Paper labels beat plastic stickers every time.

You don’t need plastic stickers—masking tape and a permanent marker cover most of what your kid takes to school.

Plastic stickers are annoying. They peel off water bottles, they leave sticky goo on lunchboxes, and they cost money for something you’ll replace in a month. Paper and tape work better and cheaper.

For notebooks, folders, and books: write the name on a piece of masking tape or washi tape, stick it on, and if you want it extra tough, cover it with a strip of clear packing tape. For water bottles and lunchboxes, do the same—tape sticks fine to metal and plastic, and you can change it easily when the kid switches classes.

For pencils, crayons, and markers: just write the first name on the side with a Sharpie. That’s it. It doesn’t wash off, and nobody’s stealing a pencil that says “Maya” in permanent ink.

For clothes, don’t bother with stickers at all. Use a fabric marker or a cheap iron-on label. They last longer and don’t feel like a scratchy patch.

Your kid won’t care what the label looks like. Future you will be happy there’s no sticker residue to