Should you put your child’s name on their backpack?

We wrote Claire’s name on the front of her backpack in bold with a black Sharpie during her first days at day care. Little did we know about the dangers of doing so. Claire was fine because she was only a year old and was always in a safe environment. But in a bigger child, it would have been a risky thing to do. Labelling items and backpacks help caregivers find them easily in daycare settings. However, putting your child’s name on a publicly visible part of their backpack is not safe. You should use their initials or label their backpack in a different way instead. Let’s take a deep dive:

Should you put your child’s name on their backpack?

Personalized backpacks are not an issue, but your child’s name on them can be. People who prey on children use all sorts of tricks to gain a child’s trust. The most common trick is calling a child by their name. Some parents argue that your child should be taught not to go with someone they don’t know even if they know their name. I agree we should definitely drill that into their little heads. But it can be difficult for your children to separate strangers from people they know. They are also very impressionable and trusting. Why take the risk? I don’t recommend you have obvious name labels on your child’s backpack where they may not always be under the constant watch of an adult. Even if you use a small name tag, don’t list your child’s name, address and home phone number on it. And never label their backpack with their pet name or nick name. In short, never let a stranger know the names your child responds to. If your child is an infant and is under someone’s constant care, labelling their names on belongings and backpacks for ease of identification by their carers is fine. In all other cases, think of an alternative way to differentiate your child’s backpack from others. This is cute quilted backpack can be personalized with your kid’s initials instead of their name:

Check it out on Amazon

What’s the alternative then?

Many parents are accustomed to labelling their child’s name on the outside of their backpack. However, there are other ways to provide kids with a sense of individuality and help them identify their bags. Opt for something different other than your child’s name to identify them in order to protect their safety.

Labelling without using a name

Personalized backpacks could make kids easier targets for predators. People respond when someone calls their name. Even when a complete stranger says our name in public, we can’t help but to stop and look at them. Kids will respond the same way and will think they know someone just because that person knows their name. So what else can you do to label your kid’s backpack without using their name? An easy way is to monogram their initials on the outside of backpacks. Teach your child to identify those initials as their own. You can safely use initials on the backpack provided you don’t actually call your child by their initials. Some other alternatives include key chains, labelling on the inside of the bag, color-coding or personalizing with symbols.

Check it out on Amazon

For more creative ideas, read my article on how to safely label your child’s backpack.

To wrap up

Don’t put your child’s name on their backpack. There are plenty of creative and fun ways you can personalize your child’s backpack.