[Excentrique]

This is my first year of having 2 kids at school. I'm thinking about getting one of those label maker thingos or even ordering one of those label packs.

What are they both like and are they worth their money? How do you manage the copious amounts of naming, without names fading or falling off objects?

[lamarque]

I have a labeller (is that a word?) but prefer the purchased packs.

Some companies - 'That's Mine, Stuck on You' are good. I always buy the medium sized labels for books and the pencil labels (invaluable when there is four or five at a desk).

[howdo]

The label maker things fall off all the time. I don't use it for labelling school stuff. It just peels off. I use it more for work and labelling my own stuff not things kids continually knock around.

[lsolaBella]

We do the company ones too

http://www.identikid.com.au/

[Shanski]

I'm going super classy and using masking tape and a nikko (texta, artline, sharpie, permanent marker). So far it is the only thing I have found that survives the kids and the dishwasher.

I have a few dishes that still have the same piece of tape after 3 years.

Best thing is its cheap and easy to replace.

[Heffalump]

I used to buy expensive and pretty labels but found that they didn't really last the distance.

Nowadays I print out little Avery labels with DDs name and phone number for her pencils and some stationery. Otherwise everything (clothes, hats, books, inside of bags, shoes, other stationery items, food and drink containers...) gets labelled with a Sharpie.

[lizzzard]

Before DD started school this year Mum bought us some labels from Mooo. I didn't realise how incredibly useful they'd be - and not just for labelling things at the beginning of the year, but all year, every time DD wanted to take something to school. I'm a huge fan and will be buying another set for next year!

[songshirah]

Started off with the kids in Prep with all the pretty labels that promptly fell off. Now they're in yr 5 and I just use a permanent marker. Even ball point pen works pretty well on clothing labels. I haven't had to re-do that until it's passed down to the next kid.

But, yep, label everything! In the early years I even put the kid's initials on their shoes. For swimming I label their bathers, undies, towel, goggles etc. Over 3 kids (so far) and 28 years of schooling and daycare between them, we've only lost one hat and a jumper. The hat turned up after 2 terms. Not sure what adventures it had in the mean time, but it *did* come back!

[mumto3princesses]

Yep label everything. Then the things they loose will mostly come back to them unless they aren't lost but stolen.

A Sharpie is good. Label jackets and hats with big writing. No use labelling things like that if you have to look for it. If its a dark clolour then the labels are better. No point labelling on the tag unless your kids go to school. With honest people.

I have a labeller. Its ok but not that good. I use it for pencils etc and then put sticky tape around it. For labelling other stuff I prefer identity direct. I had some little containers from when DD#1 was in preschool that just wouldn't come off. They ended up outlasting the containers. Identity direct is a bit $$ though. Bright Star Kids are quite good too though.

Eta: don't forget to label shoes. They may not normally take them off but there will be times they need to and you don't want them mixed up.

This post has been edited by mumto3princesses: 29/12/2012, 07:17 AM