Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Misappropriated coat...

70 replies

AlreadyScone · 14/01/2013 08:43

At the start of autumn term I bought DD a new coat. I have to budget hard, but I like to get the DCs the best coat & shoes I can afford and cut corners elsewhere (like living in cardboard box int' middle of t' motorway)

It was one of those waterproofs with a tightly zipped-in fleece. DD loved it and insisted on wearing the whole thing, but about 2 weeks into term came home wearing just the fleece, which is when I realised that I'd only labelled the fleece bit and forgotten to separately label the shell. Wasn't worried though as it is a very bright colour and had seen no-one else in the same one at the school gate. However, despite best efforts to find at school it was gone forever... so chalked up as experience and stumped up for a new coat (explaining to DD we would have to forego a day out as a consequence.)

Anyway this morning it's a school trip and so an early drop-off... yes, you've guessed it, saw a friend of DD's being dropped off in what looked like the missing shell, open with different fleece underneath.

I know it's just one of those things and it could of course be that they just have the same coat but AIBU to be feeling a bit grumpy about it? Possibly being a bit protective of DD who has SEN and things often go right over her head.

OP posts:

Cherriesarelovely · 14/01/2013 11:17

Annoying indeed OP. Could you possibly mention it to the TA or the teacher? The barcode thing is a good idea. I am a teacher and I wouldn't be annoyed if a parent mentioned this to me.

ArnoldLaneHasaStrangeHobby · 14/01/2013 11:17

I had something similar with dd last year. I'm the same- coats last all winter until they are grown out of (or I look on EBay/second hand shops etc for bargains).

I bought her a rain mac, which had a belt and a fleece inner (attached). It was very nice and she looked lovely in it. A few weeks after, another child came in wearing the same coat minus the belt. DDs was labelled so wasn't worried.

Except the belt wasn't.

About 2 days after, dds belt walked. Was livid. Couldn't find it in school. Surprise surprise, other child's coat suddenly had the belt

Not much I could do, so made a point of standing by her Mum, and saying to a friend "its just a shame when someone has to take things that aren't theirs, now dd needs a new coat because someone is too lazy to provide a full coat for their child".

Norty, yes, but it worked. Next day, dd's belt magically reappeared on her peg. No one ever owned up but I was happy that I hadn't wasted money for a new coat only for the belt to walk. I sewed the bloody thing to the loops at the back after that.

happynewmind · 14/01/2013 11:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LittleChimneyDroppings · 14/01/2013 11:31

Its so annoying. I bought dd a new PE top and within a week it went missing and was replaced with an old battered one. Teacher asked all the parents but no one owned up. It had her name sewn into it. I learnt my lesson from that and now put her name in pockets and sleeves as well.

wonkylegs · 14/01/2013 11:41

My reception aged DSs whole PE kit new in Sept has completely disappeared twice now (am now on 3rd kit) despite being labeled with brightly coloured iron on (completely melded to fabric) labels which are massive and obvious. Spoke to the TA today and she can't believe it's gone as it's so obviously his stuff (she & I loves the labels as they are quite cute as well as being clear), she said she's going to check all the kids stuff again for me today.
If it happens again he's just getting a multi pack of the cheapest shorts and t-shirts ASDA has, as it's not only the expense but the hassle of having to go to the only uniform shop in the city that stocks their logo uniform

Theicingontop · 14/01/2013 13:05

I'm just amazed at how many fully-grown thieves there are in the playground. I can't imagine losing my child's coat hood, seeing the same one on another child and stealing it. It's mind boggling.

Theas18 · 14/01/2013 13:33

Write the names in garments in marker pen if needed then there can be no debate about whos it is.

2ndry school here all PE kid has the childs name embroidered prominently on it before it leaves the uniform shop. It's brilliant! They don't pinch kit at all- you'd never get it out!

DS did get a little teased when he forgot his kit and did a rugby match as C Singh though!

thegreylady · 14/01/2013 13:40

Put the name or initial on the outside of the coat eg collar or back hem in either indelible ink or a sewn on letter. Then you can see at a glance if someone else is wearing it.

Sonatensatz · 14/01/2013 14:37

sadly even writing names in black marker pen doesn't stop things walking. My dd's brand new wellies disappeared on her 1st day at nursery, her name was written in large letters in black marker inside the top of both boots. The nursery searched for them and put up big lost posters in the cloakrooms on the doors and round the nursery but they never turned up.

