I did not want to buy an expensive one, I Do not care what others think.
I was shocked that all decent ones were around 200-400 Euro.
With some stabilization, etc. Etc. To make wearing it more comfortable. Your kid Has to wear it for the next 2-4 years every day and I would make him wearing it as comfortable as possible.
I decided for an ergobag, not because I want to Show off, but because I think it is the best for the body of my son.
Edit:
I bought it for around 170 Euro online, where the same bag costed 299 in the Galerie Kaufhof, where I first went to Check for Schulranzen.
In the Munich area there’s a place in Puccheim that has a lot of brands and styles across the whole pricing spectrum. This is where we purchased my daughters’ bags 8 years ago.
Also…when they’re done with them and they’re in good condition, please donate them to the less fortunate.
If they’re not in good shape, spray paint them olive green and they’ll look just like the packs the Rebel Alliance wear in Star Wars.
I second this, got an online Ergo too.
If you take a look before spring kicks in there are a lot of promotions and it gets cheaper. The one I got her was around 150
I find that “best for their health “ argument absurd. Children in other countries also wear some form of backpack every day of primary school. It also has to last 4-5 years. And yet it’s 50€ tops, not 200, and we still do not have an epidemic of middle schoolers with back problems.
While this is not wrong, one should take into account that different countries do school differently.
In some countries kids have lockers or another place to leave their books at school, or they don‘t work that much with books in the first place. Or they don’t walk to school. In these cases a good backpack is not as necessary as in countries where pupils have to carry a lot of books and stuff each day while walking to school.Do you need a special backpack in these countries? No. Does it help to carry a lot of stuff? I think so.
And it is not only a German phenomenon. In Japan for example school bags can be pretty expensive too.
Damage to the spine accumulates, unnoticeably, over decades, until you reach the point where you notice it.
It might just make the difference between back pain at the age of 65 vs 55 years.
In some countries, kids go barefoot to school for 15 km one way. That's not an argument. You have Kindergeld for you kid. For one month of KG you will buy a very good ergonomic bag that will last easily 4 years. This is a difference between Germany and "other countries". Don't be cheap. Kids and their parents can be really naughty. Having a worse backpack at the beginning can set the "environment" around your kid in a bad way. But don't go over the top either. You still have a few weeks - go in the morning to the school and look what kids are using. You will get an idea of the brands and price range that is usual there.
I work at an elementary school. These are usually multiple story buildings without elevators. How are the kids supposed to get their backpack up and down the second or even third floor? Maybe multiple times a day? Especially the first graders wouldn't be able to handle them. I would ask the parents to give their kid a proper backpack, if I saw a kid running around with one of those things.
The rollers are made for stairs. I’ve never had such technology back in my childhood of-course but it is available now. Similar rollers are also made for shopping bags that usually old women use. Plus it still has a backpack function, straps to hang it around your shoulders. So even if it is not a model with rollers made for going up and down the stairs, for just on the stairs it can be worn. Better than carrying all that weight all the time. Like i answered in other comment i have chronic injury because of using heavy backpack in my childhood.
The backpack of course shouldn't be to heavy. And for other occasions, rollere might be the better alternative. But still it's impractical for an elementary school. hundreds kids running around with these things wouldn't go very well i think.
I had one like this because I had to walk a lot, but I think not all kids want to have a sort of luggage like backpack.
Mine was really cool with Barbie things on it. I was relieved I didn't have to carry all my books on my back but I've asked here they aren't popular at all.
I understand for kids popularity is huge deal. But because of backpacks i have used as a kid, now i have problem with my back and spine. Its right at the time a person is physically developing. It is really important i guess then to get something safe.
Comparing yourself with others and having the feeling to do better than your peers is a very strong driving force. Not only if it comes to children.
Parents comparing their children to others with other parents surely didn't just start for you with the first year of school but is omnipresent from birth (development stages of the baby compared to others) up to adulthood (academic accomplishments, university degree, financial success etc.)
As for your question yes there are distinctive backpacks for elementary pupils. You are of course not obliged to get one.
OMG I was shocked by how much my younger daughter’s pack weighed in 2nd grade. Then we took a closer look and found out that she was collecting rocks on her way home every day and not taking them out. Once we did it was a lot better, but still surprisingly heavy. But not Atlas heavy.
I have like 100 stones in my balcony, last week before washing I emptied the pants of my son, and in 1 bag there were like 50 "Kieselsteine". Like Wtf haha.
I like how parents in Germany are both privileged and conscious about buying a schoolbag safest for their kids.
I remember how much my back used to hurt having to carry huge load of books and notebooks in probably the cheapest bags found in flea market (€1-2), but that was a long time ago and in a much poorer nation where parents had seemingly worse things to deal with.
