To all parents, label clothes aibu?

[thebody]

Recently started as a training TA in a fabulous reception class and LOVE it but one thing above all else takes up our time and attention.....

Kit bags, pumps, clothes, p.e kits, wellies, lunch boxes, coats NOT BLOODY NAMED.

Today at pick up I was collared by a mom who whined that her dds school coat was missing, all these bloody coats are identical so anyone with any sense would label it with their child's name!!! They are asked to before child starts school.

So I ask her 'is it named?' AND she says no, was I being unreasonable to reply ' what the actual fuck do you expect me to do then love.?' OK not those words of course but really pissed off with this.....

[Olbasoil]

It must be really annoying for teachers/ Ta's . I find it equally annoying though as I do label everything with sew on tapes and market pen & it still goes missing. So if other parents find stuff that is marked with another child's name, please return it . Times are hard for all of us .

[MrsTerryPratchett]

You seem angry about this . Just be Zen. Tell the parent there is very little chance they will see it again because it isn't named. Then relax.

[WorraLiberty]

Blimey you're going to need to chill out if you want to do that job.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

YANBU, and I feel your pain!!

Parents that don't name stuff do not deserve to get their child's things back. I mean, how hard is it to write a name on a label?

[FrustratedSycamoreBonks]

Labelling clothes like coats does not stop clothes being mixed up. I've regularly had to send dd into school with items that have been put into her bag that aren't hers. I know their not hers as I put at least 2 labels in each item.

[Petsinmyputridpudenda]

I label and it still get nicked

[TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic]

As an ex teacher you have my sympathy dealing with parents who think it is your job to look after all the possessions and clothing of 30 or more children! Silly woman.

We live abroad now and if you say your child has lost something they shrug and point you in the vague direction of the lost and found box... for all we've lost the odd item I think they have it right, and nobody expects teachers to take responsibility for children's possessions, it's up to the child (even at Kindergarten which they can start at age 3, and especially at school, where the teacher is a teacher and has no interest in where your child's coat/ snack box/ scissors/ expensive set of pencils is, except that if they are relevant to school work you'd better find a way to replace them before tomorrow even if all the shops are closed or you, the parent, will get a snotty note). Things go missing less often than you'd think when the child knows they are responsible, and when they disappear they usually do turn up - eventually...

[FolkGhoul]

@ thebody

I'm a teacher. I share your pain!

Although by Christmas parents complaining about their children's unnamed possessions going missing will be the least of your gripes!

Just nod, acknowledge their frustration and remind them that this is why they need to label.

[GladbagsGold]

The poor parents probably don't have time. Surely you need to teach the children how to write their names, so why not let them loose with some large, colourful permanent markers and they can experience some 'real world learning' and it will help the parents too? I bet you'd only need to hold one lesson before everything sprouted name tags

[TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic]

When I was a secondary school teacher (taught a core subject and had a tutor group so had at least 150 children pass through my classroom each day) I once had a furious, beetroot faced dad march into my classroom, shove his face into mine and inform me that his (13 year old) son's pencil case had gone missing and he wanted me to find it... erm... there was the temptation to respond as you felt inclined to thebody but I wasn't sure there was anyone else on the floor I worked on and he was bigger than me... instead I gave him an incident form (though it was hardly an incident and he didn't even seem totally clear whether the pencil case had gone missing in my classroom or elsewhere) and wondered whether he could write well enough to fill it in and he blustered and stamped and stropped off after a few minutes.

[Startailoforangeandgold]

YANBU
DD1 does lost property duty and will return things to your form room, of you label them.

If you don't and don't bother to come and look in the box they will be given to the charity shop or sold for a donation with in school.

DD never fails to be amazed at the no. of £18 new jumpers in her pile, she can't believe people's mothers aren't

[TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic]

Gladbags :) :o

[HedgeHogGroup]

We have a rule - no names, no time spent looking!
Parents sometimes moan ... but they now see the importance of labelling clothes

[pippinsmum]

I work in a nursery and this drives me potty!!! I have parents on a daily basis asking about coats, hats etc none of them are ever labelled!!

I really don't understand why parents don't label their childs things. Do they really expect me to know which item belongs to each child!

[thebody]

We parents don't have time??? I managed to label my 4 kids things while working full time!!!!!

As to laid back comment that's soooo funny, I am so laid back in general I am horizontal.

But this really is an irritating part of an otherwise wonderful job.

Funny how all the teachers agree. Understand though because before I did this job I wouldn't have had a clue how annoying if is either.

Perhaps if all the kids wore their own lovely clothes it wouldn't be a problem.

But ghats another thread.

[thebody]

Glad age sorry re read your post and understand( thiko me) yes a fantastic idea I might suggest!!! Lol.(

[ecto]

OP you will find lots of people don't label things. Our school got so fed up of it that they did an inspection of all of the items for all of the kids (must have taken a rather long time ). They sent the kids home with unnamed items and told them not to bring them back until they were named.

[Eastpoint]

We have a brilliant lost property department where anything unnamed can be bought for a minimal amount. Just use a marker pen or even a biro.

[ABatInBunkFive]

I don't bothering labeling, no bloody point stuff still went missing and never returned anyway. Mine are old enough to know what is and isn't theirs now anyway so not much of an issue.

[honeytea]

Parents don't have time? How long does it take to write your child's name on a maximum of 20 items? Even if you have 5 kids surely it would be quicker to name the items than go shopping for new school stuff every week.

[thebody]

Tis a big problem then... This mother actually collared me as I was leaving work( half hour late and so half hour unpaid) she seemed to expect me to help her hunt for this bloody coat.. I did say I was late to meet my own children...

Englishwoman, how awful and scary for you, I think some people are just freakin mad.

Ah well it's still a great job.

[ContinentalKat]

YANBU. If the clothes aren't labelled there is nothing you can do. Smile a shrug.

[thebody]

I like that continental! Smile a shrug' I will practise that one.

[ConferencePear]

When I worked in a secondary school I couldn't believe the amount of unnamed unclaimed stuff in lost property. Plenty of it would have been identifiable if only the kids had gone to ask. Towels, specs and, worst of all, in my opinion asthma medicines.
I came to the conclusion that they lost some of it on purpose.