Lock it all up in perfect style

Your child's locker is his or her personal space, stocked with all of the essentials for schooling, personal care and extracurricular activity supplies. Just as a home functions better when it's organised and when needed items are in reach, a student's well-stocked locker can make life easier and more efficient.

In addition, the student's locker is a place of personal expression. Decorating and personalising this space, no matter how small or narrow, gives the child a sense of ownership, creativity and control of this little corner of the school environment.

Here are some locker essentials to add to your shopping list:

Office supplies: For handing in papers and projects, a student needs a stapler, paper clips and more. So create a pouch filled with office essentials and your student can bring a last-minute organising touch to schoolwork.

Shelves: "Students need to have a locker shelf that helps divide their books from their notebooks and spiral pads. This helps students quickly access their textbooks and binders/notebooks for classes," says Eileen Roth, author of Organizing For Dummies.

Mirror: Students care very much about their appearance, and a well-stocked locker features a small mirror that can be hung for checking hair and make-up.

Card organiser: "These days, students have a lot of cards that they are responsible for — school ID card, library card, lunch card, bus pass, insurance card, gift cards, frequent punch cards and more," says Stephanie Navarro, Chief Executive Officer of MaMa Change, producers of purse organiser, The Card Cache, in the US. "Keeping track of them and/or losing them — what a hassle! The Card Cache cable wallet keeps all of these cards in one organised place with a personalised charm on the clip. There are four caches to choose from — star, heart, flower and diamond scroll — all starting at $13 (about Dh48)."

Beauty supplies: A small zipped tote can hold lipstick and lip gloss, pressed powder, eyeliner, a brush and other cosmetic supplies, providing easy access; it sure beats rummaging through a handbag or backpack to find a small item.

Décor: Students are decorating their lockers with vibrant colour ‘wallpaper', magnetic signs and stick-ons, even battery-operated chandeliers to add extra light to their spaces. Themed magnets let students display photos, magazine pages, notes and more. Magnets inspired by fashion are also on the market.

A better lock: The biggest fear of new students is forgetting their locker combinations. Eliminate locker combination anxiety with a new lock that allows you to make the combinations out of letters.

— creators.com