To think pre-school uniform is a bit sad?

[CulturalBear]

It's that time of year, the FB full of cute pics of kids off to school for the first time.

This year though I noticed a huge number of those heading to pre-school are in full-on actual primary school uniform.

They're barely 3 years old some of them! AIBU to think this is a bit OTT and frankly, sad, trying to force kids into conforming and growing up at earlier and earlier ages?

I could understand taster days in the last few weeks before summer (possibly) but for a whole year? Seems a bit much...

Plomino That's awful

I cannot agree that school uniform is cheap for pre-school children. Even if it is a "normal" uniform, without any blazers or boaters.

The nursery attached to my children's school prescribes the same uniform as for the school pupils. Given that that includes a logoed school sweatshirt for £10.50, school shoes, specific colours of socks, and PE shorts, that wouldn't be cheap to wreck! Tell me, do 3-year olds' feet grow at all from September-July? Cos I find they generally do, acksherly.

Before school, my children went to a normal nursery. Things needed? Primsolls (2.99 a pair), and if I wanted, I could buy nursery t-shirts for £6 each. On the way to the nursery, they wore whatever cheap, comfortable, shoes I'd bought them.

*plimsolls

YANBU

To me its sad and creepy to be enforcing that kind of crap onto a baby.

I have seen some private nurseries that do a uniform from 18 months!

It does seem very young to enforce their wearing uniform at such a young age. Quite unnecessary.

Plomino - I should think those parents chose to talk to other families with the same colour jumper because they knew the kids would likely be classmates for the next 8 years. My ds just changed schools and yes I encouraged him more to socialise with the kids who were changing school with him (not private vs state issue btw). Sensible and practical, nothing to do with snobbery. If it was really snobbery then those who were on the receiving end of the distant behaviour should have been happy - who wants to be friends with a snob anyway?

Anyway, my dd was overjoyed with her logo nursery jumper when she was 3.

Lots of parents send kids in clothing that's unsuitable for an active day at nursery so I think nursery "uniform" - joggers, tshirt, jumpers, shorts if hot was really practical in our nursery. It wasn't compulsory but most parents chose to get the uniform. One girl was sent in flowing dresses and kept getting tangled in the climbing frame so I can understand the frustration of nursery staff. Also at our nursery, they did sometimes get changed to do stuff and again the uniform is easy for them to get on and off - again kids not in uniform were often sent in stuff they couldn't mange themselves.

I can't see the problem really. Uniform is cheap, practical and comfortable in general. In ours,if you couldn't afford it then you didn't need to wear it anyway.

This is my DS on his first day at Nursery (School Nursery) and, by his very odd grin, he is obviously thinks he is the next Bruce Forsyth!

However, I cannot see how him wearing this makes me either sad or creepy

His uniform is practical and cheap. It is also what he wants to wear as he loves being like his older DSis.

Regular clothes are also practical and cheap, and you can wear them in other settings, besides just pre-school.

I'd be annoyed if I had to fork out money for clothes just for pre-school. Hell, I'd be annoyed if I had to fork out for a uniform for primary school!

Having said that, at least these sorts of uniforms don't actively hinder little children from playing, unlike some of the antiquated, old-fashioned uniforms described upthread.

YANBU.

A couple of photos I've seen on facebook are just turned 3yr olds heading off for nursery/pre-school in proper shirts, ties, pleated skirts, frilly socks and patent shoes. How are these kids supposed to play? I bet they must be terrified of getting dirty.

Uniform is optional here until secondary. Primaries have them but you can decide whether to use them. But then the primary uniforms here are mostly cargo shorts/joggers/leggings with a specific coloured polo top. Practical and comfortable.

For the most part, kids don't care what everyone else is wearing. They just don't seem to be into "brands" the latest superhero or whatever. Kids wear clothes until they physical don't fit in them anymore or have fallen apart. I see kids in the park right up to age 14ish wearing joggers with holes in, tops that are slightly too small and almost always barefoot. Very few children are dressed in the latest expensive branded clothes so there's no problems with schools not having uniforms.