Non-Toxic Back-to-School Supplies: What I Send to School as a Holistic RN Mom

Non-Toxic Back-to-School Supplies: What I Send to School as a Holistic RN Mom

Back-to-school season is here! And as a non-toxic, crunchy, holistic RN mom, you already know I’m always looking for better swaps for the conventional products that typically show up on school supply lists.

From lunchboxes and water bottles to hand soap, wipes, sunscreen, and first-aid products, I try to be intentional about what my daughter uses every day.

Can I control everything she is exposed to at school? Absolutely not—and I don't try to. But when there are simple swaps I can make that help me feel more comfortable with the products she uses regularly, I make them.

My daughter attends a Montessori school, so her school supply list looks VERY different from a typical public-school supply list. Before choosing her school, I actually spoke with the directors and teachers about my concerns and preferences regarding snacks, cleaning products, drinking water, personal-care products, and more.

I’m so happy that we found a school that was willing to listen to my concerns without judging my decisions. They've allowed me to provide many of the products I prefer for my daughter, which has made the transition to school so much easier for me.

What My Daughter's Montessori School Requires

Her actual school supply list is surprisingly simple.

For my daughter's Montessori classroom, I provide:

  • Raincoat and rain boots

  • An easy-to-care-for plant—usually a snake plant

  • Two sets of extra clothes for accidents

  • Backpack

  • Lunch bag

  • Stainless steel lunchbox

  • Stainless steel water bottle

  • Large stainless steel water bottle filled with filtered water from home

  • Stasher bags for snacks

  • Slippers, since the children don't wear their outdoor shoes inside the classroom

  • Four packs of wipes

And that's basically everything her school requires!

Most of the other classroom supplies are provided by the school.

But you know me—I go a little beyond the required list.

Our Favorite Backpacks

For book bags, we love STATE Bags. They have so many cute options for kids, and they work perfectly for school.

Shop STATE Bags:
https://rstyle.me/+mtY3-T-t1EWOh4uA8LDXXw

Our Favorite Stainless Steel Lunchbox

For Zoe's lunchbox, we use The Good Kiind. I love having a stainless steel option for packing her school lunches and snacks.

Shop The Good Kiind:

→ Find Current Code & Offer on Jasyra's Website




The Extra Low-Tox School Supplies I Provide

There are certain things I prefer to provide myself because I want to have more control over the products my daughter uses regularly.

These aren't necessarily things every parent needs to send to school. They're simply the swaps and products that make sense for our family.

I provide things like:

  • Air purifier for her classroom that travels with her

  • All-purpose cleaning wipes

  • Disinfecting wipes

  • Hand soap

  • Bug spray

  • Bug-bite products

  • Bandages

  • Sunscreen

  • Lip balm

  • First-aid products

  • Personal EMF-related products we choose to use

  • Name labels for EVERYTHING

For wipes, one of my favorites is Biom.

Shop Biom Wipes:
→ Find Current Code & Offer on Jasyra's Website

For the EMF-related products our family chooses to use, I use Aires Tech.

Shop Aires Tech:
→ Find Current Code & Offer on Jasyra's Website

I also have an entire list of the first-aid swaps I personally like.

Shop My First-Aid Favorites:
https://amzlink.to/az0iMjy2EMJFl


Don't Forget to Label EVERYTHING

If your child is going to school, LABEL IT!

Lunchboxes, water bottles, clothes, jackets, rain boots, snack containers—you name it.

I use Name Bubbles labels because things inevitably get mixed up, misplaced, or left somewhere. Having her name on everything makes it so much easier for her belongings to find their way back to us.

Why I Send Filtered Water to School

One thing that's especially important to me is my daughter's drinking water.

Instead of relying solely on the water available at school, I send her with a stainless steel water bottle plus a larger stainless steel bottle filled with filtered water from home.

That way, she has enough water to refill her smaller bottle throughout the school day.

Again, this isn't about controlling every single thing. It's about making the swaps that are realistic for our family.

My After-School Snack Bag

Here's another back-to-school mom hack that has nothing to do with school supplies but has made our afternoons SO much easier:

I bring an after-school snack bag.