ArnoldLaneHasaStrangeHobby · 14/01/2013 14:42

Yep we're on 3rd PE kit. The other 2 disappeared within the first two weeks. Was told it was my fault as her labels were not on the front of her clothes(?). Like if some little shit wants to nick it, they will think "well, I can take the inside labels out but-woah hold on- its got outside ones so I wont bother"

RobotLover68 · 14/01/2013 14:43

We had a coat that reappeared after a YEAR - it had definitely been used as it was quite dirty grrrrr

Carrie37 · 14/01/2013 14:49

Theft is theft! It is not light fingered or pilfering or whatever its stealing and its a criminal offence. You would be arrested if you took from a shop and you should be arrested if you take it from a school!

"Rant over."

lainiekazan · 14/01/2013 14:53

someone nicked dd's swimming costume. I remembered I'd left it on the peg and went back from the car park literally minutes later and it had already gone. Unbelievable that someone should fancy a sopping wet Asda swimsuit...

DoodlesNoodles · 14/01/2013 14:59

We lived somewhere hot where the DCs had to wear school baseball hats. My middle DS used to loose them all the time even though they were all clearly labelled on the inside. They cost ten quid each . They had to take them off before some classes and leave them in open lockers. He swore blind that other DCs were always 'borrowing' each others hats. TBH I though it was just him being careless.
I ended up getting his name embroided on the outside the hat (which cost £3ish) and they stopped disappearing. . My DS was innocent
I ended up doing the same with his P.E. kit, labelling on the outside worked a treat.

BlackBagBorderBinLiner · 14/01/2013 15:09

DD's Monsoon Ebay coat disappeared, I thought we could have left it at in a friends car/in the garden at MILs, not to worry it i'll turn up. We found it 6 months later hanging on the back of SILs bathroom door, she'd nicked from MILs, taken the name out but failed to remove the stain from the biro in washing machine incident.

Despite it being the wrong size for her DD she brazened it out, 'found it in a charity shop'. A few things fell it to place with that, bits that had inexplicably gone missing over the years. If she was hard up I'd have given her it but BIL is on over £100k (tax free) whilst we're bumping along here. She must just get a kick out of it. I pity her and wish BIL had stuck with any of his previous GFs

ophelia275 · 14/01/2013 17:30

BlackBagBorderBinLiner - How can you be on £100k tax free?

zlist · 14/01/2013 17:37

I also label more expensive items twice, in a place that wouldn't normally be noticed. I've only had something go missing once (never to be seen again and it was very distinctive - crazy skiing hat). SIL has had quite a bit of uniform stolen at her children's schools, mainly because the uniform is considerably more expensive (private school).

Narked · 14/01/2013 17:38

Agree with everyone else. Label in at least 3 places, one of them hidden so that anyone who steals it will miss it and you can prove ownership.

BlackBagBorderBinLiner · 14/01/2013 17:42

Ophelia get a job working on the oil boats up on the Arctic circle, offshore no mans land, minimum tax then you too can lecture your SIL about how you only buy organic, ethically sourced baby clothes whilst your husband is mapping where the crude is.
You do have to work 7 day weeks, 12 hour shifts with no booze but you get 26 weeks off a year.

Original poster

AlreadyScone · 14/01/2013 18:52

Saw it again on collection. Even surer that it's mine now. I said to mum while her DD was a little way off "That's an unusual coat X is wearing, is it new?" She said brightly "No" and then there was a long tumble-weedy silence

Just want to state again that I do think it's a mix-up and not theft, but... bah and bollocks and no more birthday invitations to YOU.

OP posts:

BoneyBackJefferson · 14/01/2013 19:31

It gets worse when they get to secondary school.

pens, pencils, in fact whole pencil cases, football boots.

the list is endless.

cumfy · 14/01/2013 19:42

But DD must have seen this girl ..... everyday ..... ?

cumfy · 14/01/2013 19:46

DD2 had a school jumper go missing, I'd sewed the name tape inside her sleeve and one morning when DH was getting the girls ready, he didn't see the name tape so wrote on the washing instructions. Jumper went missing and when we got it back the washing instructions had been cut off and a new label added - the original name tape was still inside the sleeve

What the fucking fuck ????

Who steals childrens' clothes ??

cakebar · 14/01/2013 19:47

Op - seriously, I would say to her that your dd has the same coat and the outer has gone missing, and can she double check that she hasn't picked it up by mistake?

I have had this happen once, I had a suspicion who it was, and I asked if they minded if I checked their kid's coat (whilst doing so) and oh look, there must have been a mix up because here is my son's name written in marker pen down the sleeve

happynewmind · 14/01/2013 20:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flip

1 2 3