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Original poster

To wish schools would scrap Christmas jumper day?

408 replies

Notspeakingup · 04/12/2021 17:59

DC2 has a couple of little classmates with difficult home lives, one in particular without much money. There are some Christmas jumper days coming up and I have been thinking about how tough it must be to always be the child with no jumper.

I know as children grow up you can't avoid the inequalities but it would be great if we could at least stop it being an issue at primary school. (And of course there are the families who buy jumpers when they can't really afford them).

OP posts:
LostinNovember · 05/12/2021 18:01

My dc school takes in secondhand xmas jumpers and then offers them out for free to keep over Xmas, hopefully to be donated back for the next year. It's really popular and well stocked.

They also ask us to wear a 'homemade' a jumper if possible by sticking tinsel and baubles on a plain jumper. Lots of the teacher do this to lead by example.

They don't ask for a donation on the day either.

5329871e · 05/12/2021 18:02

Don’t worry if you can’t afford a Christmas jumper. Don’t buy one. We’re well off and I simply can’t be bothered and think it’s wasteful so our kids have never had Christmas jumpers. They just wear something vaguely sparkly if they have it, or otherwise normal clothes.

Pallando · 05/12/2021 18:07

5 years ago I got my youngest a (slightly oversized) relatively tasteful, good quality winter jumper - it did 3 years of Christmas jumper days and also was worn at other times.

I have now offered it free on school Facebook group, but no-one seems to want it!

(I have noticed that the kids choose to have their pictures taken are always the ones with the most garish Christmas jumpers!)

Thwackit · 05/12/2021 18:16

YANBU. As a teacher, I’d encourage older pupils to wear tinsel as a scarf or younger ones to pin a few bits of something Christmassy to a plain jumper with safety pins etc instead. There’s no reason for parents to feel pushed into buying expensive jumpers that will be worn a few times at most. As long as they look festive, that’s all that matters. Agree with the poster who said each child should just do something festive - eg bring in a Christmas book, write a Christmas rap, wear antler headband etc etc.

Clementine21 · 05/12/2021 18:30

YANBU. My DCs school go on and on about treating all children equally so school uniform is very very important and then every few weeks there's some sort of 'special' day that requires buying an outfit but now I just put something on them that we have already. I cant afford to buy clothes they only wear once

Hellolittlestar · 05/12/2021 18:32

I disagree, kids enjoy it and it’s lovely. There’s plenty free/ very cheap second hand on Facebook. If I was a teacher I’d keep an emergency jumper sack for kids that rock up without one.

Explosivefarts · 05/12/2021 18:32

Buy a £12 jumper to donate a £1 to charity it’s so silly.

Jeannie88 · 05/12/2021 18:32

Charity shops, bargains for something that will only be worn once then return. Got so many outfits for a couple of quid then washed and recycled back for next use. X

newyearsresolurion · 05/12/2021 18:36

We had to donate small Xmas jumpers at my dc school and they’ve been sold at £2. What a great idea this year!!

greendiva · 05/12/2021 18:42

All needs to be 2nd hand, yeah agree it adds pressure, there are so many xmas jumpers in the world a new one never needs to be made!

labazslovesliving · 05/12/2021 18:43

Never used to have festive jumpers another ridiculous custom

Btljalrrl08 · 05/12/2021 18:47

Ours say Christmas jumper or something bright or sparkly. Also, is it any different to costumes for the multiple dressing up days and children in need?

telvg · 05/12/2021 18:48

I am a teacher. I bought some jumpers for kids in my class who didn’t have them, last year. I was going to keep them for this year but the children were so pleased I told them they could keep them.

Anitarest · 05/12/2021 18:53

Not all children came in festive jumpers. I wish they’d stop it everywhere, but you should read some of the FB comments from parents who think our school has Scrooge in charge because we don’t have a festive jumper day any more.
They don’t hold back on either their criticisms or the language they use to deliver them.
Many parents, on the other hand, have sent letters of thanks for stopping it. Most welcome.

cocktailclub · 05/12/2021 18:53

@telvg what a lovely thing to do.

Really though schools should just be more sensitive about things like this. Not just Christmas jumpers but the constant requirements for additional clothes or equipment. And school uniform costs are a joke.

MrsAmaretto · 05/12/2021 18:54

I buy big so it does more than one year. Make my children wear it all winter and old jumpers get donated to the school. The school sends an email out about Xmas jumpers explaining it can be adding tinsel to clothes you already own or borrowing one of the schools Xmas jumpers to help the environmental impact. This way no one misses out. The only issue now is the storage space they take up.

hamptonedge · 05/12/2021 19:01

We wear your Christmas or favourite jumper. Some just don't like 'dressing up.'

Original poster
Notspeakingup · 05/12/2021 19:07

Also, is it any different to costumes for the multiple dressing up days and children in need?

We could do without those too.

OP posts:
Goldbar · 05/12/2021 19:07

YANBU but there is no need to buy a new Christmas jumper. I have never bought a new Christmas jumper for my DC... they are always charity shop, hand-me-downs or ebay. Why can't schools have a "swap or buy" Christmas jumper sale where jumpers can either be donated, swapped for a bigger size or purchased for £2/£3?

Finglesfingers · 05/12/2021 19:09

DDs school runs a swap shop where you can buy a jumper for a donation (suggested min £1) but it relies on people donating jumpers. I bough DD a jumper which is quite "boyish" but she will wear it so happy with my purchase but previous years ive just sent her in a humper that is very tenuously xmasy, last years had a slightly sparkly unicorn on it.

BlueTuesday20 · 05/12/2021 19:13

YANBU. I am fed up with having a school uniform which is only worn 2 days a week. Other 2 days are sports kit or Mufti. I would never buy a Chrisrmas jumper otherwise. They are awful. Yet another marketing ploy by retailers and charities.

MdNdD · 05/12/2021 19:15

Totally agree.

It is a waste of money. My kids never wear them again, unless I can find hoody style ones. They simply won’t wear cheap scratchy knitted jumpers. So I try to buy T-shirt style ones which end up being covered with a different. And of course, they’re environmentally irresponsible - more cheap clothing that didn’t ever need to be made.

I feel the same about school Halloween dress up. £12 on a costume that they’ll wear once.

It is not fair to expect parents to spend money like that, on something they don’t want and will never use. Add to that a dress up for the school nativity play.

DomPom47 · 05/12/2021 19:16

My kids go in white/green/red jumpers. No point spending money (anything from £7-£20+) on a themed jumper and only make a £1 donation. If people genuinely cared the cost of the new jumper would go to charity, kids who don’t wear Christmas jumpers or non school uniform on other days are never made to feel uncomfortable as far as I know from my kids.

Goldbar · 05/12/2021 19:17

You can make any character/animal jumper a "Christmas" one by sewing some tinsel/sparkly pom poms/a red felt Santa hat onto it. I haven't done for DC but used to do for Christmas jumper days at work.

JustABloodyMinute · 05/12/2021 19:22

I agree OP, puts unnecessary pressure on those parents that can't afford it, not to mention the waste. I stuck some tinsel on an existing jumper and refused to buy one just for one day.