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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not buy new school shoes and a new coat?

23 replies

redderthanred · 18/10/2010 09:38

DD will be starting school after xmas.
She has a nice coat, that fits, is washable, and was in sale, so im not too fussed about it.
its sort of sagey green with lighter coloured big spots it also has a hood.

She also has a coat for nice which i wouildnt dream of sending her to school in.

AIBU to let her wear the spotty coat for school? or is that fine?

With the shoes, i brought her a lovely pair of plum coloured shoes from clarks. Shes hardly worn them, i refuse to let her wear them for nursery as they will get trashed. ( am currently sending her in old joggers and old tops atm anyway as everything is coming back totally stained)

AIBU to let her wear them when she starts school? or do i have to buy new black ones?

OP posts:
MayorNaze · 18/10/2010 09:40

YANBU

send her with those :)

3WiseMumsies · 18/10/2010 09:41

If they still fit and school has no strict policy on uniform(they often don't in the infants) then why would you be unreasonable?

They are the clothes you bought for your DD to wear, why would you be unreasonable to let her wear them?

DooinMeCleanin · 18/10/2010 09:41

I think she will need black shoes if that is what the uniform states. The coat sounds fine though.

Although when you say Plum do you mean 'black unless you look really closely' sort of Plum? They'd be fine. dd1 had some Plum winter boots in her first year of school. They looked black to me.

letsblowthistacostand · 18/10/2010 09:44

Coat sounds fine. I think I would let her wear the plum shoes now though, she might grow out of them by January.

discobeaver · 18/10/2010 09:45

Having seen my daughter's cloakroom at school with coats on the floor or yanked off the pegs, the spotty coat will be fine!

You might have to get black shoes depends on the uniform code and how strict they are.

Most of my kids' stuff comes from ebay or charity shops anyway. Got a beautiful duck down filled ski jacket for two pounds from our local Hospice charity shop - I looked up the label online and it would have been about 75 quid new.

Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 09:47

Probably more of an aubergine type plum.
But they are dark, i will have to check the schools poilicy when we finally get it.

Im just trying to work out what i need, with tight finances.

2x bottoms, skirt and trousers?
3x tops
2x jumpers

tights, and socks

then PE kit and plimsoles??

Bookbag.

Anything else im missing? £100 should be cover it shouldnt it??

OP posts:
Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 09:49

Spotty coat was a bargin, got it in the next sale last year, 2 sizes to big for £6.
Its fleece lined and one of those duvet like coats, all padded. Its doesnt look too bad either.

Am hoping to get next years in the after xmas sale again this year :)

OP posts:
electra · 18/10/2010 09:53

YANBU - I don't buy anything new unless it's been outgrown or has been worn out beyond redemption (dd2 is very hard on school shoes which is a bit of a pain as I end up having to buy new ones nearly every term). But there is no reason to buy things you don't have to.

MackerelOfFact · 18/10/2010 09:56

Coat will be fine, as will she shoes probably. If they're dark and otherwise appropriate, just plead ignorance if anyone says anything - 'oh really, they looked black in the shop' etc. They will get trashed at school though, so if you don't want that, get some plainer black ones.

discobeaver · 18/10/2010 09:58

Think you will do a uniform for 50 quid if you shop right. The big supermarkets do very cheap uniforms, Primark for tights/socks/plimsolls.

Shoes are usually the biggest expense, but as they scuff them/grow, I tend not to spend more than 15/20 quid a pair at Priceless on them.

emptyshell · 18/10/2010 10:19

As long as the school's not mega strict on black shoes only (I always selectively turn a blind eye as long as they're not hideously unsuitable or broken) and you're not worried about these lovely ones getting scuffed to high heaven in the playground - sod it send her in in them.

Spotty coat sounds like a good idea - least it's not the 50 identical coats that were on special in Asda the rest of the class all have and no one has any names in when they all fall off pegs! Just want something relatively easy to do up semi-independently (I always end up helping with the putting the bottom ends of the zip together and similar but you'd be surprised how many kids come with really high fashion coats that you need a GCSE in coat construction for even an adult to do up!).

fedupofnamechanging · 18/10/2010 10:24

I think your clothes sound lovely. In my DCs school, everyone has brightly coloured coats.

