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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

Have you ever had the experience where your husband takes the kids to a party or out to eat and they come home without their coats? When it comes to kids, it seems like anything that isn’t bolted down can be lost; children are easily distracted, and this leads to many lost belongings. The cost of lost items can really start to add up, so labeling your child’s possessions turns out to be a great way to save money.

Labeling items can be a fun activity that you can take part in with your child. Try labeling items in the following ways:

Print Them
Sheets of blank adhesive labels can be bought cheaply; 100 sheets retail for around 40 dollars. Let your kids design their own labels on your computer. They will have a great time coming up with a cool design. After your child is done, print the labels up; these types of labels work great on things like books, stationery and electronics.

Vinyl Labels
Kids love playing with gadgets. If you buy a label maker, your kids will have a blast printing up their own vinyl or plastic labels. These machines can be found in most stationery stores; they retail for about 50 dollars. Label machines are like nifty computers that print out whatever data is input into them.

Create A Patch
Websites like PatchSuperstore.com allow children and parents to design their own patches. You and your child can have loads of fun designing and ordering specialized patches for their backpacks, jackets and anything they wear. If you and your child aren’t artistically inclined, you can get an expert from the site to design a patch for you. Either way, your child will love their design and will have fun attaching it their bags and coats.

Laundry Markers
Laundry markers are specifically made for labeling clothing. What child wouldn’t have fun taking a marker to their clothes? When you let your child create their own labels, they get a chance to express themselves in an enjoyable way. Make it a special occasion; spend a couple of hours labeling with your child. This is especially helpful if you are in charge of laundry for multiple children. Looking through the tags to organize by size and sort can be tedious. Seeing each child’s name or initials is an easy way to identity where to put away the clothing.

Sharpies
Sharpie markers are a dependable way to label your child’s stuff; when you and your child use a Sharpie to label things, no one will be able to erase it. Make a special event out of labeling things with Sharpies. If anything, you get to spend quality time with your child. Make sure if your child is younger you are careful to help and to put the marker in a safe place when you are finished. You don’t want to find you toddler labeling the walls when you’re done. Editor’s note: believe it or not, a baby wipe can take Sharpie off of skin. Don’t ask me how I know this.

Labeling your child’s items helps people easily identify them; when people see a label, they know exactly who the item belongs to. Labels prevent theft; they also encourage people to give back lost items. In the long run, taking time to label items pays off handsomely.