AIBU re school uniform

[bumpsnowjustplump]

My dd1 has just started infants school in year R, she is my eldest so I have no idea if my expectations are too high or not so i may bu not sure. I am prety sure you will all tell me though .

At the start of september i kitted out dd with the required school uniform which included a painting apron from the school shop. This is a full apron including arms and is the school required one. DD has hers it is kept in her bag at school.

I have just had to replace the whole of her uniform this term as it was stained with paint. I continually told dd she must put the apron on before she paints but at four she listens but it goes out the window when she gets to school clearly.

Anyhoo I have just noticed that the cardy and 2x shirts are stained IO have tried ariel and Dr beckmann stain remover on the marks to no avail. This is week 2 of the term I can not afford to replaced them so she will have to go in looking like a scruff bag..

However my AIBU question is this: If the apron is a required part of the uniform surely the teacher or assistant should be making sure the kids are wearing them when doing crafts? The classes are big but the painting table isn't so should the aprons be out near the table? WIBU to mention the problem to the teacher? DP says I should but I dont want to be one of those parents....

Couldn't agree more. Speak to the school. It's my constant gripe and my dd doesn't have a uniform. Always get told she shouldn't west her best clothes to school. She doesn't have 'best' clothes, just clothes. Which cost money and I can't afford to replace. And, much more importantly, which she should learn, andbe taught, to respect. Clothes, uniform or otherwise, from a charity ship or hemmed or Dior, are bought with hard earned money and are not disposable. I want my dd to respect her possessions and it REALLY annoys me that the school don't feel any sense of responsibilty in this lesson. (though, of course, when it's school property which gets damaged through lack of respect or care, it's an issue.)
Rant over

What I'd do is mention it to DD loudly in front of the teacher or say 'does she keep forgetting her apron? I do keep reminding her' it might be difficult to remind them all the time if it is learning through play in a big classroom. It depends on the set up really.

And just let her go in with a bit of paint on her. As long as she's clean.

Is it only your daughter, or are the other kids getting painty too?

What paint are they using if it doesn't come off?

As an aside about washing, the washable paint I have at the moment says to NOT use a stain remover. It stains skin like crazy, needs a good soak in the bath to get it off (dd coated herself to the elbows yesterday and spent the rest of the day with blue arms until her bath!) but it washes right off clothes in a normal wash.

Not sure about that Marge2 I will have to ask some mums. I will do that today.

Indith I only use stain remover if the mark hasnt come off in normal wash. Have no idea what they are using!!

unreasonable that is a good idea. I wish I had thought of that a week ago..

Is she putting the apron on inside out, perhaps, or covering herself in wet paint from her hands while taking it off? (Mine did both of these. In fact, one of them has just Airfix-painted a decent school sweatshirt, and he's at secondary school. Grrrr.)

so do i mention it to teacher or just suck it up and keep on and on and on at dd? Or both?

Lancelottie she could well be doing that, hadn't even thought of that (see told you I was new to this school malarky)!!

No advice re school, but school paint usually needs to be soaked in cold water rather than hot. Took me a few ruined shirts till I found this out!

Its not as easy to stop kids getting paint on them as it sounds. Following can all happen.

1. child wandering around activities suddenly veers to paint table and starts painting. You rush overa nd get apron on them, but they altready have some paint on their clothes.

1. Child wanders near paint table and another child turns round and accidentally their paint brush goes over childs clothes.

1. The way the child takes apron off is clumsy and gets paint over clothes. Includes holding apron to hang it up and in process transfers paint from apron onto clothes,

etc, etc. So it is not necessarily that she is not wearing her apron. However they should be using washable paint. I would concentrate on getting this changed.

ohhh snesparkles thanks for the tip I will definatly try that next time thank you .

Leslee thanks for that I will ask what paint they use and just say does it have any special washing instructions because I cant seem to get the marks out..

yes, if a paiting apron is required uniform, it should be being used. dd2 has one, and it is hung in the classroom near to the painting tables. she does still occasionally get marks on her, but htye have always washed straight out (I use persil non-bio tablets (only one tablet per wash), and a general 40 degree mixed wash).

she came home yesterday caked (literally ) in raw cake mix from cookery club - not sure how she managed it as they wear aprons there too, but there you go. not as bad as paint, though.

but I wouldn't replace uniform that got stained through everyday classroom use - only when it was outgrown/too threadbare etc.

I would mention to school though, not in a huffy way but just to her teacher at pick up that you are struggling to get paint off her clothes, even with a big class they should be happy to give her a little bit of extra help getting her apron on and off if she needs it, in reception their skills in getting dressed/undressed varies so much so some kids will be able to do it without getting the paint on themselves and some will hardly have a clue which bit to put their arms in .

My DS' school had a painting apron on their uniform list. When DS1 started, I asked if I had to buy the one on the list (it was really expensive) or could he use the one he had at home. The heads response: 'Oh don't worry, I don't know why that is on there, they don't need one we have them here!' I double checked that this was still the case when DS2 started in September, it is. DS2 has no shirts that aren't stained, not one! :(

Have now learnt why I can never get the washable paint out of my DCs' clothes.

I think I would just send her in in paint-stained uniform. As long as it's otherwise clean, I don't see the problem, especially if it's a school uniform, still fits and the stain came from school. DS2's favourite top (we don't have uniform at primary school) has paint on it and he just continues to wear it and I don't have a problem with it. Just gives me the opportunity to rant that the washable paint is anything but (or so I thought until this morning!)

I understand your frustration but tbh I would be happier that my DC got plenty of opportunities to be creative at school.

That's much more important IMO, and doesn't happen in every school unfortunately!

I seem to remember being told to soak in cold water before washing if it's black paint. It may well be washable -- but black stains like mad if you don't cold soak first.

Does the apron just cover her front (like a cooks apron does)? - am sure in my early school days for painting we were covered head to toe in aprons that were like painter's smocks except made of plastic, and then later on you had to bring in one of 'dad's old shirts' for painting.

Either way, it's the schools responsibility to make sure children put on their aprons before painting - no different from gym/PE kit, it should just be drilled into them!