that I don't like that my nursery strip my child if she's not in nursery uniform?

[musicfan]

A new policy has been introduced.

If children (3 and 4 year olds) at my nursery are not sent wearing their nursery polo shirts (regardless of the weather), they are stripped by the carers, and put into uniform polo shirts. Parents get to keep said shirts, but are charged the cost of the uniform on each occurrence.

What do people think about this? I really want to canvass opinion on this before I speak to the nursery head.

Thanks.
MF

[thatsenough]

Our Nursery has a winter and a summer uniform. I do like it - they look lovely, its practical, they have lots of off site trips so they're easy to spot and I don't have to think about what DS2 is going to wear every morning.

If it gets stained then they get sent in stained (washed) clothes and what I can salvage at the end will get passed on to DS3.

They are flexible for children starting at different times of the year though, for example a child starting in September could wear winter uniform instead of buying the summer uniform for half a term.

It might be worth suggesting that those leaving over the summer are exempt from the new policy?

[ChippingInLovesEasterEggs]

So MusicFan - what are you going to do?

[ChippingInLovesEasterEggs]

There is another compromise - buy the polo's in the same colour but non logo'd and tell them that for 4 months you are not paying for their expensive logo'd ones. Although as someone else said, buying 2 or 3 is hardly going to break the bank if you are paying private nursery fees... and it really is just hard luck (for the nursery) if they get stained, they need to be clean - not pristine!

[MerylStrop]

I'm surprised that people are prepared to tolerate such a blatant money-making exercise on the part of the nursery. What possible benefit is it to pre-school children to have to wear a uniform? So much for being child-centred.

Anyway, as posted previously, I reckon that if musicfan just declined to go along with it they wouldn't argue. I'm sure they don't want to have to try to fill a place or lose fees for the next 4 months.

[HPonEverything]

It's a ludicrous rule to make you pay for it every time! I can't imagine how long that will last tbh before all the parents start revolting (unless they all fall inline with dressing their child correctly which they probably will).

From a child's point of view I would've been mortified even at 3 or 4 years old to have to get naked in front of a 'stranger', and if I was only having to do it because my mum hadn't let me wear the right thing in the first place then that would make me extremely 'resentful' (if such an emotion exists for a child of that age!)

[pranma]

You can save the shirts etc for your ds or ask other mums of younger dc if they want them secondhand.

[musicfan]

Thank you all for your comments, even the harsh ones.

The main issue here isn't cost (either of the uniform or the cost of putting the washing machine every night of the week), or the uniform itself, although I consider it OTT for toddlers.

The main issue is a nursery whose regime involves - however you phrase it - taking children's clean, neat, often favourite, clothes off - and replacing it with a uniform.

And all without any sort of parental consultation or mediation.

And I don't consider it unreasonable to resent this.

So I have requested parental consultation, which is happening in the next few weeks.

To be continued...

[upahill]

I know I have commented before Musicfan (wish I thought of that name!!) but tbh it does seem a bit of a storm in a tea cup. I really would save your battles and energy for serious stuff.

I found it a lot easier having a uniform because it saved any tantrums and indecision on what to wear - you have to put this on because Miss ........ says it's for school. It also saved their clothes getting trashed. So what if paint or what ever ends up on a nursery shirt and least it wasn't on something decent.

I would be careful about making too much of a stand. I have seen people moan about changes they don't like and are happy to bitch in the playground (or workplace for that matter) but when you turn round for support they can't be seen for dust because they don't want to be seen as 'trouble makers' IYSWIM

I honestly think the nursery are doing you a favour by introducing this policy and you really don't need 4 jumpers!! You are no doubt doing a wash every day or at least every other day as part of the family washing so it isn't a biggie about doing nursery stuff.

[ChippingInLovesEasterEggs]

musicfan - whilst I agree with your POV and I would be moving DS because I don't like the sound of that one much, I think that it's up to them if they want to bring in a uniform policy for the 3 year olds - I think the only thing you can really object to is being made to buy one at this point in the year when your DD is going to another school in Sept.

But it will be interesting to see what happens, I guess if enough parents complain then something will have to be done.

[maighdlin]

I am totally anti-uniform for all children, nearly fainted when you said nursery uniform.

[upahill]

maighdiln your post made me smile (in a good way) because is just shows the different POV's on MN that make it diverse and interesting.

