Sending child to school in marked t-shirts

[Blinkingheckythump]

So little ones been at school for 5 day's and already has 3 t-shirts with board pen on that I cannot get out. Wibu to send them in with the t-shirts on? It feels so wasteful to bin them and buy new ones after one blinking wear

Most of my kids’ have some kind of mark on them. But the ones with a full on drawing on the front with permanent marker were retired early I have to admit

@Fabbydabbydoozey

ALL of my children’s school clothes are covered in pen. As a teacher I don’t give a thought to pen on uniform.

This.

Also, I was an Early Years teacher for 30 odd years. Paint stains are best removed by using soap (Vanish or any other soap) then washing on a coolish wash. A hot wash will set the stain. I frequently got paint on my own clothes and once had to go to the supermarket on the way home with a clear yellow hand print on my jumper. Yellow is actually the worst to get out but luckily this one did.

No, black is the worst. yellow is the second worst.

My son made it to day 7 this year before getting a pen mark on his jumper which is a record. I've always continued to use them as otherwise it's very wasteful but I can't deny it annoys me! When the marks are very bad I do scrap them at the end of a year rather than handing down to the next child but I wish school could find a washable alternative.

My DSs school, upon induction into the nursery class, have a big display of a t-shirt saying things like "this stain is my dinner, I'm practising eating my dinner using cutlery" "this mark is dirt from outside in the mud kitchen, I'm exploring textures and experimenting" "this mark is pen, I'm using different mediums to mark make and practice my fine motor skills". It finishes up with "please don't get annoyed with a mucky uniform, it just means I'm learning and having fun!". I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea.

Don't buy new. I had school T shirts down with pen marks on them. My youngest (of 3) hasn't had any unmarked T shirts and never will.

Oh goodness yes. My fourth recently started school and I didn't even bother buying anything new apart from shoes and book bag-he wore his brother's outgrown uniforms which were already decorated with board marker. Every child came out with marks on their clothes, but it is much more gutting when you've bought new!

I got a kit with my sofa, that shifts biro every time. If you cannot shift a stain they will come out and do it. Or will replace.
Not exactly on point, but there is probably a chemical out there that would do the job

If the school gives the children felt tip pens they can complain at the stains. DS won’t through a stage where he would pick up a pen then slide his fingers down to the point while resting the tip on his shirt ( try it it’s obvious). His tops were literally freckled with marks and it was a mystery till I saw him do it.

The stage does pass, Alcohol loosens dry wipe stains, try hand sanitizer or isopropyl alcohol.

• can’t complain!

Keep a clean set aside for school photos in a few weeks!

I found milk rubbed into a felt pen stain then a coolish wash with bio powder shifted it

A slight aside, but the end is in sight.😉

Finally, sitting on the floor and writing on a mini-whiteboard does not help children learn to hold a pencil and form letters correctly. To write, they should sit comfortably on a chair at a table

From the Dept for Educations new reading framework July 2021 - p 54.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/1000986/ReadinggframeworkTeachinggthefoundationssofliteracyy-_July-2021.pdf

I always carried on using them for DD, and she's now thankfully (mostly) grown out of it. But I did get so I didn't notice them anymore, handed them down and was utterly humiliated by the mother's comment, not made to me, but passed in by the child. So I'd say use them but then throw them when they're outgrown or otherwise ruined!

@Totallydefeated

Keep using them, if the school want Mark-free uniform they need to switch to washable pens.

This

@Rocketpants50

A marked shirt is a sign of learning and having fun. I would be more worried about a clean shirt!

Exactly right.

Unwashed t-shirts are not the same as pen/paint marked, but otherwise clean, t-shirts.

I always sent mine in pen and paint marked clothes. They were always clean though.

Don't bin them!

I share your frustrations. My son manages to get the pen everywhere.

I've tried EVERYTHING and haven't found anything that works so far.

@HambletonSquare

A slight aside, but the end is in sight.😉

Finally, sitting on the floor and writing on a mini-whiteboard does not help children learn to hold a pencil and form letters correctly. To write, they should sit comfortably on a chair at a table

From the Dept for Educations new reading framework July 2021 - p 54.

[[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment]]data/file/1000986/ReadinggframeworkTeachinggthefoundationssofliteracyy-_July-2021.pdf

That just means they'll get pen on themselves whilst sitting at a table 😂

Try a blob of hand sanitiser to get out the pen marks before you put them in the wash.

Nobody will bat an eyelid at a pen mark on otherwise clean clothes. Sadly, the neglected children in unwashed, grubby clothes tend to be very easy to spot.

@Frazzled2207

Most of my kids’ have some kind of mark on them. But the ones with a full on drawing on the front with permanent marker were retired early I have to admit

Depends on the drawing, one of mine had a "happy face" on the bottom of a polo. He was made to keep wearing it. He's been a bit more careful since and no deliberate drawings!

My DD is year 3 now but can get through 10 uniforms a week so often by Thursday or Friday she goes in with dinner or toothpaste on her tshirt or jumper, as well as paint and boardpen stains.

No-one seems concerned.

I would always replace. It doesn’t look very nice going in marked clothes.

Send them in, there's a difference between clothes with pen marks on and dirty, grubby clothes.