Putting First child through school - need to know about the following -

[DidIt]

1. Iron on , sew on or stick on name tags and do you label eveything?? DM reckons if i use sew on i can reuse labels but this seems a faff? and that the oter types are rubbish?

1. do you send them 3.5 yr old with a load of spare clothes in case of toliet accisdnets? - sdcholl says it has little space for spares

1. Lunch - do you gicve them the same so they get used to it? or differentthings every day?

will schoolmicrowave things or not?

i am finding so traumatic and he hasnt started yet (sob\)

[Flamesparrow]

1. I prefer sew, but that is just me... most people prefer iron.

1. Nope. Accidents were rare by that age, and school have spares (I have taken in loads of old stuff to donate to the spares though)

1. DD has routine issues, so we have the same lunch every day. A "normal" child would probably cope with a bit of change They won't microwave for you.

[meemar]

1. Iron on are easiest but come off after about 5 washes - sew if you can be bothered or just write on one of the clothes labels

1. We were told to just put spare pants in P.E bag. School had spare clothes

1. Mine has school dinners, but I think I would vary meals at least a little bit if I did packed lunch.

[AMumInScotland]

1. Always did sew-on. No point trying to reuse though, after a few washes you wouldn't want to unpick them.

1. School should have a few spares, no need to send anything, unless you think it's a particular issue

1. My DS tended to have the same few things in rotation. Never heard of anything being microwaved (probably health & safety!). Also, they don't put them in the fridge so it's worth using a cool bag and/or freezing a carton of juice to keep it cool

[AMumInScotland]

Oh, and label everything you don't want to loose. You can get stick-on ones for inside shoes/plimsolls - or just a fabric marker. I never bothered with socks or pants or vests on the basis they never came off, but everything else will wander and they all look the same in the lost property pile.

[DidIt]

with the sew on - do you sew all round it or just hook hrough the four corners IYSWIM - sorry if a thick question

and do you put on the childs full name middle and all or just first and second??

[AMumInScotland]

I always did all the way round, but it would take a couple of evenings. If you do the corners, or just the short ends, things can be hung up by the loop - not sure if that's a good thing or not

My DS had full first name, both middle initials, surname, but it only matters if someone else is likely to have the same name - the point is just so they (and you, and the teacher, and everyone elses's mum) can tell who it belongs to.

[muppetgirl]

we have woven sew on and I've sewn on. We label everything and I have got our surname on the name labels so they will do both ds's. I will unpick and resew as they have lasted a year and are still like new (I actually had one from when I was at school) I will put a pair of spare pants in his bag but don't expect to have accidents as he doesn't really have any and he's going to the same school in the same place so not much new -not that new things phase him anyway.
Ds will have school dinners.
School won't microwave things for you.
You'll be fine, as will your dc!

[Takver]

I write on the labels in the clothes with a Sharpie permanent pen, can't be faffed with sew-on and we don't own an iron [ducks].

School generally has spare clothes for accidents IME.

Doubt they will microwave stuff (unless private? don't know anything about that), surely it depends on your DC. School dinners in our area have come on a lot (grill any dinner ladies you know as to quality in your area!), I prefer DD to have them as it means she gets a hot meal.

[muppetgirl]

If you want to keep things for as long as possible I would sew on and all round the edges. Make a loop if you want to but they are more likely to come undone unless you are a good sewer (is that a word?) we've not lost a thing all year ds was in nursery

[Sidge]

I always use iron on labels, they rarely come off. I either write or use stickers on non-clothes items eg shoes, lunchbox etc.

No I never sent spare clothes, there isn't much space for bags. The school usually has an emergency box of knickers, trousers etc.

They won't microwave. And some dinner ladies won't even help them open things! (Hence my trip to see the head to ask why they couldn't help a 4 year old open a stiff tupperware box - soon got that one resolved ) My DD1 tended to have more or less the same things each day as that's what she preferred. Lunchboxes aren't kept cool so invest in a couple of those lunchbox freezer packs.

[mysteryfairy]

When my older two started school I had nametapes with just our surname on - it is fairly distinctive and in a small school I didn't care which child the clothes came back to. Now in senior school they have their shortened first names and surname. They are at different schools with similar uniforms and it can be a faff relabelling things for DS2 (if anything lasts that long).

DD designed her own nametapes first name, middle name and surname (9, 4, 6 characters and a little embroidered kitten). They take forever to sew on - I would go for as much brevity as possible in what you put on the nametape.

If you are very lazy you can pay someone to sew the labels on - there is a lady near me who does alterations and will nametape for me. Either way I'd say it is essential to sew all the way round to avoid garment and label parting company.

I think iron on labels only last a few washes, but some people obviously have more luck.

When DD was 3.5 and at nursery she had spare clothes every day. I think that is an essential in case of accidents and this included things like turning tap on too hard when washing hands. I would be surprised if school would not allow you to do this. DD is fairly fussy and would be horrified at wearing school spare pants - suspect both my DSs would have felt less bothered though. I have always donated outgrown pants to nursery/infant school though and would expect them to have a good supply if necessary.

I never give DD (now 6) a new item in her lunch without running it past her and getting an assurance it will be ok as when I have been experimental it's often at the expense of her eating it up. A lot of children have less nutritous lunches than her so as a compromise we now do crisps on a Friday providing lunch has been eaten sensibly through the week. She loves to pick out a packet for this. I generally freeze a juice carton and/or tube of yoghurt to help keep her lunch cool.