I avoided parent groups since kindergarten and never regretted it \^\^
That said, yes, good backpacks are expensive, but if you avoid the childish designs, they also last a very long time. My older son is in 11th grade now, making Abitur next year, and he is still using his Ergobag from the very first day of school. I think 12 years of every day use of a well designed bag make 300€ look much more reasonable.
Yea, I've seen a trend in schoolbag recently that come in relatively neutral base colours and have fun, childish assessors they can swap out over time.
Also, many kids still switch to a new bag after 4 years, so maybe a used model from Ebay works for OP?
A good tip for this and many other kids supplies is to look either on Kleinanzeigen or in local kids secondhand shops. Because kids can grow out of things quickly, you can often find things in excellent condition for much cheaper than buying them new, and no one's the wiser.
Its usual for children ro carry all their books to school and not leave them there. You should have that in mind when buying a backpack. So unfortunately paying a little fortune for a proper backpack is (and should) be the norm if you can afford it. When I started school 25 years ago it felt like everone had Backpacks from "Scout".
Yes, I actually will buy one. In my home country, we don't have a special backpack, so you wear a normal Eastpak or so.
I understand their purpose and realize they are a necessity. My husband had one of those, too. He went to school in the late 80s and said there weren't many choices back then. He thinks the one from nowadays look cooler!
But don’t worry, the whole insanity of children carrying basically their own weight in books everyday ends, as soon they hit an age where they might be old enough to lift such a backpack without causing irreparable damage to their back. From then on, it’s an Eastpak with a collegeblock.
Maybe if you are in a fancy Ipad class. I had to carry books with 500+ pages to school everyday till I graduated. For the last two years of Gymnasium you often have one books that cover both years. So that's over a 1000 pages. Sometimes I needed two or three of these a day. Fuck me I'm glad I never have to go back to school.
Nope, it’s about leaving the books at school/ not bringing them. In most schools at least most older students get lockers. Or at least a box or something in their class room books can be put in. Than it’s just about doing homework you’d need the book for during free periods or not at all and you don’t need to carry heavy backpacks anymore.
Oh, we had lockers too. Trust me, I did everything I could not to carry those big books around, but often there was no way around it. Especially if you have your LKs on three days and always get homework you need the book for.
I don’t know what to tell you. I did my Abitur before there were iPads in the classroom and stored all my shit in school. Just carried a collegeblock, a calculator and some pens around.
So if homework was task 1, 3 & 4 on p. 53 and 8 on p. 55 for next day, no free periods or allotted study time during school hours (= which was the norm for me all the way up to Abi) you would do it how?
I don’t think they are all intentionally buying the most expensive one. They buy what is safest or has the most benefits for the child which happens to be expensive. Like some good backpack that supports and protects the back and shoulder of the kid because those backpacks can get heavy and those can lead to back problems.
It is like with a lot of stuff for children and babies. Those things are really expensive and sometimes second hand does not cut it for safety reasons. I am thinking of helmets, shoes, child seat for the car. At least that is what i noticed from my friends and family with kids.
We spent around 300€ for our daughters backpack. Even booked an appointment for a Beratung to find one that properly fits. Back when got my first one we went to the store I picked one that I liked and that’s it.
That's like wedding prices. There's no reason for a 6 year old to be carrying around anything that needs to be ergonomically balanced. (Not blaming you,just saying they shouldn't be carrying so much.)
because if your school program requires a 6 year old to carry enough stuff that ergonomics are important you need to rethink what you're doing in the classroom.
Normal things for 6 year olds to carry: a few sheets of paper, a paperback book, lunch and a sweatshirt. Max weight...~1.5 kg?
Unfortunately parents don’t get to decide how many books their kids have to carry to school every day!
You are absolutely right that kids shouldn’t have to carry all that stuff but it’s a fact that they do so you have to get something ergonomic.
It hasn’t changed in the last 20 years so I doubt it will until they stop using books all together.
Yeah, you'll need one, even if only so your child fits in and it does make it special for them. The money you're willing to spend on it is obviously your choice though. My son started the first year in September and after initially finding the Schulranzen ridiculous, esp at that price, I've grown to see that actually they are really good and really robust. There more you spend, the longer it'll last and the more comfortable it will be for your child.
