By: Felicia Czochanski Bisaro
Beach days quickly turn into back-to-school shopping as summer comes to a close and the new school year approaches. The anticipation of starting another year of classroom learning can cause mixed emotions, for both children and parents. Some children may look forward to seeing friends more regularly, while others may feel wary about saying goodbye to a summer of fun. Either way, as a parent, there are many ways to help your children reignite their love for learning.
Remember that you can shape how your child feels about going back to school this fall. You can make a world of difference by building excitement prior to the first day of school in order to mitigate any nerves that may come up that morning. An awesome way to do this is to boost your child’s confidence as they head into a new year by treating them to a new back-to-school outfit that makes them feel ready for anything. This doesn’t have to break the bank either, especially if you shop smarter at your favorite Goodwill® store.
Goodwill is not only passionate about making education accessible through supporting local communities with learning programs and skills training, but it is also an amazing one-stop shop for back-to-school outfits. Take a look at some of the incredible finds from my favorite Goodwill store in Brooklyn, NY, to get ideas for your children’s first-day-of-school outfits.
1. Fun Statement Dress and Matching Backpack
Many of the amazing finds I come across in-store still have the tags on them and have never been worn. There are so many reasons why people might donate new items to Goodwill, like missing the return window or the item not fitting. This dress is great for the first day of school, especially with the statement ruffle and matching backpack as an accessory. Depending on the weather and dress code, you may want to send your child in with a sweater as well.
2. Classic Plaid Button-Down
Nothing tells teachers and fellow classmates more that your child is ready to work hard this year than a classic button-down shirt. This outfit is sure to make a great first impression and help your child kick off the school year on the right foot!
3. Awesome Accessories
Investing in cool accessories is important because they can be worn more frequently than a statement outfit. Accessories can be a great confidence booster for your child — think ‘lucky shoes’ or a ‘lucky backpack.’ With a little luck on your side, you’ll come across amazing finds in your child’s size at Goodwill, like this adorable pair of sneakers with a subtle cheetah print and pop of pink or this fun, colorful backpack.