7 School Supply Requests That Will Leave Rockford Parents Baffled

Happy First Day of School, moms and dads; now that your kid's on the bus and off to school, are you asking yourself, "did I remember to throw in the number 2 pencils?" Some parent, somewhere is doing a face palm right now, going "doh, yep, forgot the number 2 pencils."

Some parents, on the other hand, may have left out some items on purpose because let's face it, some of the items on that "back-to-school" list are a little excessive, costly and in some cases, just plain weird.

I asked Rockford parents what the most unusual things showed up on their child's back-to-school supply list and here are some of the strangest:

1. Glue Sticks - Seems pretty standard, right? Of course, but one teacher is asking for each child to bring 20. Why 20? Do they get lost easily? Has there been an uptick in glue eating incidents?

2. Loose leaf paper - When I went to school all I needed was one pack of loose leaf paper; I don't even remember using it. There's a pretty good chance I gave at least one unused pack of loose leaf paper to my son when he was in grade school. Schools in Winnebago are asking kids to bring 7 packs of loose leaf paper.

3. Expo Markers - Will kids be writing on dry erase boards this year instead of paper? I can't imagine so if they need 7 packs of loose leaf paper.

4. Pre-sharpened pencils - Ok, first question here, when did they start making pre-sharpened pencils? And second, 5 packs of 24 of them? Let's not forget that some schools are asking for specific brands like Ticonderoga.

5. Shaving cream- Is this for some sort of personal hygiene lesson or part of a sensory suggestion? Kids love to play with shaving cream because it's messy, feels squishy and can be used for a lot of different art projects.

6. Gluten Free Paint - Gluten free isn't just for food anymore; gluten free paint exists and it's meant for kids who have food allergies and may be likely to eat paint. Are you trying not not to giggle at this one?

7. Ziplock bags - These must be for the shaving cream projects, yes? Lunch leftovers? Maybe if your kid loses a tooth they can put it in their Ziplock bag?

What, if anything, did you find on your child's back-to-school list that left you wondering what the heck they needed that stuff for? There is obviously a need for these items or else they wouldn't be requested, and while it stinks to have to pay for so much, there are so many teachers out there that do pay for their own supplies; and all the things that you think might be excessive really end helping your child's entire class in the long run.