I like uniforms for reasons I have stated before i.e. no fuss or arguments (especially when they get older as what is appropiate for school) ease of identifation, saves the decent clothes getting trashed, keeps everyone on the same level eg those that have loads of clothes and up to date with designer labels can't be flashy at school, those that haven't got much money don't get picked on for not having the latest gear.



I remember in the early 70's when I was about to start primary school and it was a brand new school, they had a parents open evening. My mum wanted a school uniform and the parents had a chance to ask questions. My mum was about to ask but someone got in first and the poor mum was shout down by a trendy hippy type teacher who shouted DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN LIKE SHEEP? WELL DO YOU? ANSWER ME! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?

My mum still laughs about that to this day and was so glad the other mum butted in and asked the question my mum was going to ask!

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

I could understand a nursery uniform - well, a top/jumper that they all wore, if the children were taken out and about on a regular and frequent basis - because it is easier to keep an eye on a group of children if they are marked out by a uniform item of clothing - but this isn't the case for musicfan's nursery, and for this reason I would definitely agree that a uniform is not neccessary for these children.

[musicfan]

@upahill I don't know what it says about me that I empathise with the trendy, hippy type teacher! I don't want my kid to have to conform. Certainly I don't want to make my child do something "cos Miss says". I don't think "Miss" should dictate how I dress my child, nor that my child should think her parent is dictated to by someone else. I've already had her tell me it's alright to swear cos "the grown ups do at nursery".

[musicfan]

That's not to say I want my little 'un to grow up without rules and boundaries, but - as you say - you have to choose your battles, and I think petty infringement of freedoms (however minor) should be questioned, or at the very least discussed.

And I don't mind if I'm the only one questioning it. If it can be discussed in a rational, grown up way, I don't think I'll be perceived as a 'trouble maker'.

[MavisEnderby]

That is crazy!!

[Pennybubbly]

But the only reason theyd be taking the childs clean favourite clohes off, musicfan, is if YOU'VE deliberately gone against their non-uniform plicy. You did, I presume, agree to conform to their policies when you u enrolled your kids in the nursery?

Good luck with your meeting. I don't think you've got a leg to stand on. And think about it. It's just a tshirt.

[seeker]

You have a point about the uniform. Insane to have uniform for toddlers. Super-insane to change the rules and apply them immediately.


But the bisiness about taking your child's clothes off is bonkers, frankly. Preumably nursery staff do this all the time - it is not an infringement of a child's personal integrity to have her clothes changed by a nurery worker.

And also whenever I see the thread title with "nursery strip" in it, I immediately think of some demented football kit! My teeth itch every Saturday when Ds comes piling out of his room saying "Where's my strip?" The thought of nursery children doing it is too much to bear.

[Again10]

The fact that you use the word strip when you mean change makes me suspect that you are the sort of person who is, as a general rule, unreasonable.

[exoticfruits]

I bet it is all to do with parents sending them in expensive clothes with instructions not to get messy!

[princessparty]

'I bet it is all to do with parents sending them in expensive clothes with instructions not to get messy!'

Rubbish it's all about finding another way of relieving parents of their cash!

[exoticfruits]

If you help at all ,you realise that the first thing that many say if they get paint on their clothes is 'mummy will be cross'.

[colditz]

Nope. I've seen a child being roundly bollocked by it's mother "For getting your beautiful new skirt all dirty! That was naughty!"

Child was three.

[exoticfruits]

Unless they are going to a wedding or similar a 3 yr old should get dirty everyday!

[SauvignonBlanche]

I wouldn't send my child to a nursery that had a culture like that.

[mathanxiety]

Absolutely nuts.

There is no way they should take off your child's clothes. At most, putting a shirt on over what she's already wearing, but taking off her clothes is a no no for me. What happens if she wears a dress?

I agree with Bonsoir's earlier comment -- what else in the OTT and pointless rules department are they foisting on 3 year old children?

I don't like the sound of the swearing that you mention. Do they like children, in this nursery? Do they like their jobs? Is some dragon-HT/control freak breathing down their necks? It sounds more like a 'secure institution' than a nice environment for a child to spend her days.

WRT outings (I know it isn't an issue here) -- my DCs were issued huge, cheap, garishly coloured T-shirts to wear over their jackets or whatever else they might have worn on the day of the trip, to making herding them easier.