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

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:

Holidayhooray · 25/08/2017 12:30

Brilliant idea I think.

What about getting 3 accessories and she gets to choose one per day. Like a lovely hair clip etc

mumeeee · 25/08/2017 12:33

Great idea

Original poster

AuroraFloyd · 25/08/2017 12:35

Looking at the school trousers available, the soft jersey type look so much more practical - thicker and harder wearing, than normal leggings.

OP posts:

FruitBadger · 25/08/2017 12:42

I have a drawer of tracksuit bottoms / shorts and slightly more manky t shirts that are DS' Nursery clothes. That's the only place he wears them, most were second hand or hand me downs. It means I really don't care what state he comes home in and I haven't had to label everything he owns. Much quicker to get him dressed in the morning. Not a batshit idea at all.

pinkhorse · 25/08/2017 12:42

Fab idea!

bunningsbunny · 25/08/2017 12:47

I used to do this for dc although not quite as regimented - a load of cheap joggers and tshirts from the supermarket that were nursery clothes, put out the night before. if ds1was going through a picky stage then I would put out 2 tshirts for him to chose from, that was as much choice as he got and he was fine with it. DS2 didn't care what clothes he wore - but was very particular about his socks (they couldn't match but had to be from the same set so a red robot and a blue robot would be fine, a red robot and a thomas the tank engine would cause a meltdown) so he had a sock pot that they all went into and he had to pick them himself. Luckily he was pretty quick as he didn't like having cold toes

Even now that they are much older (junior and secondary schools), they still both like wearing plain jogging bottoms - they have a pair of 'respectable' trousers if we are off anywhere smart, a couple of pairs of jeans (usually one newer pair and one older pair for being scruffy in) and then shorts in the summer. makes life much easier!

Allthebestnamesareused · 25/08/2017 12:51

We kind of did that when DS went to nursery. There was a part of the wardrobe that had nursery (ie. doesn't matter if they get trashed) clothes one end otherwise DH would put him in "good" stuff!

SquedgieBeckenheim · 25/08/2017 13:10

DD has always had certain t shirts and jogging bottoms to wear to childminder/nursery. No way was I having nice clothes get wrecked!

WaxOnFeckOff · 25/08/2017 13:13

The only flaw I can foresee is that she will soon wonder why she is the only one at the childminders in her "uniform" whereas at her brother's school everyone wears it.

I'd have the answer to that ready for when the question is asked! :)

Original poster

AuroraFloyd · 25/08/2017 13:25

I've settled on a selection of pink/blue patterned tshirts she already has, bought some cheap pink hoodies from George (in different shades of pink for variety), and I'll get some dark grey and navy blue joggers/leggings/school trousers (probably a selection of all three im case of potty training accidents).

That way everything goes together and can be mixed and matched, it won't look too much like an actual school uniform and dd won't think her mum is weird/mean because they're still her own clothes and she has some choice but not so much choice that she gives me a breakdown in the mornings. (God knows what she'll be like as a teenager!).

OP posts:

user1496146479 · 26/08/2017 13:09

I work full time, three DC, two at school. Have five sets of uniform trousers, five sets of polos for each. Two jumpers, and two PE kits each! All clothes ready (trousers, polo, vest, socks etc) for the week on Sunday for all three DC. Much easier, no midweek ironing etc!

hockityponktas · 26/08/2017 13:20

As an ex child minder I say this is a great idea!
I can't count the number of times children came in unsuitable clothes or brand new/designer clothes that parents didn't want any mess on. It will make life easier all round I'd say.

NeverNic · 26/08/2017 15:28

My children's preschool has a uniform. They have a polo shirt and sweatshirt and asked to wear grey trousers / skirt / shorts (though this wasn't mandatory). At the time I thought they were too young for uniform but a year of wearing proper 'school clothes', he had no issues dressing himself in Reception and I actually didn't bother buying any new bottoms for Reception year until he grew out of them! It was actually mentioned in his school report, how his 'self-care' was above what the 'expected' level was. I'd like to claim that it is because he is awesome and very grown up - but really it's because he'd already been dressing himself in the stuff for the year before anyway.

AlexanderHamilton · 26/08/2017 15:37

I think it's a great idea. I'd go for leggings in summer & joggers in winter with multipack plain coloured t shirts. Practical & easy drying (nothing worse than wearing denim jeans/shorts & getting wet.

aveenofreak · 26/08/2017 15:52

If teaming with legging I don't really see why you would bother! I have a box in bottom of wardrobe full of leggings tees etc all those multi packs you can buy in supermarkets and all mix and match, dd just wears those to nursery to save her best clothes getting ruined

Madmama10 · 26/08/2017 23:51

Dd has the non compulsory nursery policy with black leggings. It's similar to the staff uniform so she thinks she is big and special wearing it and not weird that there are only a few kids wearing it.

Doglikeafox · 27/08/2017 10:22

I think it's a great idea and as a childminder I love it when the mindees have suitable clothing every day. One of my mindees has a multi pack of leggings and tshirt from ASDA that she wears every single day with a zip up jacket and a rain coat in her bag. In the summer she brings sun cream and a hat, in the winter a hat and a thicker coat. Her wellies stay at my house and she wears P.E pump-like shoes which are perfect for taking on and off herself and for running about it.
It makes my life SO much easier when she can dress herself independently, go to the toilet independently, always has suitable clothing, I don't need to worry about getting clothes dirty, I can recognise which children's clothes are hers in a instant so no getting mixed up and she is always on time (maybe because of her uniform!)
I say go for it!!

Doglikeafox · 27/08/2017 10:26

Also if it's a multipack I don't think she'll notice at all that she is wearing something particular. The mindee I mention is 3 and a half and clothing-obsessed and still hasn't mentioned it they have a very short memory and once something has been in the washing basket for a few days it can feel like new!
Also almost all of the children in my setting have 'childminder clothes' so although the other children won't be wearing the same thing, they will be wearing the same small selection of clothes on a regular basis.

Flip

1 2 3