Right about now, you’re either groggy from the new school year’s 6 a.m. alarm that you’re not quite used to yet, or you’re scrambling madly to find a graphing calculator and any Taylor Swift-themed school supplies in your town.

Welcome to Back to School madness. 

If you feel like you’re barely holding on and school has been in session for just a week, or worse, hasn’t even started, you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault.

The BTS movement is intense and began hundreds of years ago. No wonder you always feel behind—you’re never meant to catch up!

Back-to-school marketing, shopping, and scheduling are all stacked against you. Here’s how it all got started.

Back-to-School Marketing

Love it or hate it, the BTS marketing machine is an economic force that most parents have to make peace with before each school year.

Just know that before you start shopping and looking for bargains, you’re working against decades of marketing prowess—back-to-school advertising and promotion have deep roots in American history dating back to the mid-century.  

Young women headed to college were the first to buy into back-to-school marketing in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

Department stores were solidly in charge of outfitting all of the family’s clothing, but savvy execs saw that college-aged women were an especially attractive group to sell to.

Early each fall, they created the original pop-up shops that showcased everything from saddle shoes and ballerina flats to Peter Pan collared blouses. Some even hired college-attending saleswomen to boost the fashion’s credibility.  

Today the clothes, school supplies, and even snacks (not to mention the flurry of online and television advertising) look a lot different, but the pop-up shops remain.

No matter where you live or PCS to in the U.S., most parents know to stroll into a Target or Walmart corner decked out in splashy visuals to find BTS treasures. 

Back-to-School Supplies 

Speaking of school supplies, you probably won’t be surprised to know that school tools from decades past were far simpler and highly functional, with little to no pizazz or personality compared to today’s bright colors and individualized choices. 

The first school supplies were, of course, we know now thanks to Laura Ingalls, leather straps with buckles, quill pens, ink, chalk, and slate boards—not exactly kid or clean-hand friendly.

Pencil boxes were made from plain brown boxes or any empty container your family could recycle.

Cigar boxes were the perfect pencil holder back in the day. 

As years went on, families with a bit of extra money could afford decorative boxes to hold writing supplies.

Boxes with locks and American credos and motifs were trendy. And those simple straps of leather that buckled to secure books?

They’re now the JanSport and L.L. Bean backpacks bumping along crowded hallways. 

You should also know that even though they’re a bit more expensive, teacher-preferred brands like Crayola Crayons and Ticonderoga Company pencils really do make a difference.

These quality products have stood the test of time for hundreds of years. The iconic pencils were introduced in 1839, and the best-smelling crayons ever came onto the market in 1903.

Going Back to School: August or September?

You’re not crazy if you think your kids return to school earlier than ever. Military families are extra in tune with conflicting school start dates, especially if you’ve moved from one region that starts after Labor Day (hi, Maryland) into one that starts the first week of August (hello, Georgia). 

Our hearts go out to the kiddos who were short-changed summer freedom due to a PCS move this year.

Let them know that school kids didn’t always have summers off. Back in the 1800s, kids went to school all year ‘round with calendar adjustments made over the months for practical things like planting and harvest seasons. 

Today there are plenty of reasons the first day of school ranges from the first week of August until post-Labor Day.

Some states have laws that dictate the days; others freely acknowledge that start dates have everything to do with standardized testing and built-in vacations like fall break.

Most educators agree that holidays in October and February benefit students’ and teachers’ well-being. So, that’s why you see start dates creep further and further into August.

Starting earlier also lets students work through the first semester before the holiday breaks in December.

Teachers also like wrapping up neatly before the break and starting new concepts in January.

Plus, it’s ingrained in Americans’ minds that Memorial Day kicks off summer. It’s widely acknowledged that school attendance plummets in June. 

Now that you’ve distracted yourself from back-to-school shopping and cleaning for a few minutes, it’s time to get back to signing stacks of emergency contact forms.

Does anyone need a military mom stranger’s phone number to add? Let me know. I am happy to help. 

-By Military By Owner Advertising

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