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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a "uniform" for toddler when at the childminders?

68 replies

AuroraFloyd · 25/08/2017 10:48

I'm going back to work full time in September and trying to think of ways to make mornings less stressful.

Ds is at school, wears a uniform and as he likes routine this has never been a problem. He knows what he needs to wear and gets on with it.

Dd is 2. She has dozens of outfits to choose from due to hand me downs from family. She likes to choose what she wears and get herself dressed. This can take a while as she won't accept help until she gets herself stuck and gives up. This is going to be a nightmare once I'm back at work and trying to get everyone out the door, even if I plan outfits the night before.

So I thought, what if I get her a "uniform" to wear at the childminders? She will happily wear it because her big brother is. Polo shirts are easy for her to put on herself, I can team them with plain leggings, or pinafore dresses so it doesn't look too schooly. And I don't have to worry about nice clothes getting wrecked.

Good idea? Or batshit?

OP posts:
skyzumarubble · 25/08/2017 11:30

Mine had preschool outfits - x5 leggings and x5 tops that I didn't care if they got trashed. So much easier.

CreamCheeseBrownies · 25/08/2017 11:30

I'd go with multipacks of t shirts and leggings that coordinate, rather than "uniform" polos I think. Ready made capsule wardrobe :) Next are brilliant for this, with coordinated multipacks on the same page, but it's easily done with supermarket clothes too.

Wdigin2this · 25/08/2017 11:31

Very good idea!

IToldYouIWasFreaky · 25/08/2017 11:34

I used to do similar for DS when he was at nursery - t-shirts and joggers from the charity shop or supermarket. Comfortable and easy in the morning and I didn't mind if they got wrecked.
The only possible objection I could see to this is the intitial cost but you can buy leggings and t-shirts for next to nothing so in the long term you'd be saving money as you need fewer "nice" clothes.

Why does your DH think it's batshit?

MsHarry · 25/08/2017 11:36

Great idea. Could be a T shirt with nice soft joggers and zip up hoodie in winter and T shirts and leggings/shorts in summer. Keep dresses etc for other days. I was a sahm but I always dressed my DDs in these things for nursery anyway so it's much the same thing, practical dressing rather than a uniform as such.I just called them nursery clothes or playgroup clothes.

FluffyMcCloud · 25/08/2017 11:38

I did this for DS at preschool. I bought 5 pairs of cheapie grey tracksuit bottoms and 5 polo shirts and that was his uniform. Worked really well!

FloweryTeapot · 25/08/2017 11:41

It's an excellent idea. DD didn't go to a cm, but DH would take her into the office with him at w/e if he had any catching up to do.
She had a smart 'workdress'. Plain navy with tiny butterflies on which she decided was 'office wear' so there was never any quibbling.
Sitting on a train one day she was scribbling with crayons on a sheet of A4 and a man opposite asked what she was drawing.
"A spreadsheet"
It raised a smile on a dull morning.

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 25/08/2017 11:42

Two of mine had this uniform at Pre-School and it made mornings so much easier. Sounds a very sensible idea.

Original poster
AuroraFloyd · 25/08/2017 11:46

He thinks there's no need because she's not in school yet and she has plenty of clothes, but in reality what she has is a billion dresses (all hand me downs). I don't think dresses are very practical for playing or potty training which we will be starting soon.

I've just done an audit of her clothes and there are enough random tshirts to work with but she's outgrown last years trousers and leggings and obviously impending potty training means we'll need more. Supermarket multipacks sound like a good idea.

OP posts:
SpaghettiAndMeatballs · 25/08/2017 11:47

If I had one who cared about what they were wearing, I totally would do this. Easy, fast, what's not to like (it's basically what I do for myself at work - a stack of shirts, a stack of trousers, and wear one set each day)

My kids don't care, so the freedom of going to a school without uniform works better for me (I don't have to be sure there's a clean sweatshirt/correct PE kit which is great)

SpaghettiAndMeatballs · 25/08/2017 11:48

I don't think dresses are very practical for playing or potty training which we will be starting soon.

Oh god, don't, you're giving me memories of DS2 potty training while wearing his brother's handme-down t-shirts, and us all sniffing, wondering where the poo smell was coming from - he'd sit himself on the toilet, but not make sure the back of the t-shirt was properly lifted up Sad

Ilovehamabeads · 25/08/2017 11:48

It's a great idea. I also did this when DS went to nursery.

