes that are missing them. I usually like to check the children’s clothes occasionally when I put them back in the drawer after washing anyway. Also, remember to label your child’s footwear.

When a child starts school, there is usually a lot of equipment to bring: school bag, pencil case with contents, water bottle, lunch box, gym bag, and indoor shoes, just to name a few examples. It’s a good idea to put names on everything the child brings to school. Even though a schoolchild can often recognize their own things, the child may not notice if a sweater or hat suddenly goes missing. Playtime goes by quickly during recess, and when the bell rings, it’s important to hurry back to one’s seat in the classroom. It’s easy to forget the jacket you took off during an intense soccer match. With names (and preferably the class, e.g., 1A) on the clothes, it’s easy for teachers, after-school care staff, and other children to return lost clothes to the right owner.

How to design name labels

When ordering name labels for a school child, it’s a good idea to involve the child in designing how the name labels should look. When the child has been involved in deciding how the name labels should look and then helps to attach the name labels to the clothes, it gives the child an understanding of how the name labels work and where to look for names on clothes. At the same time, you don’t have to order name labels that the child doesn’t like.

Visible name labels

Many parents (especially mothers) love pastel colors, and we understand why. They are pleasant colors. But when clothes have the same shades, it’s not always easy to see the name label in the clothes. Therefore, it can be advantageous to design the name labels in strong, vibrant colors. It makes it much easier to see the name labels on the clothes. For example, I ordered neon yellow name labels for my youngest son last time I bought name labels – and they are very easy to see on the clothes.

Alternatives to name labels

Instead of name labels, you can mark the clothes with iron-on labels. The advantage of iron-on labels is that they don’t need to be attached to a tag in the clothes. They can be ironed onto the garment wherever you want them.

Also remember to label school books

Name labels are great for putting on school books, but you can also consider using stickers that have a durable vinyl lamination so that the print does not wear off when the books are taken in and out of the bag many times.