School can be incredibly stimulating for little kids. They've spent hours listening, learning, socializing, following directions, and navigating their emotions.

Then they get in the car and suddenly they're hungry, thirsty, tired, and DONE.

I noticed that having snacks and filtered water waiting for my daughter after school makes the transition home much smoother.

I keep easy snacks in the car or bring a little snack bag with me when I pick her up.

Sometimes that after-school “meltdown” is a child who has simply had a long day and needs food, water, connection, and a little time to decompress.

Snacks:
https://amzlink.to/az0KEbgpUCcij 

Need Healthy School Lunch Ideas?

Packing lunches every day can get repetitive FAST. If you're anything like me, sometimes you just need a little inspiration so you're not packing the same foods every single day.

These are two of my favorite books for getting new ideas for my daughter's lunches and snacks:

Feeding Tiny Bellies:
https://amzlink.to/az0ISHN7YrOEg

Feeding Littles:
https://amzlink.to/az0qeiItbewLU

I love being able to flip through these when I'm meal planning or feel like I've run out of ideas. They give me inspiration that I can then adjust based on the foods and ingredients we personally choose for our family.

Having a few go-to resources makes packing school lunches SO much easier.


Don't Forget Our Back-to-School Wellness Routine

School supplies aren't the only thing I start preparing before the first day.

I also have a specific back-to-school wellness and supplement routine that we personally use before and after school.

I typically start preparing about one to two weeks before school begins and continue our routine once she's back in the classroom.

I created an entire separate blog post explaining exactly what I give my daughter and what our before- and after-school routine looks like.

Remember: supplements and wellness products cannot guarantee that a child won't get sick. Always check age recommendations and discuss supplements with your child's healthcare provider when appropriate.

You can also shop the supplements and wellness products we use here:

Back-to-School Wellness & Supplements:
https://amzlink.to/az0ZdpAW6Zmrq



Shop All My Non-Toxic Back-to-School Swaps

You don't have to completely overhaul your child's school supplies overnight.

Start with one swap at a time.

Maybe this year you replace the plastic water bottle with stainless steel. Maybe you switch the lunchbox. Maybe you send your preferred sunscreen or hand soap.

Over time, those little swaps add up.

I've organized my Amazon storefront so you can easily find the products we use and other alternatives. From lunch supplies and personal care to first aid and back-to-school essentials, there are options for almost everything a child may need for school.

Shop My Amazon Store:
https://amzlink.to/az0KEbgpUCcij

Amazon Canada:
https://amzlink.to/az0KEbgpUCcij

Shop Back-to-School Supplies:
https://amzlink.to/az0KgiFJ2gENG

Shop Back-to-School Decor:
https://amzlink.to/az0czQFIQ63WS

Shop Back-to-School Wellness Products:
https://amzlink.to/az0ZdpAW6Zmrq

Shop First-Aid Swaps:
https://amzlink.to/az0iMjy2EMJFl

If you're specifically looking for personal-care swaps like hand soap, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, lip balm, and more, I have those organized in their own folders in my Amazon storefront too.

You Don't Have to Control Everything

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that sending your child to school means accepting that you can't control every exposure—and that's okay.

I focus on what I can control.

I can choose her lunchbox.
I can pack her food.
I can send filtered water.
I can choose the personal-care products I provide.
I can communicate with her teachers.
And I can advocate for what matters to our family.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to have a respectful conversation with your child's school.

Before my daughter started school, I communicated my preferences and concerns with her teachers and directors. Instead of assuming they wouldn't accommodate us, I asked.

I'm grateful we found a Montessori school that respects our family's choices and allows me to provide alternatives when needed.

You may be surprised by what your child's school is willing to accommodate when you simply start the conversation.

And remember, you don't have to make every swap at once. One product at a time is still progress.

Affiliate disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you.

Disclaimer: This post shares my personal experience and the products our family chooses to use. It is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Product preferences described as “non-toxic,” “low-tox,” or similar terms reflect my personal ingredient and lifestyle preferences and do not necessarily mean that other products are unsafe.

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