Organized Chaos: Keeping Track of Water Bottles

Labeled Water Bottles

Since we have two kids the same age and gender they have several items that are identical.  A common identical item that both kids have are their water bottles.  Like the blue water bottles with the owls on the outside pictured above.  A few months ago we had some issues with everybody using whatever water bottle they wanted (even if it was their sister’s), however, during the course of the school day their sister’s water bottle would get dropped, dented, scratched, broken, or misplaced. The next time that sister wanted to use her water bottle it was gone or had additional marks on it.

I know it seems crazy, but there have been some serious discussions between the two kids in our house over damaged or lost special water bottles.  I am pretty sure no other household has these types of discussions in their home, but there were a few times I had to intervene in these conversations.  Although, items will get dropped or damaged the more they are used I had to find a solution so that these discussions would not be happening on a regular basis in our house. Prior to this year neither child cared which water bottle they took, but the older they get the more they want their items to look good and last longer.  I am happy they they want to take good care of their items we just had to find a method to track which water bottle belonged to who.

My initial solution to the problem super easy, took only a couple seconds, and was very inexpensive.  I wrote their names on the special water bottles with a permanent black sharpie.  The names were written on the bottoms and / or sides of the water bottles so that each kid could easily see if it was theirs before taking it out of the drawer.  It was amazing how quickly the issue was resolved, however, after a several washings the permanent marker would wear off making it harder to tell whose water bottle it was again. Now I use several different methods to identify or keep track of the special water bottles:

• Write the Names on the Water Bottles with Black Permanent Marker (easy and inexpensive, but washes off over time)
• Use a washable Label with their Individual Names Printer on it – My personal favorite are the thin Lovable Labels ones because they stay on through MANY washes (anywhere from a few months to years as long as your kids don’t try peeling them off)
• Purchase water bottles with their Names printed or engraved on them (usually more expensive, but works really well). My favorite place to get printed or engraved names on water bottles is Oriental Trading.

There are several generic water bottles that anybody can use at any time in the drawer, however, the special ones have each child’s name on them.  The special water bottles usually have the child’s name written in permanent sharpie on the bottom and a label (or name printed / engraved) on the side of the water bottle.  Occasionally someone accidentally picks up the wrong water bottle, but for the most part everyone uses their own or a generic one.

Now if they lose or damage their water bottle then they are the only ones inconvenienced by their actions.  One of our kids tends to be a little rougher on water bottles (clipping or tying them to her book bag which is bumped against everything in its path, dropping, or just forgetting it).  She has gotten a lot better as she is getting older, but I have to smile when she brings home just the water bottle top because I know that means the water bottle itself did not survive it’s nose dive to the concrete floor at school.