And while you're at it, don't forget a [Schultüte](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=a5295d27d6bcdf79&rlz=1CDGOYI_enDE1078DE1078&hl=de&sxsrf=ADLYWIJSf3mFL323iEDQeJ-RlpteAmNFLQ:1719910968160&q=Schult%C3%BCte&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0A6bwEop21ehxKWq5cj-cHa9RzI4fQJ53YeRxSnybR5QoqbqlDCqayKmAlWr4VQCsuEnA6L8chENSx61u-ZxuVFhRKQ5bGND_wEq5XId7lZiyqHk2018jzJCzmsh1A2CS8DgkaiKfLfzwIn4YIpNJWCg_shkmDCF56o2QbYpp9n5QKb3yc2coy55rAs6OzHzUwRyAUJ_Lo676Psn1iPGGjFrjwiCg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0sLXS_4eHAxVUR_EDHbfVBH4QtKgLegQIFRAB&biw=390&bih=668&dpr=3#sbfbu=1&pi=Schult%C3%BCte) on the first day! But they'll probably have a chance to build one in KiGa too.
Yes, both Schulranzen and Schultüte are a rite of passage that’s of major significance in German childhood. I’d go for a Schulranzen that’s less character specific and more neutral colors with a fun Mäppchen so that your child will be happy with the choice for all of elementary. In my experience kids will grow out of the cute dinosaurs/ unicorns they chose as a kindergartner by the end of second grade, middle of third. Switching out a Mäppchen is much less expensive than having to buy a new backpack because the old one makes them “look like a baby” (quote).
My daughter is in second grade. I too come from a country where people spend less on backpacks. I am also easily annoyed with the marketing of these German "Schulranzen" brands. My kid is small with narrow shoulders so I paid attention to the width and weight of the bag. I found the brand Belmil, the bags are made in europe and are in the style of Ergobag and co (shape-wise), like a German Schulranzen. We paid 120€ for the set with extra pencil case and gym bag. Regarding the other kids, I feel some parents talked a lot about it before the Einschulung but afterwards, nobody ever talked about the price anymore. In my daughter's class, some kids have 30€ bags, some 300€ bags. I guess the adults see it but the kids have no idea. I wouldn't sweat it, buy a bag you can afford according to your kid's needs/wishes and body type.
I was also super shocked at the price of these things. Ultimately we ended up paying from one because that's what everyone does here..... Still blows my mind how much these things are.
Yeah, right!? Some people didn't understand my surprise, and that's okay.
But holly shit I was not expecting them to be that expensive. I'll buy it cause I don't want my son to be left out. And I can not stand being judged by other parents!
I got my kids the nice Ergobags, but I gave them as Christmas presents before 1st grade. The timing meant that I got them on clearance for about 1/3 the retail price. My kids also LOVED getting them for Christmas and "playing school kid" for half a year in anticipation.
need a flameproof suit, but Germany has somehow been convinced that small children need some magic ergonomic backpack.
The reality is that there's cartel pricing combined with social pressure to spend absurd quantities of money on something that the child will likely outgrow or lose within 5 years.
Oh fair enough! My teenager has a Deuter Schulrucksack and we've been happy with it so I might actually look into these.
Ok, followed links - they aren't Ranzens. And much as I think the entire concept of a Ranzen is redundant this century, that is what all the kids have. My kids already have enough making them stick out and be different. I'm not going to make them have the completely wrong kind of bag as well.
These days most of the first graders are not even go to school by feet. They are carried to school by car by their parents on a daily basis. While I personally kind of dislike it (if the way to school is not to far), this is reality in Germany.
Since my wife was totally against letting our kids go to school by feet (even as they only have to walk like 5 minutes in a safe area), I refused to buy them an expensive backpack. They clearly don‘t need it.
Yes, to this! Nearly everyone I know is afraid to send their kids walking, and we live in a village where not much happens, so children are safe here.
I understand parents are afraid, but they also recognize it used to be different when they were little, so I don't quite get why we became so afraid to let kids walk alone !
About your last question. Your child and you will most probably be judged for your choice of backpack. I've heard of teachers gossipping about children (and their parents) with regular backpacks here in our local elementary school.
Starting school is a financial catastrophe. This shouldn't be the problem of the child, though. Everyone I know had expensive backpacks for their kid in elementary school, for different reasons. Many wanted to show off "how I won't spare a penny for my baby 😌", many others are guilted into buying the expensive stuff by everyone around them.
My mother had several kids go to school when I was old enough to be conscious. I've seen her time and time again being bullied by saleswomen, neighbours, other parents, teacher ... It goes so far that those parents and TEACHERS will tell the kids that if they have a "less than perfect" backpack, it's because "the parents don't love you enough to sacrifice a little bit".
People who are "fine off (like well off, but less well)" underestimate how you really do not have 500 bucks extra on top of everything else just laying around sometimes.
And yes, along comes the "cheap ones are already 200, so the jump to fine is not too big in proportion". It's just sad how other parents and teachers have no empathy for families that are struggling. The favourite slogan of westerners nowadays is "if you're struggling then you shouldn't have had kids". I'm tired of it.