The only things I can think of that are missing from your list are lunch box and school bag.

Matalan stock school uniform all year round and is very cheap too.

elphabadefiesgravity · 18/10/2010 10:44

Coat will be fine for a state primary school.

I personally would make the effort with black shoes though.

Shoes will be just as likley to get trashed at school as nursery by the way. Very little difference between nursery and reception

Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 10:46

Lunch box is taken care off and apparently they dont like the little ones to have a school bag, just a book bag.

AND she can do that coat up all by herself. Which has got to be a bonus!

Im not fused about them getting scuffed, thats fine, What i do not like is them coming back from nursery literally caked in mud and totally ruined, i do send her with wellies, so i dont understand why they dont get her to wear them outside??

OP posts:
Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 10:48

oooh - and sew in labels. Where does nice ones?
im sure ive seen some with a little flower at the end or border or something.

I know... lol PFB!!

OP posts:
reallytired · 18/10/2010 10:49

I think you are silly keeping the shoes for best. Children outgrow clothes and shoes rapidly at this age. If I was you I would send her to nursery in the good shoes and use the good coat as much as possible.

Most state schools are quite relaxed about school uniform in reception. If I was you though I would get her some black shoes. Otherwise you are setting her up to be teased.

Just make sure you sew on name tags to everything. Reception children are terrible at losing things.

Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 10:55

Im not saving the shoes for best - im just not sending her to nursery in them. because they come back covered in mud. Not a little bit of mud, caked in it, and im sick of it. I now only send her to nursery in stuff that doesnt matter.

Her feet havent grown at all in 9 months. And the shoes were fitted bigger as well. Im sure they will be fine.

The nice coat was brought as a present, its beautiful, but its wool, and while its lovely and warm, its not waterproof, or even shower proof, it is not a coat to wear while walking the dog or climbing in the park, so its just saved for best. ( or going into town etc... just not places where its going to get trashed)

OP posts:
reallytired · 18/10/2010 12:42

"Her feet havent grown at all in 9 months. And the shoes were fitted bigger as well. Im sure they will be fine."

Ha! Ha! Watch her grow. She will have a sudden growth spurt and probably go up two shoe sizes in a matter of weeks. School seems to make children grow up more rapidly.

Original poster
redderthanred · 18/10/2010 13:11

i do watch her grow. She is off the growth charts. Shes 118 cm and is just over 4 1/2. her feet are size 11.

Anyway - people aways say - haha her feet will grow really quick - but ive never found that to happen, ive never had to buy more than 1 size of shoes for autumn/winter nor 1 size of shoes for spring/summer.

OP posts:
chickbean · 18/10/2010 13:22

If they don't specify, go with what you have. I did with DS1 (his shoes are brown - he doesn't need a new pair but you can bet that if I'd bought new shoes, his feet would immediately have sprouted and I'd have wasted £25-30). If they don't specify coat colour it's great to have a different one from everyone else. DS1's is navy and it takes me ages to spot him - my friend's little boy's is green and you can see him straight away.

allhallowsandwine · 18/10/2010 13:40

that sounds fine for coat and shoes. you can get packs of five shirts/blousses, i personaly would go with those as they wash up better and dry in half the time the polo shirts do. I find three skirts etc is fine although I have only 3 cardies i would get an extra one as they have seemed to need changing every day and we have lost one already. you will do it well under 100 quid.

kickassangel · 18/10/2010 13:58

dd's school didn't have any uniform for pe - just comfortable clothes, so check that, you could just use the things she wears to nursery atm.

also, state schools can't insist on uniform at this age, so you're fine with the coat & shoes you chose.

i found dd ruined her jumpers - budget for more than two, mine needed a clean one each day during winter. find out if the pta has second hand clothes for sale, they may well have a stall if there's a christmas fair etc. so you could pick up some cheaper clothes there.

i ended up with 5 polo shirts, 5 skirts/dresses/trousers, and 5 jumpers. then there were 'emergency' spares in case of an accident, but these weren't uniform, they were just in a carrier bag on her peg. and pe kit was just old tracksuit etc in a bag.

chickbean · 18/10/2010 19:24

Check to see if they have a second hand uniform sale at school. Our PTA does this and I bought loads of stuff really cheaply.

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