Read This Before You Personalize Your Kid’s Back-to-School Supplies

Have you started shopping for back-to-school supplies yet? If you were thinking of getting your child’s lunch box or backpack personalized with their first name (a feature Pottery Barn Kids offers for their very popular kids’ backpacks and lunch boxes), we’re here to tell you: don’t. Here’s why.

While many kids and parents like to buy items personalized with their child’s name — it makes the product look nice, it makes the child feel special, and it can help keep items from getting lost — personalizing your child’s items that are easily visible to the public is dangerous. To learn more about why this is risky, I spoke to Claire Marie, school emergency management expert, trauma informed practices consultant, former reserve law enforcement officer, and author of Sammy The Sasquatch: Welcome to Crittertopia. 

Marie explained that putting your child’s first name visibly on their backpack or lunch box can be a way for strangers with bad intentions to pretend they know your child’s name. If a child hears someone call them by name, they may automatically assume they are a safe and familiar person. This just makes it that much easier for a predator to lure your child to them. 

Removing names from publicly facing school supplies is especially important because according to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), many abduction attempts happen when kids are traveling to or from school. Not labeling items with your child’s name is a way that parents can manage risk. “This isn’t fear-mongering; being conscientious with how you label your child’s belongings is risk management,” says Marie. 

For some families, this takes some of the fun out of back-to-school shopping. If you shouldn’t get that adorable personalization or monogram on your child’s backpack, how can you safely label and personalize their items? There are still many ways you can add a personal touch to your child’s school supplies. Here are some ideas.

• Let them choose the design of their backpack, lunch box, and other school supplies.
• Let kids choose fun iron-on patches for their backpack.
• Personalize items that aren’t visible while kids are going to and from school, such as a pencil case or daily planner.
• To keep items from getting lost, affix name labels on the inside of backpacks, jackets, and lunch boxes.
• Use initials rather than full names on any items that must be labeled from the outside, such as a water bottle.
• Let your child choose their own label stickers for items inside their backpack.

If your child’s school requires all of their items to be labeled from the outside, talk to their teacher or administrators about your safety concerns and try to come up with a solution. Maybe you can use initials or a specific animal or picture to identify your child’s belongings. “As long as you know, the school knows, and your kid knows what their label is, you don’t have to put their name out into the world,” Marie explained. 

Without constantly living in fear, there are some additional ways you can keep your child safe. According to NCMEC, kids are actually more likely to be abducted by somebody they know, so avoiding names on backpacks and lunch boxes is only one way to minimize risk. Here are some additional tips from Marie.

• Talk to your kids about the importance of sticking to plans.
• Teach kids what it means to listen to their gut.
• Give your kids permission to ignore or be rude to somebody, even if they are a close family member.
• Teach kids how to call 911.
• Teach kids how to record somebody on a phone or other device.
• Practice screaming for help and talking loudly.
• Teach kids how to physically resist if somebody tries to take them somewhere.

Additionally, NCMEC provides many great resources for parents and kids, including a page full of resources and worksheets for parents and kids.