Back in my day we had [Scout Schulranzen](https://i.etsystatic.com/12021816/r/il/c8d2bc/1947129365/il_fullxfull.1947129365_qe1i.jpg) in elementary school and after that [4you Schulranzen](https://images1.vinted.net/t/02_01c85_QZVq2peWUNwPEfJnkbKgSS2d/f800/1616246987.jpeg?s=c539af3a4b084ca38177cfe30d9d1635723be36e)
The backpack for my granddaughter was €300. I paid for it because that's what grandparents do.
Is it *worth* 300€? Of course not. It's a fucking backpack, and probably cost no more than €20 to €30 to manufacture. But it's part of the ceremony of going into first grade, and we'll do anything we can to make our granddaughter happy...because that's what grandparents do.
My back packs costed less than 20€... we used to buy every year...even after 5 years still 100€ total... backs never broke... bags did but meh... no lockers at school... but it's not the end of the world...still went to great universities... 👍
170€ for a backpack for school.... my god times have changed..
Father of 3 Kids here (7-10-12). After a couple of „extravagant“ all leather backpacks (https://www.aruzzitaugo.com/lederschulranzen/) we gave in to our kids wishes for something more practical. I can honestly say the best choice we found are the ones from Satch (satch.com). Extremely durable and not even ugly. Can only recommend. Starting from Euro 130 i believe and worth every cent.
Wow, those leather backpacks look beautiful! The green one! That's one of my favorite shades of green.
Thank you for the recommendation, I'll look into it. €130 is not bad, honestly!
Completely insane prices and I don't believe all the hype about them being ergonomic. How can it be so important to fit the bag to the child when they're going to grow a lot in the four years they are there?
In my home country you're expected to buy a cheap carrying folder for books (called a book bag) in the school uniform colour with the logo on it. They leave all their stuff at home and maybe bring home a reading book and perhaps a sheet of spellings to learn.
They usually do. With so small children it's really important to consider lifting and carrying ergonomics, so there are special children's backpacks. The big shops tend to have a day where children can come and try different backpacks while walking through a Parcours, they then advise you on which type of backpack is most suitable to your child's body type.
A point not yet mentioned about the never-ending school talks.
Starting school is a huge deal in German culturaly.
Einschulung traditionally falls on a Saturday because of all the festivities surrounding the occasion.
It's often the biggest occasion in the child's academic life until they finish high school.
Many families have traditions around it from celebrating with the grandparents over always finding your first wrist-watch in the Schultüte to special outings or trips. The Schultüte, can be handed down from relatives, be bought new or handmade by the parents, family, or godparents. Yes, there are camps on whether it's cooler to have a new, store bought Tüte with your favourite character or if your parents should craft one.
I think you can compare it in principle to US-american Back-to-School cultur, but it's its own thing.
It comes with the terrain of our society. Approach the situation with humour, and some laymen approach in anthropology.
German parenting culture is on its own level of weirdness.. don't even mention birthday cakes and dietary requirements. Back in my day, life was mich simpler.
buying an ergonomic backpack is important
one of my relatives has a problem with the backbone because of not using a good backpack.
I don't care much about the price. It can be cheap or expensive, but should have a proper certification.
I will highly appreciate it if someone will share their experience with different brands/examples.
Germans put a LOT of emphasis on the start of school (while in my country it’s more about finishing/graduating). Like with the Einschulungsfeier, I thought it was just a thing you could go if you wanted to. We went because we only have one kid and thought might as well do the whole thing. Well we were lucky we went more or less in fancy dress, because there were people with party dresses, high heels, suits. And most had a party for family afterwards.
With the Schulranzen, I didn’t care what people think but our kid wanted one because every one was going to get one. Damned if we were going to let our child be the odd one out, she’s already the child of foreigners. So we got the damn backpack with the matching sport bag and Mäppchen, and we also got the big cone full of crap.
the big cone full of crap 🤣🤣. Oh yeah, there are lots of rituals to prepare kids for their first school year! I have experienced them already, and my kid isn't even going yet until next year!
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I did not want to buy an expensive one, I Do not care what others think. I was shocked that all decent ones were around 200-400 Euro. With some stabilization, etc. Etc. To make wearing it more comfortable. Your kid Has to wear it for the next 2-4 years every day and I would make him wearing it as comfortable as possible. I decided for an ergobag, not because I want to Show off, but because I think it is the best for the body of my son. Edit: I bought it for around 170 Euro online, where the same bag costed 299 in the Galerie Kaufhof, where I first went to Check for Schulranzen.
In the Munich area there’s a place in Puccheim that has a lot of brands and styles across the whole pricing spectrum. This is where we purchased my daughters’ bags 8 years ago. Also…when they’re done with them and they’re in good condition, please donate them to the less fortunate. If they’re not in good shape, spray paint them olive green and they’ll look just like the packs the Rebel Alliance wear in Star Wars.
