What’s normal with regard to uniform?

[Abigwhale]

Let me start with I have OCD (proper diagnosed). One of the things I find most challenging currently is when my son comes home from school. I like to get him changed and washed hands straight away, uniform in the washing basket. In an ideal world I would bath him then too but that’s not practical really.

Do you change your children’s clothes and wash their hands or just leave them to it? I worry about them sitting on the sofa, playing with the new baby all while in uniform covered in germs, dirt, threadworm eggs, goodness knows what!

Talk some common sense into me so that I can get over this particular obsession and live a more “normal” life!!

[dementedpixie]

My 2 dont even get changed most of the time. I don't make them wash their hands either

[Sooverthemill]

Out of uniform only so they can wear it again next day. So on Friday they can stay in it. Also, I know you have OCD, but I'd only be having hand washing when grubby eg playing in garden or before meals after loo.

[Abigwhale]

So does it just not occur to you to worry about germs and worms and stuff?

[NannyR]

I tell them to get changed but that's because I don't want them to get their uniform dirty playing in the garden, eating etc, then they can wear it the next day.
They wash their hands before eating tea, but not as soon as they come in from school.

[ems137]

I used to get mine changed out of their uniform once full time but it was more so that they could wear it the next day if they hadn't got paint/food on.

Washing hands; yeah sometimes, as well as their face if it looked dirty or they were about to eat a snack.

I do think this must be coming from your OCD but it's not the worst thing in the world to be doing is it? You're not scrubbing the kids sore or freaking out if they touch the wall on the way to wash. Some folk are just super super clean and tidy even without OCD.

[dementedpixie]

No i don't worry about germs and worms, etc

[bakingcupcakes]

I don't bother getting DS changed after school but he does have a bath every night. I insist on handwashing before tea or lunch if it's a weekend. I'm trying to instill handwashing after going the toilet but I suspect he only does that if I stand over him which is pretty grim really. DS is 4.

[Personita]

He changes his uniform if he's playing out and I want him to wear it the next day, he can stay in it if it's going to go in the wash anyway. Hand washing when they're dirty and before he eats. He usually goes to the toilet as soon as he gets in so washed his hands then anyway.

[LemonFritz]

Mine stay in uniform and wash hands only after the toilet (unless visibly dirty before dinner). Both have not been unwell for years, only ever 100% attendance at school. I appreciate this is just good luck as well!

[Signhereplease]

DC washes hands straight away & then gets changed.

Talk some common sense into me so that I can get over this particular obsession and live a more “normal” life!!

I dont think people posting what they do will help you I'm afraid.

[bakingcupcakes]

I don't worry about germs or worms for DS but I'm quite paranoid myself. I wash my hands a lot and somehow I still seem to end up with sickness bugs and colds. DS occasionally gets a cold but never anything else. I'm sure I get ill from him I just can't prove it! I had over 10 years full time employment without a sick day before he came along.

[LemonFritz]

However, I work in the hospital and shower and change as soon as I get home. I guess I treat myself with the same caution you treat the children.

[Abigwhale]

Thanks. It’s not the worst thing to get them changed or wash hands I realise but it comes from a place of stress for me and I don’t want that for my kids, I don’t want them to think school is a dirty place to be disinfected from.

[LetItGoToRuin]

My DD just comes home. She often wants a snack and I don't make her wash her hands first. She doesn't even take her shoes off, let alone her uniform, unless she wants to.

However, I think if you have OCD it doesn't matter what other people do. What's right for others won't be right for you.

[Racheyg]

Dc1 (my only child in school at the moment) gets changed straight away, I would prefer he doesn't as it mean more washing but he hates staying in his uniform.

He always has fresh uniform the next day (apart from tie and blazer) as he is usually filthy.

He washed his hands often so I don't prompt him.

Dc2 is a totally different kettle of fish...,,,,,

How old is your dc? Maybe leave it up to them to decide?

[MazDazzle]

The first thing my kids do as soon as they get home is get changed out of their school clothes.

They wash their hands after they’ve had something to eat because I don’t want their greasy handprints ruining clothes/our sofa.

[Racheyg]

Just read a few replies about hand washing ect. - it's interesting as the only time mine have been ill is with chicken pox.

Dc2 is a filth monster he must have the immune system of a ox

[Abigwhale]

He’s 6

I think really both things (changing or not changing) are ok. It’s more I want to overcome it because I don’t want it to come from a place of ocd. I want to recover from this but my anxiety makes it tricky. I do worry a lot about them getting worms. I just wondered what other people did as sometimes that gives some perspective to whether it’s ok or it’s ocd.

[Witchend]

We had to change when we got home from school.
But that was because we had one set of uniform. I had 1 cardy, 1 tie, 1 skirt and 2/3 shirts. If we messed up the uniform, we couldn't go to school in it (like the time I pulled dsis into the bath with me).

Now school uniform for mine are some of the cheapest clothes. I'd rather they stayed in it-gives further wear of other clothes. So they only change if they have a reason to (like into dance uniform) and their friends are similar.

[eurochick]

Child stays in school clothes until bathtime or getting into PJs (she has a bath every other day). She has fresh uniform every day.

Hand washing happens before food.

[Beamur]

It sounds like you are well aware of your OCD and the effect it could have on your kids - so, consider what is reasonable (to someone without OCD) and if you can feel comfortable with that, have that as your routine for your child.
I don't think coming home, changing your clothes and washing your hands - especially if you have a baby in the house too is unreasonable.
I know it's a hard circle to square when you are germ phobic, but childhood exposure to germs will make your child healthier in the long run.

[Abigwhale]

Thanks beamur. I don’t think it’s that unreasonable either but I do wonder if it has got to a stage now where I just need to stare down the anxiety as it where and just let him roll all over the furniture in uniform and wait til it feels normal again?

[Catalicious]

Why specifically worms?

[PotteringAlong]

I never bother to get them to wash their hands. NormLly they don’t get changed either. By the time they’ve done school and after school club their uniform is filthy so I don’t want another set of clothes to wash!

[Quartz2208]

Washing hands and changing is fine - is the washing every day that is perhaps more unusual