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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if the school uniform states black shoes the kids should be wearing black shoes?

155 replies

Annabella92 · 29/11/2024 07:31

I probably am being unreasonable. I'm just frustrated by a daily battle I have with my child. The school dress code is black shoes with black or white socks. Every quarter the newsletter reiterates this and seeks to remind parents. So I make sure my child has black shoes, two pairs actually, one waterproof more expensive pair as they sometimes have to go through long wet grass to get to school. And every morning is a battle to get them to wear black shoes with black or white socks (which I bought plenty of too). They say everyone just wears their normal coloured trainers and whatever socks and when I go to school pickup, they're not wrong. So it seems this is voluntary in practice and next year i can save £100 on shoes and socks and not have to deal with the drama every morning. I'm.a natural rule follower but feel like an idiot

TLDR: if something is part of school dress code it should be enforced, or just dropped altogether?

OP posts:
Zae134 · 29/11/2024 07:47

There's no point having the rules unless they're enforced, and I think schools should be honest about what matters/doesn't matter in their uniform list. I've even fallen foul of it all as a teacher, I dutifully bought my son everything from the school PE kit list and yet he never used shin guards or gum shield, and it turned out he didn't need special football boots because he wasn't in top set PE. I was furious!
One side note- I know at my school that some students wear trainers or other shoes for other reasons, so it's possible that it's not 'everyone'.

Nolegusta · 29/11/2024 07:43

Perhaps there are genuine reasons why others have different shoes and it's none of your business?

jkshdqpr · 29/11/2024 07:42

What's behaviour like generally at the school? Usually the schools that aren't able to uphold uniform rules are the ones so overwhelmed with other issues that it is deprioritised.

Our school puts in isolation when a child so much as forgets their tie. I fully support their stance, they're doing something right, the school is excellent. It all comes down to respect for me, so don't relent with your teens.

Nogaxeh · 29/11/2024 07:41

I agree that there's not much point having rules unless they're enforced, but I'd see this as an opportunity to teach your child that they should follow the rules out of respect to the school, and whether other people are doing so is their choice and shouldn't affect yours.

oviraptor21 · 29/11/2024 07:38

You are absolutely not being unreasonable but this is Mumsnet where most people think uniforms are bad and therefore shouldn't be enforced because .... they're bad.