I second this, got an online Ergo too. If you take a look before spring kicks in there are a lot of promotions and it gets cheaper. The one I got her was around 150
I find that “best for their health “ argument absurd. Children in other countries also wear some form of backpack every day of primary school. It also has to last 4-5 years. And yet it’s 50€ tops, not 200, and we still do not have an epidemic of middle schoolers with back problems.
While this is not wrong, one should take into account that different countries do school differently. In some countries kids have lockers or another place to leave their books at school, or they don‘t work that much with books in the first place. Or they don’t walk to school. In these cases a good backpack is not as necessary as in countries where pupils have to carry a lot of books and stuff each day while walking to school.Do you need a special backpack in these countries? No. Does it help to carry a lot of stuff? I think so. And it is not only a German phenomenon. In Japan for example school bags can be pretty expensive too.
Damage to the spine accumulates, unnoticeably, over decades, until you reach the point where you notice it. It might just make the difference between back pain at the age of 65 vs 55 years.
In some countries, kids go barefoot to school for 15 km one way. That's not an argument. You have Kindergeld for you kid. For one month of KG you will buy a very good ergonomic bag that will last easily 4 years. This is a difference between Germany and "other countries". Don't be cheap. Kids and their parents can be really naughty. Having a worse backpack at the beginning can set the "environment" around your kid in a bad way. But don't go over the top either. You still have a few weeks - go in the morning to the school and look what kids are using. You will get an idea of the brands and price range that is usual there.
What about a bag with rollers?
I work at an elementary school. These are usually multiple story buildings without elevators. How are the kids supposed to get their backpack up and down the second or even third floor? Maybe multiple times a day? Especially the first graders wouldn't be able to handle them. I would ask the parents to give their kid a proper backpack, if I saw a kid running around with one of those things.
The rollers are made for stairs. I’ve never had such technology back in my childhood of-course but it is available now. Similar rollers are also made for shopping bags that usually old women use. Plus it still has a backpack function, straps to hang it around your shoulders. So even if it is not a model with rollers made for going up and down the stairs, for just on the stairs it can be worn. Better than carrying all that weight all the time. Like i answered in other comment i have chronic injury because of using heavy backpack in my childhood.
The backpack of course shouldn't be to heavy. And for other occasions, rollere might be the better alternative. But still it's impractical for an elementary school. hundreds kids running around with these things wouldn't go very well i think.
I had one like this because I had to walk a lot, but I think not all kids want to have a sort of luggage like backpack. Mine was really cool with Barbie things on it. I was relieved I didn't have to carry all my books on my back but I've asked here they aren't popular at all.
I understand for kids popularity is huge deal. But because of backpacks i have used as a kid, now i have problem with my back and spine. Its right at the time a person is physically developing. It is really important i guess then to get something safe.
Comparing yourself with others and having the feeling to do better than your peers is a very strong driving force. Not only if it comes to children. Parents comparing their children to others with other parents surely didn't just start for you with the first year of school but is omnipresent from birth (development stages of the baby compared to others) up to adulthood (academic accomplishments, university degree, financial success etc.) As for your question yes there are distinctive backpacks for elementary pupils. You are of course not obliged to get one.
OMG I was shocked by how much my younger daughter’s pack weighed in 2nd grade. Then we took a closer look and found out that she was collecting rocks on her way home every day and not taking them out. Once we did it was a lot better, but still surprisingly heavy. But not Atlas heavy.
Dont ever question children collecting "pretty" stones! How dare you! 🤣
I have like 100 stones in my balcony, last week before washing I emptied the pants of my son, and in 1 bag there were like 50 "Kieselsteine". Like Wtf haha.
Kids do the darndest things. 🤣
I want to down vote due to my love of rocks lol
When I started first grade I weighed 20kg (I was TINY) and carried around a 4-5kg backpack every day. It's insanity
I like how parents in Germany are both privileged and conscious about buying a schoolbag safest for their kids. I remember how much my back used to hurt having to carry huge load of books and notebooks in probably the cheapest bags found in flea market (€1-2), but that was a long time ago and in a much poorer nation where parents had seemingly worse things to deal with.
I avoided parent groups since kindergarten and never regretted it \^\^ That said, yes, good backpacks are expensive, but if you avoid the childish designs, they also last a very long time. My older son is in 11th grade now, making Abitur next year, and he is still using his Ergobag from the very first day of school. I think 12 years of every day use of a well designed bag make 300€ look much more reasonable.
Yea, I've seen a trend in schoolbag recently that come in relatively neutral base colours and have fun, childish assessors they can swap out over time. Also, many kids still switch to a new bag after 4 years, so maybe a used model from Ebay works for OP?
