To hate own clothes day at school?

[purplelass]

It just gets so competitive and clearly differentiates the haves from the have nots... can't I just donate double and DD can wear uniform?

I've never thought about it before but I really sympthise with the teachers saying they don't recognise the children out of uniform. A colleague of mine comes to work every day in dark trousers, some kind of smart casual top or shirt and her hair in a bun. I saw her out shopping last weekend in a strappy jumpsuit, bright lipstick and her hair down. She totally took the piss out of me for not recognising her!

I hate them. It actually really highlights kids from deprived areas, and in our school we often find these pupils choose not to come in.

I said this already, but I don't think own clothes make nice kids suddenly become cruel. I think they give already cruel kids ammunition.

If a child's being nasty on Own Clothes Day, they're probably nasty all the time and need to be pulled up on it all the time, IMO.

I agree that if uniforms were abolished completely that parents wouldn't tell their kids not to play/paint etc. and behaviour wouldn't be different. All in all I'm on the fence on that debate, but I don't think a uniform is a panacea, particularly regarding bullying/class inequality. If anything the opposite in lots of schools.

Its never normally been a problem at my kids’ schools. However DD has one coming up next Friday and the girls have been told they can’t wear shorts! Now I understand not allowing the skimpy butt-cheek showing variety but my DD doesn’t wear those. Hers are quite short - come to the top of her thigh but perfectly decent. It’s going to be really warm next week and she doesn’t want to wear jeans and doesn’t do dresses and skirts.

As a primary school teacher, and mufti irritates me because 30 children who don't know how to tie their laces all turn up in lace up shoes. I spend the entire day tying laces.

Proof read that as it was posting, and the accidental additional "and" is irritating me so much. Wish I could edit posts.

I think they give cruel kids ammunition

I think there’s a lot of truth in this Rose

I was always very pro uniform until we moved to the US and our kids stopped having to wear it.

I have found that wearing uniform saves me a considerable amount of money, cuts my washing by about 30% and the kids can dress for the weather too, no more roasting in hot uniform.

My kids (having a European fashion sense) dress differently from all the other kids. They don’t wear any of the brands popular here. No one has ever commented on their clothes.

I’m dreading going back to uniform when we move home in a few years.

Think I’d be challenging that Cantshop

I bet the boys are being allowed shorts?

The rule here is shorts at least fingertip length which gives a guide as to what is reasonable.

I come from an affluent family and had money for good clothes but wasn't cool and I hated mufti days.

I knew I never looked right or trendy and used to cringe.

I hated them as a kid. Frumpy wardrobe, teen spots and a serious confidence problem. Other girls did notice and comment - oh and it was the 80s so everything looked fucking horrible on you if you weren't a Bo Derek/Farrah Fawcett clone

People who are so against uniforms should read this thread - it really not as great as they think it is

I strongly suspect this only happens because uniforms are the norm, and regular clothes are unusual.

DC don't wear uniforms in primary schools here (except at a tiny handful of fee-paying schools), and there's no competitiveness. Kids don't care - they just wear what they wear.

Out of interest, what happens at the weekend? I'm sure they're all able to negotiate regular clothes without any competitiveness or ill-feeling then.

Applesauce - another thing that most of us are unaware of that teachers have to deal with! I have a lot of respect for you.

And teachers manage to recognise the kids just fine.

I'm a teacher and don't like them either. The children are always high and I spend the day doing up shoe laces. If only the government would fund schools properly then we wouldn't have to do it.

Most of the state primaries near me have no uniform (or optional uniform technically which no one wears). All the Mums I’ve spoken to really like it.
I guess the fact that non uniform day happens so rarely there’s a build up? I remember buying new clothes specially! I think that’s the problem because if you never wear uniform it seems to be way less stress.

My kids (having a European fashion sense) dress differently from all the other kids. They don’t wear any of the brands popular here. No one has ever commented on their clothes.

DD has only told me once about girls commenting on another girls clothes. This young lady was dressed in the style of her 50 something mother; floral, calf-length skirt, thick wool jumper, and the girls were giggling at her. DD was very upset on this girl's behalf, who apparently was distraught.

The girls ended up being suspended some months later for cyberbullying a completely different girl.

I think once you start banning things to avoid kids being mean about them you're on a slippery slope. Especially when they get out of school, when these things aren't banned, and they haven't been taught not to be cruel about them.

If a school has a good and effective anti-bullying policy, that will stop bullying behaviour if you ask me. Even if you didn't like someone else's outfit, I'd think most nice kids wouldn't say anything.

@Canshopwillshop After a +60 hour week of work (exhausting on top of being pregnant), you have made my Friday. You managed to post something so positive and lovely in response to my grumpy post. Thank you. I'm going to try and pay it forwards x

YY to it only really being an issue because it's rare. My kids are now in a school with no uniform and it's loads easier than all the faffing with uniform and then the drama on mufti days.

Mine are at non-uniform schools and there's never any stress about what anyone wears. No bullying or comments.

But during Spirit Week they dress according to different themes each day (one day is Blue Day, another day is Wacky Day) and the behaviour just all goes a bit doolally. I'm not sure I'd enjoy being a teacher on those days. Probably a lot like non-uniform days at a UK school.

I hated it as a child, I was one of the poorer kids and I never had 'cool' clothes like everyone else. I dreaded non school uniform days.

I really dislike all the different dress code days-world book day, mufti day, and all the dress up as this or that relating to a theme. It's expensive and competitive. I've been through it once and now I a child starting next September who has autism so no doubt will find the whole thing confusing and difficult. Sorry to be a kill joy!

We are in France where there are no uniforms. Two DS âge 10 and 7, and as far as i can see what to wear to school is a total non-issue. They all wear shorts and t shirts in summer, jeans / joggers and hoodies in the winter. Girls might vary it a bit and wear a summer dress or a crop top, but that’s about it. There’s the occasional Goth / elf / rocker, but 99% of them are jeans and t-shirts and it’s just not an issue.

DH is a teacher (secondary) here: he much prefers no uniforms. No time wasted checking hem lengths / shoe colour / ties etc, and it removes a lot of opportunities to have to argue with students.

There's a huge difference between occasional mufti day (which does cause issues for some) and no uniform at all (which in my experience works very well).

Comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges - it's a whole different set of issues.

No seems to be in competition in our school. My two wear their 'uniform' of m and s jeans and plain shirts (their choice, they don't like branded clothing). But a nightmare if they were into expensive designer clothes!

Yeah I agree.
Last school uniform day, my 10 year old picked out his best clothes because of the competition and they were good & quite expensive clothes. But the kids still found fault and told him those type of clothes were what they used for playing out in.

He was quite deflated by it. I'm not well off but my kids do have decent gear. So I don't think it even matters. Kids will still try to better other kids no matter the circumstances.

I much prefer the equality of uniform.
But even then someone always has one better. Shoes, bags, style.

It's exhausting trying to keep up. Because seeing your child upset is heart breaking.