There’s a new social media trend that has some parents cringing and checking their bank balances.

That’s because it involves parents taking their kids to Target ahead of back-to-school time, but not just for No. 2 pencils, binders, and graphing calculators. Parents are letting their kids pick out the same number of items as the grade they’re about to enter.

For example, first graders would get to bring home one new item, second graders get two, and so on.

Family influencers drive the trend

The fun videos are proving to be popular among family influencers who are documenting their children’s excitement over getting to pick out a few (or many) new items.

In one adorable Insgagram video with over 20,000 likes, a mom took her rising second grader to the store and informed him that he would get to pick out two items. The child promptly told his mom that he wanted to use one of his two items for his little brother, so ultimately, she let him pick one more. 

While Target didn’t kick off the trend, the retailer appears to approve. Its official brand Instagram account weighed in in the comments section of the video, writing, “He’s the sweetest!”

Do the math

Still, while two new Target items might not be all that bank-breaking, when it comes to older kids—like those in high school—the trend is resulting in some lengthy Target receipts. 

In another video with over 34,000 likes, a mom takes her soon-to-be 10th grader to the store for a full-on shopping spree.

Her items included new bedding, makeup, phone accessories, and more. In a funny moment, the teen’s dad responds “that’s 10 things!” over just one costly item that he felt enough on its own (though it doesn’t look like the pricey gadget made the final cut).

It makes sense why the trend is wildly popular with teens, who are being granted some fairly epic shopping hauls, considering their grades are near or in the double digits. 

But while a lot of parents seem to be getting on board (likely because their kids are spamming their direct messages with videos of the trend), not everyone has the budget for a half dozen or more new items, on top of the necessary back-to-school shopping for school supplies. 

Especially because those trips seem to get pricier every year. 

Back-to-school shopping increasingly breaks the bank

In 2025, data from Deloitte predicted that parents would spend an average of $661 per kid on back-to-school supplies and new clothes. The estimate was an increase of 8% from the year before.

Further, since 2019 average back-to-school spending rose by about 24%.

Target seems to be tapped into the fact that many parents are worried about spending this back-to-school season, however. 

The retailer recently announced that it is offering discounted pricing on tons of items. In a July 22 press release, Target said “95% of school supply deals [are] priced at or below last year’s retail prices.”

Back-to-school deals are a welcomed reprieve for families who rely on savings. However, the bigger way to save this back-to-school season might simply be not caving to the pressure to jump on the latest social media trend—no matter how tempting.