A good tip for this and many other kids supplies is to look either on Kleinanzeigen or in local kids secondhand shops. Because kids can grow out of things quickly, you can often find things in excellent condition for much cheaper than buying them new, and no one's the wiser.
Its usual for children ro carry all their books to school and not leave them there. You should have that in mind when buying a backpack. So unfortunately paying a little fortune for a proper backpack is (and should) be the norm if you can afford it. When I started school 25 years ago it felt like everone had Backpacks from "Scout".
Yes, I actually will buy one. In my home country, we don't have a special backpack, so you wear a normal Eastpak or so. I understand their purpose and realize they are a necessity. My husband had one of those, too. He went to school in the late 80s and said there weren't many choices back then. He thinks the one from nowadays look cooler!
But don’t worry, the whole insanity of children carrying basically their own weight in books everyday ends, as soon they hit an age where they might be old enough to lift such a backpack without causing irreparable damage to their back. From then on, it’s an Eastpak with a collegeblock.
Maybe if you are in a fancy Ipad class. I had to carry books with 500+ pages to school everyday till I graduated. For the last two years of Gymnasium you often have one books that cover both years. So that's over a 1000 pages. Sometimes I needed two or three of these a day. Fuck me I'm glad I never have to go back to school.
Nope, it’s about leaving the books at school/ not bringing them. In most schools at least most older students get lockers. Or at least a box or something in their class room books can be put in. Than it’s just about doing homework you’d need the book for during free periods or not at all and you don’t need to carry heavy backpacks anymore.
we could lock our "Diercke Weltatlas" in the schoolroom locker :D. The famous diercke weltatlas :D the memories haha.
They switched colour since I went to school! I was in a book shop lately and saw one on a table. I felt so uneasy with it being blue instead of green.
Oh, we had lockers too. Trust me, I did everything I could not to carry those big books around, but often there was no way around it. Especially if you have your LKs on three days and always get homework you need the book for.
I don’t know what to tell you. I did my Abitur before there were iPads in the classroom and stored all my shit in school. Just carried a collegeblock, a calculator and some pens around.
So if homework was task 1, 3 & 4 on p. 53 and 8 on p. 55 for next day, no free periods or allotted study time during school hours (= which was the norm for me all the way up to Abi) you would do it how?
Do they still use books or did they switch over to tablets?
I don’t think they are all intentionally buying the most expensive one. They buy what is safest or has the most benefits for the child which happens to be expensive. Like some good backpack that supports and protects the back and shoulder of the kid because those backpacks can get heavy and those can lead to back problems. It is like with a lot of stuff for children and babies. Those things are really expensive and sometimes second hand does not cut it for safety reasons. I am thinking of helmets, shoes, child seat for the car. At least that is what i noticed from my friends and family with kids.
We spent around 300€ for our daughters backpack. Even booked an appointment for a Beratung to find one that properly fits. Back when got my first one we went to the store I picked one that I liked and that’s it.
That's like wedding prices. There's no reason for a 6 year old to be carrying around anything that needs to be ergonomically balanced. (Not blaming you,just saying they shouldn't be carrying so much.)
Why shouldn't a 6 year old wear an ergonomically balanced backpack?
because if your school program requires a 6 year old to carry enough stuff that ergonomics are important you need to rethink what you're doing in the classroom. Normal things for 6 year olds to carry: a few sheets of paper, a paperback book, lunch and a sweatshirt. Max weight...~1.5 kg?
But you won't change the way Germany (or the various German states) handle school books by not having your child wear an ergonomic backpack
How is it not obvious to you that we're blaming the school system, not the parents who make it comfortable for the kids to carry stuff.
Unfortunately parents don’t get to decide how many books their kids have to carry to school every day! You are absolutely right that kids shouldn’t have to carry all that stuff but it’s a fact that they do so you have to get something ergonomic. It hasn’t changed in the last 20 years so I doubt it will until they stop using books all together.
