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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

not to buy my DCs a football kit?

48 replies

Idontknowwhysheswallowedafly · 15/07/2014 12:33

I'm genuinely unsure whether IABU.

My 2 DC have an own clothes day coming up which is world cup themed (late I know!). They are both begging to wear a football kit. DC1 has a top and would need shorts/socks which aren't cheap. DC2 would need a full kit. They would like the kit of the PL team they support but would be happy with any of the big European teams or an England kit.

I don't want to buy it for them. I could afford to, but I don't want to. I'd sooner put the 70/80ish on our holiday spends or something. I don't think "world cup themed" necessarily equates to football kit.

On the other hand, we live in a football mad city and they're bouyed by the World Cup. I could be "projecting" here but I remember wearing slightly out of fashion, ill fitting, market stall clothing when I was their age (because it was all my mum could afford) and not begrudging it, but certainly being very conscious of it. I remember wanting to just have the same as everyone else seemed to and I think their friends might all be wearing football kits.

DC1 has offered to pay for his out of his savings which would solve the quandary, but DC2 hasn't got any savings so I think I would feel bad about asking one child to use their savings and then buying the kit for the other child.

They're pretty good kids and don't really ask for much but I'm reluctant to take this money out of the family pot - it will have a knock on elsewhere.

Oh and if everyone says IABU, could someone please tell me the cheapest place to get football kits! Sorry for this relatively boring AIBU but I just can't decide.

OP posts:

meddie · 15/07/2014 13:36

If they are football mad I would relent and get them the kits. I swore blind I wouldnt buy into the football kit rip off, in the end i did and I can honestly say it was the best value piece of clothing he had in terms of price per wear. He lived in it (would have slept in it if he could) it was all he wore after school and weekends. They wash and dry so quickly

GoringBit · 15/07/2014 13:38

I'm very much opposed to the commercialisation and big bucks element of football, and I think that YANBU. But... if they would appreciate them, look after them and get lots of use out of them, if it was affordable, I think I would do it. You mentioned older DC offering to pay for his, which is lovely, so could there be some bargaining here, say, that there will be slightly smaller birthday or Christmas presents this year? I suppose the problem with that idea is that it is/could be a long way off. gets arse-splinters from sitting on the fence

DustyCropHopper · 15/07/2014 13:41

I wasn't going to let mine have football kits but fil got one for ds1 at 4 (local league one team). They now each have the local team kit (which needs replacing as they have worn and worn it for 18 months. They both saved for the the new wc England kit and they have cheap kits from Thailand that are massive on them for their chosen pl teams. I have to say the best thing about the kits is they dry quickly after washing which is handy when camping! You can get non team socks in sports direct in a variety of colours for about £2 I think and they had non team football shorts reasonably priced so that could cut the cost down slightly.

post · 15/07/2014 13:42

I know when we're going to a wedding or something that feels really important to me in terms of what we all wear, I do spend money on clothes and that wouldn't be anyone else in the family's priority at all. If this is really important to them, maybe see it as appreciative 'give and take'?
Much as I feel your pain!

KnackeredMuchly · 15/07/2014 13:46

Yanbu! I would get your second kid a tshirt and make them both wear plain white shorts.

No way would I buy 2 football kits!!!

bigTillyMint · 15/07/2014 13:48

How old are they? Do they play football?

Having a football kit aged 6-11 really is the norm for most boys who like football and want to fit in.

Do you/friends/family go on holiday to places abroad that do cheap fake kits? DS had loads of them when he was at primary school

OorWullie · 15/07/2014 13:49

Could you compromise and not bother with the socks?

I think the shorts and top bit is fine and can be used for general wear afterwards, but proper football socks are quite expensive and probably wont get worn when they are out playing.

if they really want the socks older DS could use his savings for those, maybe DS2 could earn some savings by doing a few odd jobs?

To be honest though, if i was in a position where I could afford it and they really wanted it I would treat them- but I'm not often in a position to really treat my DS so it would be a novelty for me just to say "yes" for once as much as it would be for him.