DragonNoodleCake · 25/08/2017 11:50

I did it for DD2. Cheap t-shirts and leggings etc, separate for nursery. Nice/good stuff for weekends.
She used to come home either muddy (mud kitchen in garden) or painted or with lunch on her every day. I quit worrying because the 'outfits' were cheap ones. And she enjoyed the free play!

glenthebattleostrich · 25/08/2017 11:50

As a childminder I'd say yes please. Nothing worse than a child dropped off in lovely designer clothes and shoes when you've planned a day mostly involving mud and glue!

Jaxhog · 25/08/2017 11:51

Brilliant idea. And it gets her used to wearing a uniform to school.

The only snag is that she may realise that she's the only one wearing a uniform.

AntiGrinch · 25/08/2017 11:53

the people who are saying "you don't need more clothes, just let her choose from the ones you have" are missing the point. that would be fine with a rational person. This is a two year old who needs a change of pace, some firm direction to alter her current "I can take 45 minutes to try random exciting things on till I get stuck" to "these are the clothes I am going to put on straight away, like my brother". No amount of reasoning or explaining or "but these are the ones you said you wanted last night" is going to do that. A clear visual and procedural switch sounds like a great idea.

I love school uniform. Saturday morning clothes indecision and headfits drive me nuts. I have entirely let go of attempting to say anything about the actual weather and just pack spare clothes that are right for the temperature, so they can ask to change when they find it is actually hot or cold, as I was trying to explain earlier

BendydickCuminsnatch · 25/08/2017 11:53

DS is going to have certain nursery clothes, I think it's sensible!

Jaxhog · 25/08/2017 11:54

@Floweryteapot I love that your DD has chosen her own office wear! With her grasp of spreadsheets, she's clearly going to go far.

Birdsgottafly · 25/08/2017 11:54

Will she take to going to the Childminders, easily?

Having a uniform, like all the school children do, may help her accept that, going somewhere else away from Mummy during the day, is what we do.

I agree with you anyway, it's easier routine wise.

longestlurkerever · 25/08/2017 11:59

Hmm. It might work but my dd who sounds a bit like yours has a school uniform and it doesn't really help us get out of the door. She will fuss about wanting one particular school dress with the heart zip or whatever, and find endless ways to subvert it with layering, hairstyles etc (she's 5 - I dread the teenage years). I preferred the days when she could take her pick of clothes and the only battle was whether she had to wear tights under on a cold day

AJPTaylor · 25/08/2017 11:59

Dh only gets a view if he is getting her out in the morning.

Tidypidy · 25/08/2017 12:06

I did this for mine when at childminder and preschool. They had specific clothes to wear which kept the rest of their stuff tidy.

vikingprincess81 · 25/08/2017 12:21

Go for it. My dcs had uniform for preschool (not compulsory, but had the school logo on, a very sensible navy Fruit of the Loom or similar polo shirt) and it made life easier. got covered in yellow paint about a week in to the term, ah well Label the lot, and let dd enjoy her 'home' clothes at weekends. Not batshit at all, in fact it's very sensible, and I think a lot of childminders would be delighted. Mine, as well as school, always send home letters saying to let the kids wear washable clothes, that aren't particularly special, as they will be outside a lot, and they will get mucky. DD12 comes home with stories of x who can't play games because her mum will be mad if she gets her Superdry coat/Ugg boots/magical fancy jeans dirty, or y who won't play catch as her mum told her to keep her jeans clean, in case she falls. I couldn't imagine living life so concerned about clothes - keep the good stuff for best, and let kids be kids in the cheap, washable stuff that allows them to play. yes I spend a lot on Vanish but kids and clothes are fully washable I may be a bit of a free range mum, but think the kids benefit more from being outside and getting dirty than worrying about keeping clean.

vikingprincess81 · 25/08/2017 12:22

I don't wash my kids in Vanish - in case that wasn't clear Wink

LockedOutOfMN · 25/08/2017 12:23

DS and DD had no uniform for nursery but I assigned certain outfits to be worn for nursery so there was a distinction between them and their "home" clothes. We found it made life easier.