To wonder if middle class children appear more ‘scruffy’

[Workingclass]

Went to a Childs party today for an old school friends DD (they are incredibly middle class) and her group of mum friends (who are equally as middle class)

I admit I don’t usually socialise in many middle class circles but I couldn’t help but notice that all of the children looked... scruffy, for want of a better word.

None of them had brushed their hair, they were all in mismatched clothes with muck on their faces. Didn’t look bathed..

I feel awful saying it, but I notice this also with the MC children at the DC school, has anyone else noticed it? I’m just curious as to why this seems to be a thing? Does my dds plaits and dresses ‘out’ her as having a working class family?

Is it more of a privilege thing? We don’t have much money so am weary of being judged as lazy by not doing her hair, I also make an effort to dress her nicely so she doesn’t look like ‘the poor kid’ is it that if your middle class you don’t have that fear?

Absolutely happy to be told IABU and judgemental but I am genuinely curious on the subject.

Yeah I got ‘Elite’ and our household income is less than £160k

though that

formerbabe is spot on.

can’t frigging spell today!

Oh maybe my mistake I was playing around with the calculator to see what where the markers & only got elite when i put my income at 100k after tax.

Didn't know this was a thing but thinking about it it probably is. I always make sure I am well presented because I love fashion and make up and that's just me. But I have given up on the kids especially my youngest who won't wear anything nice and insists on wearing old scruffy clothes even to parties and her hair always looks stringy. Eldest just wears huge baggy T-shirt's. Can't be bothered to argue any more but I don't feel I have anything to prove so it doesn't bother me. Don't know anyone who buys second hand clothes though - who has time to rummage through the charity shops?

When I last did the test when it was in the news I was an emerging service worker.
I've done it again today and am now established middle class apparently.

The only difference is now having 2 household incomes and owning a house.

If asked now if have probably said I'm just into lower middle class.

SoyDora I assume you have a lot of savings then?

Quite, Maisypops.

When my pay goes down on Jan 1st, I wonder where my socialising with scientists and call workers, going to gigs and opera will leave me.

SoyDora I assume you have a lot of savings then?

Good pensions. Plus DH works for a bank (and I used to) so good share scheme.

I can’t remember what class I was considered to be last time I did the quiz but it certainly wasn’t elite. The only difference is we’ve bought a bigger house since then. So it’s all bollocks really . My class certainly hasn’t changed just because we bought a bigger house.

I'm elite. On my giddy aunt.......

My children brush their own hair -they dress themselves.

In holidays they come down in some interesting combinations.
For school they wear uniform.

They clean themselves and actually I get a wet flannel if their faces are a real mess and wipe it over if I've warned them they look like a non human mess. I'm relaxed about mud -I know it all goes in the wash at the end of each day -so I don't care too much and don't make them get changed 7 times a day. However, I will sometimes take one look and go 'No' this is mainly when youngest DS comes down in shorts and a t shirt in December for a dog walk. Or Eldest DD comes down in pale blue leggings to go and do the chickens and horses etc

I suppose I rarely wear makeup and wash after the animals are all done -so they don't see me scrubbing up first thing in the morning.

Income in the South v North and house value also are not taken into account. Less elites in the North on this basis alone.

SoyDora Oh I didn’t think of pensions, but we are in our 30s so who knows what they will actually be as not sure I can rely on fc’s. As mentioned I got technical which I’ve never even heard of before.

It’s a thing,a mc tribe of scruffy kids who look like they collect tadpoles in jars
Perfectly said.

That makes sense RedToothBrush we are in SW London so our home is defo in the higher bracket but I could only change my result to elite if I changed my income to 100k after tax or had 100k in savings. It was impossible for me to get established mc though no matter how many times I tried.

I come from a pretty poor working class ( in fact poor immigrant) background and my mother always wanted us to look neat and tidy and clean. In pictures from my childhood my sisters and I always look immaculate. I however remember it going along with not being allowed to do anything fun incase my clothes got dirty or in case I hurt myself. I never climbed a tree, learned to ride a bike, spent any time in the countryside just messing around. My mother worried that others were judging jet as a parent by how well dressed/ turned out and how well fed we were

I didn't want that for DS and yes he is very very scruffy. And yes DH and I are better off financially than our parents were ( thanks in great part to their sacrifices for us ) so we are probably less worried that people will think we are poor/ bad parents if our children are scruffy

I am not saying this is true for everyone but it definitely is for us..

@GirlFliesHome This thread is huge so it’s already likely to have been mentioned but there are loads of boys reversible sequin stuff in H&M and I’ve seen in Zara and Primark too.

echt
I think it highlights that class is more than money. The British class system is odd like that.

My upbringing was working class. Out of my siblings I'm the only one with a professional job and own my own home, but we all have similar levels of cultural interests. Some more middle class things feel quite comfortable to me but others I don't understand and feel very out of place with.

I often think maybe this is why I struggle to make friends at the school gate! I am from a middle class background, privately educated, I have a degree etc....however, the middle class mums don't consider me one of them. I don't look middle class. I'm a bit fat, wear too much make up and hoop earrings occasionally. However, the wc mums subconsciously must pick up on the fact I'm not really wc. I think no one knows quite where I sit.

Very confusing. I'm in a class wilderness.

I guess I’m working class (with gypsy grandparents on one side) Dh is definitely middle class. I have to admit I always look scruffy as does dh our clothes are worn into the ground! I rarely buy anything anymore!

We do have a nice new car - which we will own till it dies! Other car is a hand me down from my dad I paid him £600 for it. Our house is a mid terrace town house not exactly posh, decorated (in my opinion nicely) we do have a scruffy kitchen and need new carpets. Furniture is a mix of second hand a new (well new many years ago) I have to admit it’s an absolute shit tip as Christmas has destroyed the place, and I’ve not bothered tidying up yet.

My kids wear all sorts of clothes, next, Biden, joules, primark, H&M, sainsbugs and Asda, as most of it’s got from charity shops, I just buy what I think they will like.

As for parties they wear what’s comfortable no point in wearing a dress to a trampoline party....I have to admit dc2 always looks scruffy, not on purpose just that dirt does seem to find him. They are only bathed twice a week due to eczema and any more their skin gets too inflamed.

I do draw the line at stained clothes they go in the bin or are used as rags!

Emergent service worker here

They’re wrong, 95% WC 5% MC, think the fact I know some cleaners let me down

As an aside, do you socialise with “farm workers” 😂😂😂😂 who wrote that dross

It’s a thing,a mc tribe of scruffy kids who look like they collect tadpoles in jars
Have you never read A Kestrel for a Knave, or seen Kes?

If the kids are going out they will always be forced to wash their faces. I don't mind scruffy, but hygienic/clean is a different matter.