School Starts in 47 Tabs

Is this emotional labor eligible for Prime shipping? Back-to-school isn’t just a season—it’s a campaign. And somehow, we’re both the target and the team.

First up, the Working Moms job board is back. Scroll down for a job with a company reinventing the landline (no corded kitchen phone required).

I just got back from a few days in Maine. No Wi-Fi, barely any plumbing. Just 90s kid energy and the brand of quiet that allowed me to get through half of this book. And then—boom—we’re back. Straight into inbox pings, Prime Day countdowns, and Nordstrom’s semi-annual something.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped having seasons. Or maybe we just started skipping straight to the next one. I’m not even sure what day it is. But if you’re going by the Bezos calendar, it’s not summer—it’s back-to-school. And not the gentle kind. The algorithm kind. ADHD-friendly supply kits, Bento box routines, color-coded snack drawers. July’s already auditioning for September.

Retail knows we’re anxious—and it’s not backing off. It’s pushing content earlier and louder, tapping into our stress with the promise that if we shop now, we’ll feel more in control later. And honestly? It’s working. Not just on me—on all of us.

According to this, U.S. back-to-school spending is expected to total $30.9 billion this year—essentially flat from last year, despite inflation. Parents are projected to spend about $597 per student, down from 2023. The reason? We’re anxious, budget-conscious, and still buying. Just differently.

Because this isn’t just about folders and glue sticks. It’s about selling a sense of readiness. We know it’s not fully true. And still—there we are. Scrolling, searching, adding to cart. Not because we’re shallow, but because we’re tired. Because prepping feels like something we can control in a world that mostly doesn’t.

So before you refresh your cart, let’s get into it.

Read Between the Receipts

You’re not imagining it—the supply list is getting longer. What we’re really buying? A sense of control. Calm. Subsidized aftercare?

• Back-to-school spending in the U.S. is expected to reach $30.9 billion this year—essentially flat from last year, even with rising costs. (Deloitte, 2025)

• Parents are projected to spend around $597 per student, a slight drop from 2023. Still a lot—and before this class mom hits you up for snack money. (Deloitte, 2025)

• Retailers aren’t waiting. Target, Walmart, and Amazon all launched back-to-school sales in June, weeks ahead of the usual schedule. (NRF)

• 76% of shoppers expect school supplies (like everything else) to cost more this year. That’s pushed families to new budgeting strategies. (NRF)

• #BackToSchoolPrep has over 65 million views on TikTok—filled with chore charts, “morning routine kits,” and laminated emotional regulation tools.

• The biggest spending drivers? Tech, apparel, and so-called “readiness” bundles—everything from noise-canceling headphones to mindfulness journals for 5-year-olds.

But How Did We Get to Peak Prime Day Oppression

• Millennial Parents Are Anxious and Shopping Through It
  We’re trying to break cycles and build wealth—while juggling inflation, childcare gaps, and Rocket Money notifications. The result? Pressure to “get it right,” often expressed through purchases that promise we’ve got this handled. Hi, it’s me.

• Seasons Are Broken, and Retail Knows It

  Not to get apocalyptic, but...summer feels like September. Coats drop in July. Halloween candy is out now. Climate chaos is throwing off our internal calendars—and brands are more than happy to fill the seasonal void with early promos and urgent lists.

• The Feed Is Our Village
  We consume morning routine reels, chore charts, Bento-box lunch reveals—with affiliate links built in. Comparison culture isn’t local anymore—it’s algorithmic. And like his wedding, Jeff Bezos is very willing to spend for your attention.

• Parenting Is Now a Performance (and a Consumer Category)
  Every milestone has a must-have. Every transition has a toolkit. We’re not just raising kids—we’re brand managing them. And back-to-school? It’s the seasonal campaign no one asked for, but everyone’s expected to execute.

Who’s Winning The Back to School Gold Rush?

Um, not parents.

• Big Box Stores: Target kicked things off with “School List Assist,” Amazon bundled back-to-school into Prime Day like it was a national emergency, and Walmart staked its claim as the inflation-proof parent hack with AI cart-fillers and one-click calm.

• OG Category Players: Staples is quietly rebranding as the millennial parent’s budget-friendly prep zone.

• Design-Forward Domestics: Crate & Kids and Pottery Barn Kids are selling school as lifestyle—think color-blocked scissors, acrylic calendar boards, and $79 monogrammed backpacks, sorry L.L.Bean.

• DTC Darlings: From Little Spoon and Lalo to State Bags, the parent-founded, content-forward brands are serving back-to-school prep as the wellness ritual it’s fully not.

Momstincts: Where Is This All Headed?

We’re not just buying notebooks—we’re buying a sense of control in a world that feels increasingly unmanageable and really frigging scary. But maybe there’s hope?

• Shopping Earlier, with More Anxiety
  Unfortunately, writing this newsletter won’t stop parents from trying to shop their way out of an anxiety spiral. If starting early feels like control, we’re going to keep doing it. By early July, 55% of back-to-school shoppers had already started buying—up from less than a third just a few years ago. Proof point.

• De-Influencing Gaining Ground
  This is me hoping. As influencer hauls and Prime Day lists start to feel like white noise, TikTok de-influencers are pushing back—fueling a quiet rebellion against the affiliate-fueled, hyper-curated BTS aesthetic. Proof point.

• Maybe Minimalism
  Buy them nothing. We’re terrified of climate change while shopping our way into it. At some point, the hypocrisy cracks—and maybe out of that comes a more thoughtful wave of minimalism: fewer mass-produced hacks, more purposeful, handmade gear that actually lasts. Proof point.

• Digital Pivot Meets IRL Ritual
  There’s something so ‘90s kid about going back-to-school shopping at an actual store. Maybe the fast follow to the nostalgic summer trend everyone is writing about is a trip to Staples or the Gap. Landlines forever. Proof point.

TL;DR: We can’t fix the world by buying our kids more stuff. Says the mom who just panic-ordered Dino Bars on Amazon. I digress.

Research Department…Everything Worth Linking About

• Bobbie’s formula just got easier to find (and cheaper). Now at Costco.com, finally. Also loved what they’re doing for Texas.

• You can stop stalking FB Marketplace—Lovevery launched its own resale shop. Smart.

• This article was cute.

• Wish I’d thought of this but love what they’re doing, so its fine.

• More from them here, but I’m a Pia fan and this interview is so honest, good, all the things.

Working Moms

Jobs…and if you just have a cool business-ish thing (consulting, side hustle, IDK) you do and want other mom friends to know about, that could go here too?

• Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner @ Mavida Health

  Go help moms with their mental health—on your schedule, from your couch. Remote, part-time, and full of purpose. YES →

• Head of Brand @doughy

  Make clean cookies your full-time job. Help shape the voice of a nostalgic, feel-good cookie dough brand with nothing to hide. YES→

• Customer Experience Specialist @ Tin Can

  Support a screen-free phone for kids—and the parents who want one. Flexible, remote-friendly, and built for the modern landline era. YES →

Now excuse me while I go label 47 markers and pretend that’s the same as having a life plan.