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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
graysquirrel · 05/12/2021 19:24

This is where I love my children's school. They actively encourage and make a fuss of the home made jumpers/tshirts. One girl last year had a few baubles and bit of tinsel sewn on a green tshirt (school uniform is green so even easier) and she was the star of the show!

HangingDitch · 05/12/2021 19:26

Agree OP.

It’s nearly as bad as National TV/Film Character Who Has a Vague Connection to a Book Day.

WorkerBee83 · 05/12/2021 19:27

It’s ridiculous this month alone has cost me
£10 school panto
A toy and chocolate donation for the school tombola, then it will cost to buy the dam raffle ticket.
2 Christmas jumper days.
A donation to the school Christmas dinner. I only have one child in primary school and I’m a single mum with a part time wage so it’s a struggle but I don’t want her to miss out

nokidshere · 05/12/2021 19:29

Well most of the time mine wouldn't wear them anyway so when they did I just tacked on some baubles and tinsel onto a normal sweater.

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 05/12/2021 19:30

YANBU - the inequality and the waste. It's crap - Save the Children by encouraging commercialism, no doubt generating waste and perpetuating this hideous 'show culture' we find ourselves in.... yeah those are all great values for children of today to have 🤔

Really disturbing me now... we have a fucking hideous story (came up on my FB) of a family who spent £7,500 on trees (and how much more did they make from their 'story'?) - because they could - and some FB parents lockdown group who were all 😂😂😂 about a kid who ate all the chocolates from their advent calendar on day 2 because 'they couldn't help themselves'. No - massively tell them off and teach them bloody boundaries! That kid is going to grow up thinking it's fine for them to do anything they want because they have zero self control, and their school experience will be all the harder for it.

All this awful behaviour when some people in the north have been without power for 9 or 10 days. These incidents will not go away and still the consume, waste, entitlement culture goes on. We are heading for a total civilisation car crash and people still don't get it.

Wow - I went very off piste there. Just got caught up in this being just another example of the consumer circus.

PeachyPeachTrees · 05/12/2021 19:31

I'm happy to buy a Christmas jumper and pass it down. I sometimes buy second hand and always sell or freecycle after so they don't go to landfill. My kids also wear them loads in December so they are never only for 1 day. I've seen plenty go in with a red jumper and tinsel around the waist. A pta run Christmas jumper second hand sale is a great idea, I will suggest it.

LouBan · 05/12/2021 19:35

I bought my daughter a Christmas top which she has already worn twice - to meet Santa and for today's Christingle service. She will also wear it on Christmas jumper day and Christmas Day. I am making sure I get my money's worth! Maybe schools could ask parents to donate old Christmas jumpers as children grow out of them before they are worn out. These could be kept spare for the children who don't have Christmas jumpers.

Blackmagicqueen · 05/12/2021 19:43

Dc's school does christmas jumpers or xmas colours day so always an option usually. I personally think it should just be a none uniform day as it puts pressure on parents who may not have the money.

Notmrsfitz · 05/12/2021 19:47

I dislike this trend too and all the other events that require tops that will be rarely worn again.

anwensmummy · 05/12/2021 19:50

I agree it’s annoying, especially as it causes problems for families on a low income. Also, being my child being the only Jewish kid at school (and it’s supposedly a school not affiliated with any religion) it annoys me how much they go for Christmassy everything - letters to Santa, making Christmas cards, Christmas lunch day, Christmas jumper day. She wants to go in wearing her Hanukah jumper on Xmas Jumper day so that’s what we will be doing!

1234comeonbaby · 05/12/2021 19:52

Its a hideous campaign ironically organised by save the children

The main beneficiaries are the likes of Primark and H&M

As an adult i chuck money in the pot but refuse to buy and wear a hideous jumper. I can tell colleagues think I'm a grinch or party pooper but I don't care.

Small children though. They don't have the thick
Skin i do

OpeningY · 05/12/2021 19:52

All the 'dress up' days are a waste, othrr than occasional mufti.

We've had- Greek day, Egyptian day, Roman day, Victorian day, cops and robbers day, Christmas jumper day etc. Stop all the wasted money and costumes only worn once!!!

CozmicBee · 05/12/2021 19:52

At my kids school they have started an exchange. So you being in your old Xmas jumper and you get a voucher towards preloved uniform or another pre loved Xmas jumper. They sell them for a couple of quid and make the school some money and sort out that ridiculous problem. Maybe suggest something like that to your school or amongst a social group...?

Airyfairymarybeary · 05/12/2021 19:59

The jumpers are mostly made by children in sweatshops. Terrible for the environment too!

abigailthespiderinthehat · 05/12/2021 20:00

Our school have an optional Christmas jumper/Christmas t-shirt/ badge/ bit of tinsel in the hair day. Love the idea of the swap though!

thedefinitionofmadness · 05/12/2021 20:02

@Airyfairymarybeary

The jumpers are mostly made by children in sweatshops. Terrible for the environment too!
yeah, I don't find that very festive either

It's an absolute triumph of capitalist bullshit all round really

HeyupitsChristmas · 05/12/2021 20:06

Our PTA run a second hand jumper stall - if you bring a jumper in that's too small you can swap it for a bigger one, and if you want to buy one you can - they charge £1.00 for a jumper (you still have to pay a pound to wear it though)

I've only ever bought one Christmas Jumper brand new for DD, I buy them off ebay generally, but she does wear them a lot from mid November through until spring (she's 5, she doesn't care!)

I don't agree with fast fashion, hence the reason I buy them second hand, and I think Save the Children could have come up with a much more insightful fundraising effort.

tttigress · 05/12/2021 20:11

Aside from people from lower income families feeling left out.

It's not exactly very good for the environment, make a jumper which will be worn once, or even if handed down will only be worn a few times!! Makes no sense.

FancyAnOlive · 05/12/2021 20:15

In the school I work in lots of us just pin a Christmas decoration on a normal jumper - you don't have to buy one.

mogsrus · 05/12/2021 20:15

Wasn’t it so nice to go to school years ago, & have non of these crazy things, & from what I’m reading stupidly expensive

Moonlaserbearwolf · 05/12/2021 20:19

YANBU
All schools seem to have eco monitors these days who turn out lights in classrooms etc. And yet they still think encouraging non- environmentally friendly Christmas jumpers made in sweat shops is acceptable.

Worriedatwork1 · 05/12/2021 20:20

I hate it, it’s wasteful and expensive, I have really struggled some years with the pressure to fork out £30+ On jumpers

Abraxan · 05/12/2021 20:20

We don't ever publicise a Christmas jumper day
However every year, on the 'official' Christmas jumper day, children turn up wearing them.

Fwiw, many of them aren't wearing new jumpers specifically for that day. Most are wearing ones they've passed down between siblings and friends, or ones they are wearing for the whole Christmas/winter period.

LidlMiddleLover · 05/12/2021 20:23

Loads in the charity shops for 2-3 pounds

wellstopdoingitthen · 05/12/2021 20:37

Our school asked people to donate their outgrown jumpers & these have been washed & made available to anyone who needs one (& the kids who turn up on the day without one). We've had about 80 donated.