to be fed up with named cardigans still walking off?

[MrsFruitcake]

3rd cardi DD has managed to lose in as many months, including one with the school logo which cost me £18. All three were clearly labelled with her name, on both the inside neck and tag.

None have turned up at school again and they don't seem overly bothered - teacher just told her to keep looking and told me that they weren't there. Two were taken off her peg and the other was picked up on the school field but never made it's way back to her.

So where are they? I'll wager that the labels have now been removed and someone else is using them. No other explanation is there?

omg - I cannot believe people try to steal uniform in some schools.

It gets ten times worse in secondary school.

Dd's school refuse to provide lockers. The amount of theft that goes on is soul destroying.

It isn't just clothes. It is revision folders, text books, homework assignments - you name it.

School refuses to accept that it isn't just carelessness.

One morning at home I picked up from the coat rack my DS1's school fleece, to hurry him up, and was appalled to see it was clearly labelled "Girl in DS's class."

His own fleece was also on the coat rack. He had obviously considered it a bit nippy at school one day and decided to put his fleece on. Except he had not worn one that day so he had picked up any old one.

I had no idea how long we had had it - it could have been a week! I was horrified; luckily I knew the girl's mum so returned it with apologies immediately. Luckily she hadn't really missed it yet, she was just starting to wonder where it was.

I can assure you that there was no intention to steal on either the part of my DS or me.

Similarly, I noticed one day that my DS's shoes were not his. They were the same style but neither one was his and one was two sizes too small. I tracked down one easily enough. The other one was more difficult, DS of course being airily clueless about who he was next to when he changed for PE last. Then I noticed another of DS's friends in the playground at hometime, same shoes but one clearly much bigger than the other. I approached him cheerily and said "X, I think you might have got one of DS's shoes on." He was adamant that he had not. I had to be a little firm, that we check, and sure enough, one of his shoes was DS's - 2 sizes bigger.

When I read threads like these I sometimes wonder whether I should have accused this child of trying to steal one of DS's shoes because one of his feet is bigger than the other or something . . .

I get so frustrated when I read these threads, it's as if no one will admit the possibility that their child loses things or doesn't bother to look at name tapes, or doesn't look in lost property properly, or doesn't go to lost property at at all and lies about it, OH no, it's always some criminal other child/family trying to steal your school uniform,.

Ds came home from school dressed entirely in someone else's uniform. Obviously it was a "getting changed after PE" mix up.

However - it was all sorted out the next day.

I am afraid there is carelessness and losing things, and there is theft.

megabored sharpies are permanent markers here

You can use them on almost anything.

I don't bother with name labels any more, I just write our surname in big letters with a sharpie on the label (if I did suspect theft was going on I'd put it on the garment itself). Even if our name was Smith I'd do the same, it means you can hand the stuff down and it's still identifiable enough so they know it's theirs.

Maybe it's the areas I've taught in but I've never encountered people thinking the uniforms are actually stolen. In fact we usually have piles of lost property we would like not to be filling up classes/ boxes. Storage is usually at a premium in schools. We put out tables filled with stuff all the time which doesn't get taken.

Anything named we give to the child/parent.

My classes are taught from day one that they put anything they take off on their peg on in the 'home box'. It always amazes me that the parents who complain the most are the ones who dont let their kids help themselves! You can't expect Freddy to remember his coat if he never hangs it up himself. And labelling. If I ask if missing stuff is labelled it's usually not :/

It's not just jumpers either. Kids come to school with so much-bottles, jumpers, hats, bags, fruit, lipsalve(!) and that's reception! It's unfair for teachers to be expected to search the school.

DS was terrible for losing things when he started school and he carried on being that way until he was about 7.

I didn't once think it was the teachers' responsibility. It was his stuff and he had to learn how to look after it.

After numerous chats/shouting matches he got the message.

One thing his school does is lay out all the lost property on trestle tables in the entrance of the school on parents' evenings. I found two rain jackets and four hats once. I think it's a really good idea.

I completely agree it isn't the teacher's responsiblity to keep checking everyone has their things - if they did that all through school how are our children ever going to learn how to look after their stuff?

no I think people do pinch other people's things. perhaps schools do need to send out a letter at the start of school term reminding parents to label things clearly (i am sure people on here do) and to return things if their child accidentally brings home another child's cardigan etc.

even at secondary this happens. My DS's PE kit with rugby shirt went AWOL and we did chase it up. i never bothered replacing it and thought it was just too bad if he didn't have the correct expensive rugby shirt.

Top tip. Buy a sharpies fabric marker and write your child's name on the actual fabric of the cardigan. This way no-one can remove it! I used to sew labels in too until I spotted a child putting on my daughters cardigan (I knew it was hers as the name tape had been cut out but I could still see the edges where the pink writing on the name tape had been! I was fuming but didn't say anything as I had no proof.

Itdoesnhurttohavemanners
There, there dear, it'll be the Summer holidays soon!

At DS's soon-to-be-attended secondary school, they have to have their initials embroidered on their PE kits presumably to prevent such issues.....Think quite a lot of the public schools do this type of thing too... It will cost about £12.00 in machine embroidering (at the school outfitters) but well worth it IMO!

Maybe with the generic school uniform items it's excusable that things get swapped inadvertently, but when items such as joggers (which might be bought from anywhere and might vary in cost considerably too) go AWOL never to be seen again there is a huge issue about an over-sight developing into a deceit on the part of the parent(s) doing the laundering.

You are soooooo not being unreasonable!! It is one of those things that makes me see RED!!! -> See!!!

I've taken to embroidering Dd's initials on the front of her uniform.

if your LO is named Evie, the cardi is here. We're returning on Monday. I just noticed when I wash putting the washing away.

It smells luverly if that's any consolation?

Gazzalw My Ds has lost a rugby shirt and more recently a PE top at secondary school, both with embroidered initials on the front! so sadly, it doesn't stop them disappearing.

I make a habit of checking all uniform for labels before I put them in the wash as dd often accidentally picks up other children's clothes. If they aren't hers, I return them to their rightful owner and occasionally somebody returns dd's lost jumper to her.

I was like this too - I went through 7 PE kits at school - all lost and never found. I ended up wearing my younger brother's too-small PE kit as I had no money for a new one. If dd continues to lose things, I will take the same approach as my parents and she can pay to replace them herself.

My ds has lost his school jumper three times this year. These jumpers have the school logo and cost £20 .He currently has one jumper left, if that gets 'lost', i am going to get a 'new' jumper from lost property.
This also happens at my dd's ballet class, I sent my dd to her ballet class with a new leotard, cardigan , jazz tousers and tu tu. She returned home with an old , manky kit. I am convinced that the parent of the child who 'took' the kit was aware of the fact that the kit did not belong to their dd's,but just fancied keeping a brand new kit.
i now check my dd's kit when i collect her from ballet class.