It starts small: a missing jumper, a lost water bottle, the PE kit they swore they didn’t leave in school, but isn’t actually at home or in the car. And before long, you’re halfway through the school year, buying new equipment, because somehow, you’ve lost almost everything.

But life doesn’t have to be this way. You need to know and should find ways to help kids not lose so much because, spoiler alert, they will lose things just like adults. (How many times have you lost your keys or phone lately?). You can reduce the loss rates and reduce how much time you spend rummaging through the lost property box at school in vain, knowing it’s not there—its vanished.

There’s no perfect fix or magic solution, but there are tips that can help you out.

Make It Too Obvious to Lose

Everything your child owns looks the same as every other kid’s at school. It’s called “uniform” for a reason. It’s designed to be this way. So how can your child tell what is theirs and not their friends?

Whether it’s the water bottle, the navy jumper, or shorts for PE, you need to make it their own and stand out.

Ribbons on lunchboxes, a tag on the school bag, a keyring on the coat zip or a sticker on bottles. Anything that helps them recognise it as theirs and not get confused or take someone else’s item home.

It doesn’t need to be big or fancy, just recognisable. If you want them to match, then get the label collection in the same design for added consistency so your child can point out their belongings even amongst 30 navy jumpers in a pile.

Name Everything

Even if your child is too young to recognise their name being written on it, teachers and adults can tell who the things belong to.

Make it your mission to put their name on everything you can, everywhere you can: labels, underneath bottles, on the base of lunch bags, on coat linings, etc., anywhere and everywhere.

But that’s not all you need to do. What happens if the first name label comes off or fades? You need at least 2 labels so you have a backup, especially as you head further into the year and wear and tear become more apparent.

One Minute Bag Checks

The best system is the one they’ll carry out. Not a full clean-up but a fast check. Every night before bed, have your child do a quick check: jumper shoes, reading book, water bottle, lunchbox, done.

You cannot make it a game or a race, but make it fun and fast for it to be something they actually do. And if anything is missing, you’re not finding it as you head out the door in the morning.

Give Everything a “Home”

If kids know where something is supposed to be, they’re more likely to put it there, especially if you’re consistent in making them do it. Most items have simply been misplaced due to being left in random places. So, have a shelf in the hallways or kitchen where all school bits go. Or give each item a fixed spot – a shoe rack, bags on their own hook, lunchboxes straight on the kitchen counter, etc. Each little habit equates to no less than a school essential and less stress for you.

Boring but essential, and the key to a more organised life.

Teach Them to Find, Not Lose

But you don’t actually teach them to lose things, you’re thinking. And no, you don’t teach it, but by not teaching kids how to find something, you’re basically doing the same thing.

When something goes missing, instead of jumping in, try the following prompts to tell them where to start or how to find what they have lost.

• Check under your desk
• Ask at the office
• Look in lost property tomorrow
• Retrace your steps from where you last had it
• Ask who you were with if they remember anything to help you find it

If you’re always finding things for them, they won’t appreciate the importance of looking after their belongings, and the rate of loss or misplacement will continue. And kids are fast learners. Once you’ve helped them once or twice, they’ll pick up on it and be able to self-direct themselves to find anything they lose.

Make It Personal

Kids are more likely to want to keep something safe if they feel a connection to it. If you let them pick the things they want, they’re less likely to forget them. Be it pencils, a new coat or drinks, if they love it, they will want to keep it, and this is where you get fewer things lost. Sure, there’ll be more tears if they do lose it, but it’s a great way to help them be more responsible without the lectures.

Pack For The Next Day, Not The Next Minute

Rushing is the enemy when you’re trying not to lose anything. Most lost property happens when you’re rushing, as you take less care and are probably overlooking things you wouldn’t normally miss.

Take the time to stop and do quick refreshers and run through checklists so you’re not missing anything or unaware of issues before it’s too late. Pack lunches the night before, have uniforms laid out before bed, keep shoes at the front door and always, always, always check the car before you start rushing around looking for things.

Accept Perfection Isn’t Possible – Buy Spares

You won’t always be on top of things. You won’t always prevent your kids from losing everything, but you can make these instances far and few between. By putting habits and tips into place, you can increase the possibility of your child knowing what is theirs and keeping it safe at all times. But as a backup, spares are essential.

It’s an ongoing battle – some you win, some you lose. But in the event of missing items, having spares is going to save the day in an emergency and prevent meltdowns from everyone. By accepting that things will get lost, and spares are essential, not a reward for losing things, you can keep things moving in the right direction.

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