When Permanent Ink Is Not Permanent After All
Day cares and elementary schools, the very first homework they give to the kids and their parents is to write down the names on every single item you bring in to the facility.
For example, my two-year-old daughter will need to bring following every single day:
- Three tops, e.g. T-shirts or pull over depending on the season
- Three bottoms
- Three under shirts
- Pajamas
- An under pants and/or diapers
- A pair of socks
- Three bibs
- A plastic bag for dirty clothes
- A plastic bag for dirty shoes
- A towel
In addition, every week you need to bring:
- Shoes
- A plastic bag for dirty shoes
- A large towel to be used as bed covers
- A big bag
It seems almost crazy that we need to write names for literally hundreds of times. Especially when it comes to disposable things like plastic bags or diapers. But then again, I do understand that when there are only few teachers and there are dozens of kids to take care of, what seems like a small hassle of identifying the owner can be tricky.
So far, my problem about writing names is as follows:
- Permanent markers, they aren’t permanent. When clothes go through heavy washing routines, name written with those markers could easily wear off.
- I ordered name stickers that can be placed on clothes using iron. This works but the problem is that kids grow so quickly that in a matter of 2-3 months, many clothes are replaced.
- Embroidery. I like it but I wouldn’t have time for all of them.
This time, my attempt is to use label printers. Label printers are available for both PC and standalone. I type in the name and press print. You can not only type Japanese, but also English, numbers, or let’s not forget, some characters like Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, depending on the model. I have to emphasize that I do not like those characters myself, but kids like them and also there is more likelihood that they identify their own goods than without. The tape comes in laminated paper or cloth to be used on clothes and other objects. They also come in different combination of ink colors, tape colors, and width.
The fact that I have an alternative to supposedly-permanent markers is great. At least we were happy to see that finally, our mayonnaise tube will remember the date it has been opened, without those dates being eventually wiped off with our hands’ grease. Whether this would be the solution for what seems like an eternal name writing hell, I have to see how it goes as I use these labels.
