To be fed up with school over this?

[ClarkWGriswold]

DD is 5 and in reception. Her summer uniform is one of those generic gingham dresses in pale yellow. About once a week she comes home with white board marker and paint all over her dresses. Four have now been ruined, one was covered in burgundy paint.

Last week I bought her 3 new dresses to replace the ruined ones. Today she comes out of class with blue paint all over her dress. I've now got it in the wash with stain treatment and am hoping for the best

AIBU to bring this up with the school. I genuinely don't know if this is something I should approach the teacher about or if my DD is expected to take responsibility for herself. I am generally very happy with the school and also don't want to be seen as a PITA mother.

Someone on another thread said if you spray hairspray on a fresh pen mark before popping in the wash, the pen marks come out

(I also know those alcohol hand gels are good at getting pen marks off whiteboards, but I haven't tried it on a dress.

As for paint - it's meant to be washable - they haven't accidently bought acrylic have they.

My childrens school has a display of a dirty uniform with arrows pointing at different splodges and words about how important skills were learned in each splodge.it has the heading 'sorry my uniform is dirty mummy but...

I'm a bit old fashioned and don't get what's wrong with an old shirt apron but I took the message from the display to not mention it.

grasspigeons, I will definitely try to hairspray trick. I love the idea of that display - I quite like that they come out covered in paint and mud and grass stains etc - it shows they had fun and are doing practical learning.

OP, I personally wouldn't be too annoyed unless they really are totally trashed (although I do get it is very frustrating and can feel like you are wasting money). I buy cheap and expect uniforms to be filthy and pen covered. Also have one set for 'good' / school photos.

Tbh I don't mind too much either, but it is frustrating when you know the mark has come from the hand of another child, like the smiley face drawn on the back of dd's skirt. Neither she nor the school can explain it. it is a perfect smiley face and the only time she had her skirt off was for PE. I am convinced that is when it was done as otherwise DD wouldn't have hesitated to blame someone, even if she had done it herself.

Organise a cake sale or something with some other parents, have a whip round and raise a bit of money and donate a load of brand new aprons to the school. They probably don't cost that much and it's one less thing for the school budget.

You're unlikely to be taken very seriously. My only complaint about my DD's teacher is that she doesn't encourage using aprons etc and has a passive aggressive display up with a deliberately ruined shirt.

I totally agree with you though and I always make an effort in my class to try and keep the children as clean as possible.