Original poster

Idontknowwhysheswallowedafly · 15/07/2014 14:09

Argggghhhh! This is no easier because I agree with every one of you! I still don't know if IABU but I'm definitely wavering on the basis of the wear-all-summer-with-easy-laundry arguments. Then I keep going back to "yes but it's a big fat rip off".

And post has just upped the staked with the wedding outfit comparison because I have done that very recently.

I might have a nose around SPorts Direct and see what they've got in their sizes. I don't think they're bothered what team it is so long as it's not another PL team - although Cider got it right when she said PL isn't world cup anyway

OP posts:

ColdCottage · 15/07/2014 14:16

Got delayed by feeding etc. when I wrote this there were only 3 other posts. Seems some others have had the same ideas.

You could give your children 5 or 10 pounds each to see who could make the best costume from charity shop and craft items. Winner gets a prize??

GoblinLittleOwl · 15/07/2014 15:06

I think it is an appalling waste of money but I also appreciate how important having the 'right' clothes is; non-uniform days were never intended to be for this. Will your boys wear the kit and get good value out of it until they grow out of it, or will they expect something similar in a few months time?

defineme · 15/07/2014 15:09

I just get ds kit off ebay- he doesn't care if it's last years and it's usually very cheap.

Ragwort · 15/07/2014 15:18

No way would I do that, seriously go to a couple of charity shops and see what they've got (ask what they haven't put out as well) - football kits are such a major rip off.

CrohnicallyExhausted · 15/07/2014 16:00

My local Lidl had some football tops, shorts etc reduced to ridiculous prices not the World Cup is over- like 99p for a top! If you have one nearby then it's worth a look.

ebwy · 15/07/2014 16:33

If you are in Wales, peacocks had a Wales football kit for kids for about 7.50 on clearance. I had a friend get me one and post it to me in England in tine for football day at nursery for my eldest last week.

sanfairyanne · 15/07/2014 16:40

they are the best clothes investment i have ever made for my boys. honestly!
dry in seconds
worn every day for a year (almost)
no fading
no rips
no tears
buy one = a years worth of clothes

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/07/2014 17:00

YANBU in theory, but in practice I suspect football kit is the boys equivalent of DD2's super dry hoodie and Tshirt.

Stupidly expensive, but she lives in them and they give her pleasure. She feels part of the crowd at gym club (which is very mixed comp, grammar and private) and a bit of pose value on non uniform days.

Sometimes, DCs priorities aren't quite ours, but sometimes they really appreciate us letting them choose.

LizzieMint · 15/07/2014 18:16

Hmm see I'd say YANBU. Our school had a World Cup day a few weeks back and probably half the boys were in football kit, the other half just wore shorts and t-shirts. My son was one of them, he's got no interest in football at all but even if he did there's no way I'd spend that much money on a football kit. (My DS is 6)

Original poster

Idontknowwhysheswallowedafly · 15/07/2014 18:37

Thank you everyone. I'm still not sure whether IABU as I agreed with pretty much every post on here whether it said I was or wasn't. I was edging towards buying them - as elephants said, sometimes children's priorities seem trivial but to them it's a big deal.

Anyway, I was muttering on to someone in work about behaving Sports Direct later on AND SHE SAID "DON'T DO THAT, I'VE GOT SOME KITS THAT IM JUST ABOUT TO CHARITY BAG". I could've kissed her! They're too small for DC1 but there's a decent England kit for DC2. As a compromise, I'm going to buy the shorts for DC1 and he'll buy his own socks. And obviously drop a few quid to the charity which almost got the England kit.

So still not sure what I would've/should've done but it seems to have worked out.

Thank you again.

OP posts:

bigTillyMint · 15/07/2014 20:15

That's great! Your boys will be made-up.

ElephantsNeverForgive · 15/07/2014 23:39

Brilliant, happy boys and holiday spending money saved. It's nice to bave a happy ending.

CiderwithBuda · 15/07/2014 23:52

That works. And you said I was right earlier? I like being right. It doesn't happen often!

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 16/07/2014 00:41

I bought my youngest DS a nifty fake replica kit on eBay for about £10ish. It was that or nothing since we're skint.

ChillySundays · 16/07/2014 16:14

Great news! How luck was that.

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