A study conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Slickdeals gathered 2000 Americans who were the parents of school-going children to ask how they felt about their children going back to in-person learning.
The study showed that about two-thirds of the parents worried that back to school season would take them more than it did the previous year. Another 51% added that their children’s supply list made them nervous.
Most parents thought they would spend more money on school supplies than clothes, with others planning to use $217 on clothes and $225 on supplies. Another 51% worried they would spend more on technology than they did the previous year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 47% of parents added face masks to the list for the first time. A similar number also added hand sanitizers.
Some of the respondents felt their children weren’t ready for in-person learning (47%). The reason for this could be that the parents are unprepared for the challenges that come with it. About 36% felt unprepared for drop-off, 40% thought their children would deal with separation anxiety, and 43% could not deal with the cost of supplies.
The respondents believed their children would use approximately nine notebooks and 25 pencils in one year. About 54% of them have started doing back-to-school shopping. However, another 28% have decided to wait since they cannot afford to buy school supplies. Parents reported that they spend more money than intended when they go shopping for school supplies.
About 47% of the participants tried to save up for school, and 42% saved up during the summer. Despite their efforts, most of them struggled to buy everything their children needed for school.
Some parents (57%) had not set up a college fund for their children, while the rest had. Of those who had a college fund, 42% admitted taking money from the fund to buy school supplies.
About 45% of the parents complained of a picky child when shopping. Some parents said their children would unintentionally pick an expensive item from a particular brand they liked (44%). However, 57% of respondents would select a cheaper product despite the child’s wishes.