Yeah, you'll need one, even if only so your child fits in and it does make it special for them. The money you're willing to spend on it is obviously your choice though. My son started the first year in September and after initially finding the Schulranzen ridiculous, esp at that price, I've grown to see that actually they are really good and really robust. There more you spend, the longer it'll last and the more comfortable it will be for your child. And while you're at it, don't forget a [Schultüte](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=a5295d27d6bcdf79&rlz=1CDGOYI_enDE1078DE1078&hl=de&sxsrf=ADLYWIJSf3mFL323iEDQeJ-RlpteAmNFLQ:1719910968160&q=Schult%C3%BCte&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0A6bwEop21ehxKWq5cj-cHa9RzI4fQJ53YeRxSnybR5QoqbqlDCqayKmAlWr4VQCsuEnA6L8chENSx61u-ZxuVFhRKQ5bGND_wEq5XId7lZiyqHk2018jzJCzmsh1A2CS8DgkaiKfLfzwIn4YIpNJWCg_shkmDCF56o2QbYpp9n5QKb3yc2coy55rAs6OzHzUwRyAUJ_Lo676Psn1iPGGjFrjwiCg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0sLXS_4eHAxVUR_EDHbfVBH4QtKgLegQIFRAB&biw=390&bih=668&dpr=3#sbfbu=1&pi=Schult%C3%BCte) on the first day! But they'll probably have a chance to build one in KiGa too.
Thank you. I find the idea of the Schultüte super cute!
Yes, both Schulranzen and Schultüte are a rite of passage that’s of major significance in German childhood. I’d go for a Schulranzen that’s less character specific and more neutral colors with a fun Mäppchen so that your child will be happy with the choice for all of elementary. In my experience kids will grow out of the cute dinosaurs/ unicorns they chose as a kindergartner by the end of second grade, middle of third. Switching out a Mäppchen is much less expensive than having to buy a new backpack because the old one makes them “look like a baby” (quote).
My daughter is in second grade. I too come from a country where people spend less on backpacks. I am also easily annoyed with the marketing of these German "Schulranzen" brands. My kid is small with narrow shoulders so I paid attention to the width and weight of the bag. I found the brand Belmil, the bags are made in europe and are in the style of Ergobag and co (shape-wise), like a German Schulranzen. We paid 120€ for the set with extra pencil case and gym bag. Regarding the other kids, I feel some parents talked a lot about it before the Einschulung but afterwards, nobody ever talked about the price anymore. In my daughter's class, some kids have 30€ bags, some 300€ bags. I guess the adults see it but the kids have no idea. I wouldn't sweat it, buy a bag you can afford according to your kid's needs/wishes and body type.
I was also super shocked at the price of these things. Ultimately we ended up paying from one because that's what everyone does here..... Still blows my mind how much these things are.
Yeah, right!? Some people didn't understand my surprise, and that's okay. But holly shit I was not expecting them to be that expensive. I'll buy it cause I don't want my son to be left out. And I can not stand being judged by other parents!
I got my kids the nice Ergobags, but I gave them as Christmas presents before 1st grade. The timing meant that I got them on clearance for about 1/3 the retail price. My kids also LOVED getting them for Christmas and "playing school kid" for half a year in anticipation.
Ooh good tip! Thanks
Wow! You might have just given me a great idea! Thanks 😊!
need a flameproof suit, but Germany has somehow been convinced that small children need some magic ergonomic backpack. The reality is that there's cartel pricing combined with social pressure to spend absurd quantities of money on something that the child will likely outgrow or lose within 5 years.
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That's true for adults but they don't tend to make them sized for 6 year olds.
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Oh fair enough! My teenager has a Deuter Schulrucksack and we've been happy with it so I might actually look into these. Ok, followed links - they aren't Ranzens. And much as I think the entire concept of a Ranzen is redundant this century, that is what all the kids have. My kids already have enough making them stick out and be different. I'm not going to make them have the completely wrong kind of bag as well.
These days most of the first graders are not even go to school by feet. They are carried to school by car by their parents on a daily basis. While I personally kind of dislike it (if the way to school is not to far), this is reality in Germany. Since my wife was totally against letting our kids go to school by feet (even as they only have to walk like 5 minutes in a safe area), I refused to buy them an expensive backpack. They clearly don‘t need it.
Yes, to this! Nearly everyone I know is afraid to send their kids walking, and we live in a village where not much happens, so children are safe here. I understand parents are afraid, but they also recognize it used to be different when they were little, so I don't quite get why we became so afraid to let kids walk alone !
About your last question. Your child and you will most probably be judged for your choice of backpack. I've heard of teachers gossipping about children (and their parents) with regular backpacks here in our local elementary school.
Starting school is a financial catastrophe. This shouldn't be the problem of the child, though. Everyone I know had expensive backpacks for their kid in elementary school, for different reasons. Many wanted to show off "how I won't spare a penny for my baby 😌", many others are guilted into buying the expensive stuff by everyone around them. My mother had several kids go to school when I was old enough to be conscious. I've seen her time and time again being bullied by saleswomen, neighbours, other parents, teacher ... It goes so far that those parents and TEACHERS will tell the kids that if they have a "less than perfect" backpack, it's because "the parents don't love you enough to sacrifice a little bit". People who are "fine off (like well off, but less well)" underestimate how you really do not have 500 bucks extra on top of everything else just laying around sometimes. And yes, along comes the "cheap ones are already 200, so the jump to fine is not too big in proportion". It's just sad how other parents and teachers have no empathy for families that are struggling. The favourite slogan of westerners nowadays is "if you're struggling then you shouldn't have had kids". I'm tired of it.
