When this mom is upset about school supplies, she asks Reddit:
I - 35M - have two children, 9M and 5M. My littlest one is going into kindergarten and I was so excited to properly include him in our school shopping routine.
He's always tagged along with his brother and gotten his own arts and crafts stuff to use at home, of course, but there's a new layer of excitement this year.
We always allow independence in choices, as long as it doesn't become inconvenient. For example, if my kid picks out the 120 count crayons, we might redirect him to the 96 count instead since that's easier to carry around in his backpack.
Other than practicality, we don't try to persuade them in any way. It's always a fun experience and a great way to kick off the school year (and to relieve some of those "oh god my baby is leaving me" fears for my husband and I with our 5yo.)