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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that 2.5yo shouldn't wear school uniform?

56 replies

hobbohobbo · 18/01/2011 20:02

My friends DD goes to a nursery attached to a Prep School. They are required to wear school uniform from 2.5 when they join the Pre Prep Dept. She looks ridiculous in her uniform as everything is too big? Is this right?

OP posts:

Hulababy · 18/01/2011 21:11

I don;t see why you are worrying about something that doesn't concern you.

My DD has to have a blazer and a long winter coat, and hats too. But this is my financial concern. no one elses.

Fine if you personally wouldn't want to do it, but why judge someone else who is willing to or wants to?

FWIW I also still buy my DD plenty of clothes - probably way too many. Always have. I agree, It is fun. But at least it doesn;t get wrecked at school wearing it every day. My personal choice and all that.

unhappyshopper · 18/01/2011 21:13

I think its right that they all look the same. No peer pressure (and they do start young with that these days).. no kids getting mocked for not wearing the "right" clothes..

Also if they go out anywhere away from the school, they are instantly recognisable.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 21:21

Loads of 2 year olds all looking the same ..can't think of anything worse

toeragsnotriches · 18/01/2011 21:22

What isn't right? Wearing uniform or sending her out in clothes that are too big?

I just realised the coat I was sending DS1 out in (though lovely and warm) was far far too big and actually making outdoor play a bit difficult for him. So I would say that, on certain occasions, dressing a child in clothes way too big is not right. (It's pretty far from being wrong, but you know what I mean.)

The uniform thing? I'm not sure it matters. I like it personally, because it's cheap and hard wearing and there are no arguments about where the Batman t shirt is. Those who argue it inhibits individuality are, imo, wrong. Wearing uniform challenged me to become an individual in ways other than just my clothing. On the other hand, those who claim it to be a leveller are also wrong. There's a whole lot of room in 'uniform' for expensive shoes, bags, coats etc etc. Kids are pretty savvy at getting the size of family background without looking at the clothes others wear. I guess it's one less thing to bully about, but bullies will find anything to start on, won't they?

toeragsnotriches · 18/01/2011 21:24

Although you are right usualsuspect. Do have nightmarish image in my head now. Don't think I'll head to bed just yet

begonyabampot · 18/01/2011 21:26

loads of private nurseries where we used to stay and they mostly all had a uniform - mainly t shirt/polo shirt and shorts though and a hat - kids looked comfortable and very cute.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 21:28

in a children of the damned kind of way

bambiandthumper · 18/01/2011 21:29

The DT's 3.5 also wear a modified version of the Pre- Prep uniform.

I love it as it doesn't matter how wrecked it gets and it gets DS out of his buzz lightyear costume so I can wash it :o

It also means if one of the children wets themselves it is no biggie as the school just gives them another dress/trousers exactly the same.

wigglesrock · 18/01/2011 21:31

My 3 year old goes to a playgroup, she wears navy jogging bottoms, poloshirt and a navy sweatshirt. They don't have to but she loves it!!

begonyabampot · 18/01/2011 21:31

'Its fun for me to buy clothes for her.'

so it's all about you rather than her then.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 21:33

Mind you I find the whole notion of pre prep odd ,never mind the uniform, but thats a whole other thread

toeragsnotriches · 18/01/2011 21:45

They all wear it at DS1's school nursery. They don't have to but they do anyway. At another local school they have this ridiculous situation where they tried to bring in uniform and all the middle class parents complained so the kids only wear uniform if they want to. So... in general... the working class kids all come in uniform and the middle class kids go in their own clothes.

And yes unhappyshopper the identification thing is useful when they're out and about.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 21:50

Paying stupid amounts for a shit quality logoed t shirt annoyed me a lot

Sullwah · 18/01/2011 21:51

My DTs (2.11) go to a pre-prep and have to wear a uniform that basically consists of a tracksuit. It started off too big - but now fits as it has shrunk in the dryer

I didn't like it at first - but I love it now.

We used to have huge tantrums every morning about who would wear what / what was in the wash / who would get to wear the t-shirt with the boat on it etc

It makes the whole getting ready for school thing so much easier.

toeragsnotriches · 18/01/2011 21:53

What is pre-prep?

Hulababy · 18/01/2011 21:55

toerags - preprep is infants, a term used in some independent schools.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 21:56

Infant school starts at 5 not 2

bambiandthumper · 18/01/2011 21:59

Pre-prep generally is an umbrella term for a Nursery, Kindergarten and Infants up to year 2 at independent schools.
The age that they start at can vary.

Hulababy · 18/01/2011 22:00

Preprep is rising 5 also. It is the same as infants running fromt he quivalent of recpetion (preprep 1) to y2 (preprep 3)

Prior to that is preschool, not preprep.

IME independent schools do not call preschool preprep.

Hulababy · 18/01/2011 22:01

usualsuspect - I am aware of what infants is. I work in an infant school.

toeragsnotriches · 18/01/2011 22:06

Ah, I see, tinies and a bit less tiny. Thanks all!

Off to bed now for a night of scary dreams about small children persecuting me. Thanks a lot usualsuspect.

usualsuspect · 18/01/2011 22:17

my pleasure, mawhahaha toeragsnotriches

Hulababy alright keep yer hair on

WanderingSheep · 18/01/2011 22:27

My DD goes to a preschool that is attached to a Primary school. She wears the Primary school uniform. It's not compulsory but all the other children wear it and it saves their usual clothes from getting stained with paint and goodness knows what else. The state that my DD comes out in at ten past three in the afternoon I'm glad she wears it! She often looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards and then forwards and backwards again!

WanderingSheep · 18/01/2011 22:30

I should add that DD is 3.8 and not 2.5 so a bit of a difference I suppose.

saintknickerless · 18/01/2011 23:00

It's strange that the posh pre-preps all seem to be the ones with uniform at nursery age. We live in the roughest estate in the city and it is only the nurseries on the estate that have uniform.

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