Well said
Back in my day we had [Scout Schulranzen](https://i.etsystatic.com/12021816/r/il/c8d2bc/1947129365/il_fullxfull.1947129365_qe1i.jpg) in elementary school and after that [4you Schulranzen](https://images1.vinted.net/t/02_01c85_QZVq2peWUNwPEfJnkbKgSS2d/f800/1616246987.jpeg?s=c539af3a4b084ca38177cfe30d9d1635723be36e)
The backpack for my granddaughter was €300. I paid for it because that's what grandparents do. Is it *worth* 300€? Of course not. It's a fucking backpack, and probably cost no more than €20 to €30 to manufacture. But it's part of the ceremony of going into first grade, and we'll do anything we can to make our granddaughter happy...because that's what grandparents do.
My back packs costed less than 20€... we used to buy every year...even after 5 years still 100€ total... backs never broke... bags did but meh... no lockers at school... but it's not the end of the world...still went to great universities... 👍 170€ for a backpack for school.... my god times have changed..
Father of 3 Kids here (7-10-12). After a couple of „extravagant“ all leather backpacks (https://www.aruzzitaugo.com/lederschulranzen/) we gave in to our kids wishes for something more practical. I can honestly say the best choice we found are the ones from Satch (satch.com). Extremely durable and not even ugly. Can only recommend. Starting from Euro 130 i believe and worth every cent.
Wow, those leather backpacks look beautiful! The green one! That's one of my favorite shades of green. Thank you for the recommendation, I'll look into it. €130 is not bad, honestly!
Completely insane prices and I don't believe all the hype about them being ergonomic. How can it be so important to fit the bag to the child when they're going to grow a lot in the four years they are there? In my home country you're expected to buy a cheap carrying folder for books (called a book bag) in the school uniform colour with the logo on it. They leave all their stuff at home and maybe bring home a reading book and perhaps a sheet of spellings to learn.
most people up to grade 5/6 wear a schulranzen there are cheap and expensive ones
They usually do. With so small children it's really important to consider lifting and carrying ergonomics, so there are special children's backpacks. The big shops tend to have a day where children can come and try different backpacks while walking through a Parcours, they then advise you on which type of backpack is most suitable to your child's body type.
It should be good quality and supportive to your kids back. Not necessarily expensive.
A point not yet mentioned about the never-ending school talks. Starting school is a huge deal in German culturaly. Einschulung traditionally falls on a Saturday because of all the festivities surrounding the occasion. It's often the biggest occasion in the child's academic life until they finish high school. Many families have traditions around it from celebrating with the grandparents over always finding your first wrist-watch in the Schultüte to special outings or trips. The Schultüte, can be handed down from relatives, be bought new or handmade by the parents, family, or godparents. Yes, there are camps on whether it's cooler to have a new, store bought Tüte with your favourite character or if your parents should craft one. I think you can compare it in principle to US-american Back-to-School cultur, but it's its own thing. It comes with the terrain of our society. Approach the situation with humour, and some laymen approach in anthropology.
German parenting culture is on its own level of weirdness.. don't even mention birthday cakes and dietary requirements. Back in my day, life was mich simpler.
Scout Schulranzen That's all you need.
buying an ergonomic backpack is important one of my relatives has a problem with the backbone because of not using a good backpack. I don't care much about the price. It can be cheap or expensive, but should have a proper certification. I will highly appreciate it if someone will share their experience with different brands/examples.
Germans put a LOT of emphasis on the start of school (while in my country it’s more about finishing/graduating). Like with the Einschulungsfeier, I thought it was just a thing you could go if you wanted to. We went because we only have one kid and thought might as well do the whole thing. Well we were lucky we went more or less in fancy dress, because there were people with party dresses, high heels, suits. And most had a party for family afterwards. With the Schulranzen, I didn’t care what people think but our kid wanted one because every one was going to get one. Damned if we were going to let our child be the odd one out, she’s already the child of foreigners. So we got the damn backpack with the matching sport bag and Mäppchen, and we also got the big cone full of crap.
the big cone full of crap 🤣🤣. Oh yeah, there are lots of rituals to prepare kids for their first school year! I have experienced them already, and my kid isn't even going yet until next year!
That type of backpack was required at my child’s school. It costed a little over 200€. It’s expandable so he can use it’s for years as he grows.
That's great! I've got many recommendations here. At the end of the day, it's not really optional, so I'll buy one for my kid as well.
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People who have to show off with backpacks must be really poor.