Should you personalize your child’s backpack?

In a day and age where there is a large focus on individuality, many parents feel the need to personalize their child’s backpack. They believe that by doing this, they are teaching their children from a young age that they are unique and special. However, there are also those who feel as though it is a waste of time and resources for an item that might not even last the school year. What are the pros and cons of personalizing your child’s backpack? And should you or shouldn’t you? Personalizing your child’s backpack can help them feel special and give them a sense of ownership. It can also be a fun project for the both of you. For safety reasons, make sure you do not personalize their backpacks with their name. Let’s take a deep dive:

Benefits of personalizing your child’s backpack

Kids are really excited when they get to pick their own backpack. Problems can sometimes arise when they bring it in to class and three of their friends have the exact same backpack. Like it or not, there are only so many good quality kids backpacks to choose from and chances are all your fellow parents are buying from the same shop. This is where personalizing your child’s backpack can really have a positive impact on them. No matter how old a child is, they will love having a backpack that is uniquely theirs. It makes them feel special and helps them become more confident. With this in mind, many parents are opting to personalize their child’s backpack. Personalizing also helps them recognize their backpack when it is time to pack up for the day at kindy. It gives children a sense of ownership and pride when they see their ‘special backpack’. A backpack is a personal item, so parents often want to deck it out so that is reflective of their child’s personality. In fact, studies show that children develop a deeper sense of attachment to items that they feel personally connected to. You can even personalize their whole backpack. Just don’t use their name. Monogramming their initials are fine.

Check it out on Amazon

What’s the issue with personalising backpacks?

The problem doesn’t lie with having personalized stuff. The danger is in how the backpack is personalized. If you have your child’s name boldly written and decorated on the front of their backpack for all to see, a dodgy stranger might take advantage of this by using their name to pretend to your child that they know them. For security reasons, never display your child’s name on your their backpack. Monogramming their initials is fine as long as you don’t actually call them by their initials. Some parents can go a bit overboard with personalizing and there is no denying that some children might feel embarrassed when they get teased in school for a backpack that is too eye-catching. There is also a risk that your fickle child might be right there beside you personalizing their ultimate dream backpack but hate its guts the next day. Instead of their name, monogram their initials:

Check it out on Amazon

Should you personalize your child’s backpack?

Backpacks have developed into more than just a bag. They are now an extension of one’s personality for many children. Especially if your kid is older, they should have the last say in the choice of backpack and whether you personalize it. There are plenty of personalized backpacks you can buy where the company offers to print your child’s name. This is probably the easiest way to personalize your child’s backpack. Just make sure you request their initials, instead of an identifiable name. The more creative and fun way to do it is to let kids be kids. Let your child personalize their own backpacks with cute things. There are many ways to make plain backpacks more unique with accessories like keychains, labels, stickers, and even masking tape. I personally don’t care how Claire decorates her backpack as long as she’s happy with it. You could tie-dye a plain canvas backpack:

Check it out on Amazon

How should you personalize your child’s backpack?

We have established without a doubt that you should never label your child’s name on their backpack. But there are other ways you can identify your kid’s backpack as uniquely theirs. For example, the both of you could decide on a cute iron-on picture or logo. You could also go wild and use patterns, colors and designs to amp it up. If your child’s daycare insists that your child’s backpack is labelled with their name, label their name somewhere inconspicuous like the underside of the backpack. Another good place to write their name is on the inside of their backpack, just beside the zip. Read my article on how to safely label your kid’s backpack.

To wrap up

I definitely think you should personalize your child’s backpack if they want to. It can help your kid feel special and give them confidence in school. Just keep their safety in mind and remember that backpacks last a long time. Your child’s design tastes might change a million times between now and next year.