Do you label your children's school uniform, and if not why?

[ItWasnaMeGuv]

I ask because after more than 20 years working as an assistant in primary schools, still we end up with mounds of lost property which is not labelled and never, ever claimed [and frustrated emoticon].

When we find labelled items we can get them returned to their owners straight away, which is lovely. Sometimes items are clearly expensive, coats for example. I am always astounded that items like this are not claimed.

I know with my own kids, everything was labelled as I couldn't afford to keep buying replacements. I would be interested to know if there are any mumsnetters who do not label school uniforms. Why not? It is really helpful, to everyone.

My kids school makes no effort to return anything

he lost coat, looked in lost property, got call about him having no coat ( in june ! ) looked again bought new coat

coat found by another parent and returned

zero effort so no point but i still do

I worked in a school and was once told the lost jumper would be easy to find because it was the one not labelled.
Oh how we laughed.

People have 0 domestic skills anymore and think they don’t know how to add labels to clothes. They don’t realise you can get iron on or sew on (they also can’t sew and some don’t own an iron).

So it’s a permanent marker or nothing.

I used to label everything. At a cost of time and mo ey. Nothing was ever returned. So I gave up!

Or Sticky labels. Can’t get much easier. I think it’s laziness. I suppose towards the end of the year labels might have come off and parents not noticed.

I label everything but it still goes missing and never returned.

Our uniform supplier sews in labels automatically, so yes. I also have stick in labels for the bits we purchase elsewhere such as shirts, and mini labels for e.g. stationery items. We’ve never lost anything and not had it returned.

It still rains in June.

Out of interest, what would you expect the school to do? Did another child take the coat home?

It baffles me. I return about 2 or 3 jumpers a day to the same handful of children who always leave them lying around but whose parents label them. I find at least double that number unlabelled and don't have a clue who they belong to. Children consistently deny they could possibly be theirs. I'm always insisting they stick them in their bags anyway and ask their parents.

My own children's class WhatsApps are filled with the same few parents constantly bemoaning lost, unlabelled jumpers. It's madness. One was cross the school didn't return her call about a missing, unlabelled jumper which I found hilarious. In all honesty though, I do think many children just need to take better care of their stuff. My children have gone through 6 years of school between them and the most we've lost is one glove. All jumpers and cardigans are accounted for and I've never even had to go looking for them. Obviously for some children with SEND this wouldn't apply.

I work in a school and I do agree that even if you label stuff goes missing, although it is easier to find if it is labelled!. Still, I’ve just spent the weekend labelled DS’s school uniform for reception.

Because my son has sensory issues and canny stand the feeling of any labels etc in clothes.

They do stamps and stickers. It doesn't have to be iron on or sew on nowadays.

I label everything. My daughter has autism and adhd. She'd lose her head if it wasn't screwed on. She lost 4 cardigans in a week which were all returned to her because they were labeled. I couldn't afford to replace things at the speed she loses them.

I genuinely have no idea. When I worked in Reception classes I took it upon myself to label children's jumpers with a Sharpie pen when they removed them if they had no name in them. On more than one occasion I had a parent complain to SLT that I had vandalised their child's property. I've concluded from my many years in schools that it's just another battle we can't win.

I label coats, PE hoodies and cardigans because they get taken off. Don't bother with the rest of the uniform. Also label gloves, hats, water bottles, lunch box etc!

Or just Sharpie in initials, it's better than nothing. Even when it's barely legible, I usually learn which mark belongs to which child 😂If the label is blank I've got no chance.

Who can be bothered with labels when they go up a size every 5 minutes?! I do write their names in pen on the clothing label if i remember though

DS2 told me off at the weekend for not labelling his jumpers citing household finances and Teachers' worries.

I just forgot. His uniform is properly labelled now.

Sorry @ItWasnaMeGuv.

Top tip for anyone interested - if you have some old straighteners you can attached the iron on labels in about 2 seconds!

The parents who don’t label their uniform/coat are always the ones that kick up the most fuss when it’s lost (probably because they know it’s probably never to be seen again)
I’ve once had a parent who said, “Well I’m not moving til it’s found”.
Excellent - see you in the morning then.

I pay extra to have it done from the uniform supplier

Coats, jumpers and cardigans - yes. Iron on label.
Lunch box, water bottle, bag and anything taken into school such as pencil case, own books etc also name wrote on or ironed on.
Actual uniform - skirts and polos - no as these should not be removed from body, our school allows pe kit to be worn on pe days so no changing in school.
We have PGL this year - every item will be labelled or wrote on. I know my child. Once she removes an item of clothing or puts an item down it ceases to exist and she will lose it.

I labeled everything religiously and nothing lost ever reappeared at my son’s school. We used to say that his sport kit was single use only. He did his best but they were always so rushed and crowded getting changed and back to lessons that it was tough not to lose bits or get it mixed up. I never got a SINGLE piece of lost kit returned the whole time he was there despite clear, sewn in labels. Drove me utterly mad!!

I label everything. Well, I use a fabric marker and write our surname on everything, has lasted handed down through 2/3 so far. We haven't seemed to lose much.

I’m so glad I came across this thread as you’ve just reminded me I’ve had some labels in my Amazon basket! Luckily they will arrive before Monday 🤦🏼‍♀️