Back to School!

I'm sure that there'll be more on this subject.

Anyway, I've been hearing about the horror that is the back-to-school supply list. In blogs and in person, mainly. A lot of "back when I was/my kids were in school" being said in reaction to the lists.

Some lists have included excruciatingly specific items, down to the brand, size, shape, and label with or without students name. Some have specified supplies "for the classroom." (a result of the sad shape of our public school budgets) Some have included things like "X# cans of Lysol."

Now, I see the good and bad in the supply lists. Especially in elementary school, students may not have an organizational strategy, and probably need the help. Plus, in most formats at this level (with which I am familiar), the students have one teacher for the majority of the subjects, and thus, these lists help the teacher know that his/her class will be stocked and function.

(Although, we routinely ended up with glue, pencils and notebooks leftover. These were relegated to the "office supply" section of a closet, to be unearthed for the next school year.)

Honestly, the requisite Lysol and antibacterial stuff is where I start to balk.

I understand the use of antibacterial soap, wipes and the like. Places like hospitals need to be sterile. Research labs need to ensure that whatever result they are tracking is because of whatever they are testing, not random-lab-worker's-lunch-on-Tuesday. But, personally, my home, work, and school do not need to be sanitized, and de-bacterialized within an inch of life. Because those products kill the good and the bad. Without the good in my system and world, the bad will go un-regulated. Plus, the heavy use of anti-bacterial products, in my mind, has resulted in the development of super-bugs. (apologies for the lack of links, citations, and sources in this post. I know research is a good thing, however, I'm just not up to it right now. Besides, this is more of an opinion paper, not a research one. hehe)

If/when I have children, I plan (yes, I realize this could all change) on doing things as naturally as possible. This means actively NOT using anti-bacterial products. I want to build up my immune system, and that of my family. Not actively decimate it. But what about when they are in school. Does a profusion of disinfectant at school kill enough bacteria/expose them to enough chemicals to nullify the home environment?

Who knows. I don't. Do you?

Any thoughts? Aside from home-schooling? (sounds wonderful and ideal, but not sure I could do it.)