Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In wondering why people label school clothes

110 replies

hoovercraft · 04/09/2011 21:11

Firstly, apart from pe day (mine only has one day a week), they dont take their clothes off usually, do they? I understand jumpers and coats but why the rest?

OP posts:
stoppinchingthedummy · 04/09/2011 21:12

shit i knew i was meant to be doing something Hmm

DaphneHeartsFred · 04/09/2011 21:13

Swimming?
Gettting changed in to costumes for various plays/assemblies?
Changing in to outdoor wear?

rushofbloodtothefeet · 04/09/2011 21:13

Yes, but what about PE day though - need to label for that anyway.

In some schools it is 'compulsory' too

FelixCited · 04/09/2011 21:15

Because the teachers get pissed off if you don't
(I am one of them!)

shergar · 04/09/2011 21:15

Mine remove their jumpers at multiple points each day, but it's PE day they really need the labels for. Which still means they need labelling. So get on with it and stop procrastinating on Mumsnet Wink

Xales · 04/09/2011 21:15

My son does sport at school every day. Plus swimming some terms.

I don't know why I bother to label stuff though as it goes missing and despite the name tags never shows up in lost property.

I now refuse to buy certain school branded items such a football boot bags because at £15 a pop when there are 2 already in the school somewhere named I am not paying for more!

Beamur · 04/09/2011 21:16

Sometimes other clothes get changed too - if wet/dirty - my DD's school has some general spare clothes for the little ones and it helps make sure the clothes get reunited with the right child. Better overkill and label everything - it helps the teachers.

slavetofilofax · 04/09/2011 21:16

They will take their clothes off for things other than PE on occassions, like Christmas play or doing assemblies where they wear costumes. From the teachers perspective, having things labeled on those days is important. But then so is PE once a week.

southeastastra · 04/09/2011 21:16

buy a sharpie and put the kids name on all available labels. stick on/iron on ones don't last but the faithful sharpie always does Grin

MayDayChild · 04/09/2011 21:16

And don't forget the unscrupulous parents who just cut your name tape out and steal your clothes anyway.....
I have secret initials sewn in! Just you dare steal my down Gap coat ....

MonsterBookOfTysons · 04/09/2011 21:17

Oh crap

HattiFattner · 04/09/2011 21:17

because invariably they lose stuff. I help with swimming at ds' school - the number of times child A will say "This isnt my shirt" - and we have to do a quick feel of everyones collars to find out who has it. Then they all leave the changing room and I'll pick up a sock, a jumper, flip flops, even a pair of skants once.

PE/swimming 3x a week, plus after school clubs - they get their kit off quite often!

oldsilver · 04/09/2011 21:17

Try going through the lost property box; 253 cardies from asda all the same size, shirts, blouses, polos, trousers, pants, socks normally odd, coats, shoes and daps. Mind you still waiting for a jumper that was clearly labelled to turn up that went missing in October last year.

Cocoflower · 04/09/2011 21:17

So it doesnt get lost- once a week of PE is enough for them to lose it!

Btw if you hate labelling stuff save yourself hours and get a sharpie fabric pen that wont wash off- It takes 2 seconds to write first name and last name intial.

It saved hours and hours!

FerretMum · 04/09/2011 21:17

Children also like to swap stuff... It therefore makes it easier to return things to whom they belong...

DaphneHeartsFred · 04/09/2011 21:18

And if you really hate labelling, get a fabric pen. I'd be lost without mine.

oldsilver · 04/09/2011 21:19

Oh definitely tyson and don't forget the pants and trousers for accidents they tend to have in nursery too!

PedigreeChump · 04/09/2011 21:19

I don't understand why people don't label school clothes? Not only is it extremely helpful for while the kids are at school, when 4/6/8 school jumpers come through the laundry it's easy to sort out who owns each one!

KlingersOnTheStarboardBow · 04/09/2011 21:21

I've done most of ours but as others have mentioned the iton on labels have been totally rubish.

Van you buy the Sharpie pens from supermarkets?

ProfessionallyOffendedGoblin · 04/09/2011 21:23

If you label clothing in our school, you have an excellent chance of getting it back. No name, straight to lost property.
Remember to mark shoes too please. Smile
It's no good telling me it's a black bootleg size 2, there are many children with the same style and size in the class.

Rowena8482 · 04/09/2011 21:24

To stop people like me who garner extra uniform from the lost property on the last day of every term Blush

BallerinaBetty · 04/09/2011 21:28

Ha! I had the very same thought as I sewed in the labels for dd starting school. DS is in yr 8. I have labelled (or used the sharpie!) ALL of his uniform every year. And every year he "loses" things. And every year these labelled things stay lost. I can hand on heart say that we have had nothing returned to us over the years, despite everything being labelled and us checking lost property. So there is probably very little point to it but we shall do it anyway!

And .. and..(I'm really very ever so sorry OP for going off on one and hijacking) but can someone explain why I am perfectly happy to use the sharpie for DS but insist on sewing labels into dds uniform.WHY?????

Marne · 04/09/2011 21:28

I write in the uniform with a pen (on labels), i have to label everything for dd2 including pants, pe kit and shoes as she has ASD and would quite happily pick up someone elses clothes and shoes Smile, Coats are expensive so deffently the most importand thing to be labeled.

AryaStark · 04/09/2011 21:28

When I was teaching, the Head of Governors (ex-lawyer, power-dressing and terrifyingly sharp) accosted me to ask where her son's jumper was. "You'll know it when you see it, it's red, with the school logo on it"

I asked about having to label everything for DD (secondary) last year and was told that if she is coming home without her trousers or polo-shirt then I have more serious worries than having to sort through lost property Grin

Hulababy · 04/09/2011 21:30

DD has PE or games 2 or 3 times a week at least. They keep their PE stuff at school all half term. They all use the same cloakroom which can be busy and full of stuff - and this is where their identical looking uniform - which is expensive on the whole - gets put.

I label all PE and uniform items but not underwear, socks and tights.