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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think DD's teacher should not make her swap uniform with another child?

100 replies

allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:10

DD (9) went to another local school this afternoon to take part in some kind of maths challenge (am hazy on details as the school only told me yesterday afternoon Hmm). I sent her off this morning dressed as she is every day - logoed school polo neck t-shirt, grey uniform trousers, and red cardigan. The cardigan isn't logoed as they cost stupid money - DD has a knitting granny who makes her one every year in the right shade of red.

When I picked her up, she had no cardigan. I asked where it was and it turned out she had been made to swap with another child and wear their logoed one instead, and other child had fallen over whilst wearing hers and got it muddy so the teacher had sent it home with them to wash and return.

DD is allergic to a lot of washing powders so I chased after other child, got cardigan back to wash myself, and it has a hole and several long pulled threads from where the other child fell over, as well as being properly sodden and very muddy.

I approached her teacher and said that I'd prefer it if DD could be allowed to remain in her own uniform, and she shrugged and said DD needed a logoed cardigan for trips. Well that's news to me, and she was one of only 4 children who went to the other school, which only has 30 pupils anyway so hardly going to get swept up in a maelstrom of other kids Hmm

OP posts:
girlpancake · 04/07/2012 16:13

Ooh! Yanbu!
Bloody uniform nazis.

MuddlingMackem · 04/07/2012 16:17

YANBU!

If it's so important that children wear logo-ed jumpers or cardis for such school events, but logo items are optional as far as uniform is concerned, then the school should have its own stash they can borrow from in such circumstances.

I know you're furious that your daughter's cardi is damaged, but think how livid the other mother would be if your daughter had accidentally damaged her daughter's expensive logo cardi. Really bad of the school to do this, I think.

usualsuspect · 04/07/2012 16:19

YANBU , uniforms cause more bloody hassle than they are worth

HeadfirstForHalos · 04/07/2012 16:22

A logo one is more expensive but easier to replace than a hand knitted one. But yes the teacher is being unreasonable.

pinkappleby · 04/07/2012 16:23

The school shouldn't make them swop. I would be very cross. If they want all kids in logoed cardigans then that should be the school rules.

cocolepew · 04/07/2012 16:26

They should have a spare logoed one in that case, not swap them around.

Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:27

Its not in the rules (I just checked Blush), and even if it was, its not actually compulsory - primary schools can't insist on logoed uniform that only one shop can supply.

OP posts:
cocolepew · 04/07/2012 16:29

My DD was doing some choir thing at the shopping center and was told everyone had to wear a long sleeved shirt(she has short sleeves) and to tell me to buy her one. 3 weeks before they broke up, like that was going to happen Hmm.

Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:31

Had they told me she needed a logoed cardigan I would probably have borrowned one off her best friend, whose mum would have been fine about it. But they didn't mention it - in fact, the voicemail they left about it specifically said she didn't need anything special!

OP posts:
Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:31

'borrowned' Hmm Blush I mean borrowed

OP posts:
diddl · 04/07/2012 16:35

I think it´s understandable that they wanted her in a logoed cardigan-but to swap is ridiculous!

Dancergirl · 04/07/2012 16:37

Sorry but I think YABU

She was representing her school and should be dressed in proper uniform. If they are expensive, can you not buy her a second-hand logo-ed one to wear for school trips?

Maybe the school assumed you knew about logo-ed uniform for trips and that's why they didn't mention it?

helenthemadex · 04/07/2012 16:40

I can sort of understand although I think its twatty, if they wanted them to all look the same maybe for a photograph or something, but they should not have made your dd swap her cardigan in case it got damaged which it has, I would be very pissed off and make sure they knew about it

Pandemoniaa · 04/07/2012 16:41

If logo-ed cardigans are not compulsory items then, ergo, it isn't compulsory to buy one. If the school are so desperate for children to wear them when they visit other schools then the onus is on them to have a small supply to lend out. I'd also be pissed off to discover a perfectly good (and acceptable) cardigan had been randomly swapped and then returned in an awful condition. So YANBU.

Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:44

She wasn't 'representing her school' really, she was going to the school that her school has a partnership with (they are both so small they were both threatened with closure, so they formed a partnership and now share a headteacher and certain facilities). There were no parents or public there.

I can just about accept the need for uniform, and I make sure she is neatly dressed in the correct colour and style of clothing every day, with a logoed polo shirt (the cheapest logoed item they sell). No chance of a second hand one as the logo only changed last September when the partnership was formed.

OP posts:
Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:45

And it won't have been for a photo as DD is on the 'no photos' list due to abusive XP who does not have access.

OP posts:
GooseRocks · 04/07/2012 16:49

I think YABU not buying DD a uniform cardi for occasions such as this but obv teacher shouldn't have asked her to swap with another child in case one or other got damaged - which has happened.

I don't think there's anything wrong with teacher wanting kids to be "properly" turned out when representing school and I can appreciate why a non-logo cardi would not be considered as such. By all means complain but be prepared to be considered a bit tight....

diddl · 04/07/2012 16:53

Logos should be available to sew on imo.

I loved wearing hand knitted cardis/jumpers at primary school.

Pandemoniaa · 04/07/2012 16:57

By all means complain but be prepared to be considered a bit tight....

It's not a question of being a bit tight! If an item is not compulsory but is ridiculously expensive then it is commonsense to kit a child out in a perfectly acceptable alternative. It may also be the only affordable alternative.

If the school want logos on everything then sew-on versions should be available. It's a state primary, ffs, not sodding Eton.

Original poster
allmouthnotrousers · 04/07/2012 16:57

I'd happily sew/iron a logo patch onto her cardigan if they were available, in fact thats a really good idea - would work out lots cheaper than buying the stuff ready branded.

OP posts:
Onthebottomwithawomansweekly · 04/07/2012 17:03

Yanbu!

But here's a cheapo way round it - get hold of the very cheapest logoed item, cut the logo off, do zig zag stitch around the edge, and oversew it onto the cardigan. You can then move it to any new cardigan easily.

I did this for a sweatshirt that cost £30 with the logo (original sweatshirt was too small and ripped). Bought one for £5, spent about 30 mins on the logo, all done.

This logo stuff is such a rip off.

Greatauntirene · 04/07/2012 17:11

Jeesh. I don't think DD will be on any team in the near future.

I would be happy she was on team, and accept holey cardi as an unfortunate accident.

McHappyPants2012 · 04/07/2012 17:15

The uniform policy should be avaliable for you to see, if it say logo polo shirt and logo cardigan than yabu, when you signed for the school placement then you have signed for there rules.

Dancergirl · 04/07/2012 18:02

OP, are the logo-ed cardies of the sweatshirt type material? I think they stand up to the rigours of school life better than knitted types. Whilst hand-knitted is lovely, perhaps they are not as robust as it got a hole in just from another child falling over..? It could have been your dd falling over and the cardie could have been damaged. Might be better to get her a proper one, even if second-hand, and save hand-knitted stuff for weekend wear.

FallenCaryatid · 04/07/2012 18:15

'If it's so important that children wear logo-ed jumpers or cardis for such school events, but logo items are optional as far as uniform is concerned, then the school should have its own stash they can borrow from in such circumstances.'

We do exactly what MuddlingMackem said, we have a stash of smart bits of uniform.