To wish schools would scrap Christmas jumper day?

[Notspeakingup]

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).

Yes I agree, they want you to go out and buy a jumper and then to donate to the school too. We have 4 kids and are on low income. Last week I paid £18 in school xmas activities and there's more to come. It's free to anyone on benefits but we get just over the threshold and it's a struggle at this time of year.

@Notspeakingup

The swap shop is a great idea. The child I'm thinking of still wouldn't have one though. It's sad that some children have tough lives.

I think I might suggest the swap shop/£1 idea to the PTA for next year. Really good idea.

I can't believe all schools aren't doing this as a matter of course already. It has to be at least 10 years since Christmas jumpers became a thing.

It's such an obvious way to reduce waste, reduce the cost and raise money for school funds. Donate your outgrown jumpers and sell them for £1 each or whatever. Won't completely solve all the issues, but it will substantially reduce them.

I’m not suggesting children miss out on stockings and presents or treats etc because some children have less. Im just talking about in school. I'm suggesting that school should be somewhere where children all have an equal experience and no one feels left out.

So you want kids to be brought up with an unrealistic expectation of the world? That everyone is equal and the same? So when they grow up and enter real life they’re shocked and unprepared for it?

Agree @Notspeakingup

Schools are supremely annoying for throwing things at parents that cost money! Barely a week goes by without a reason to put your hand in your purse. It's either a well know charity like Children In Need, or Comic Relief, or an event like World Book Day (where you have to dress them as a book character.) AND they do fundraisers for random shit at the school that they're trying to get money in for...

In addition, parents are expected to fork out money for cooking ingredients, sewing materials, crafting, art, and musical instruments for music class etc etc.

As if it isn't bad enough having to fork out for uniforms, PE/sports kits, and school shoes (which are exorbitantly priced,) school dinners, and overpriced school photos, and books with your child's poem or short story in, and various school trips; they lump a ton of other shit on top, and Christmas jumper day is just another needless and unnecessary expense.

There is ALWAYS a reason to have to fork out money when your children are at school.

When I was at school (mid 1970s to mid 1980s,) this was never a thing, and I am incredibly grateful that mine have left school now! This was a thing when they were at school (in the noughties,) but there wasn't half as much shit to fork out for as there is now.

It was still quite bad; expensive uniforms, expensive school photographs, school trips, PE kits, MUFTI days where they had to take money, cooking materials, 'and buy a bunch of books with your child's poem or short story in it....' but it's much worse now.

Christmas jumper day is bullshit. It's a waste of money and bad for the environment. I just ignore it.

I remember my kids having the Christmas jumper day at primary.
I just used to buy a cheap one from the market a size too big so it did the following year.( once I got 3 years out of the same jumper and passed it down to Ds2 for a couple of years!🤣

Thankfully, we didn't have Christmas jumper day but there were a host of annoying dressing up days. A burden on parents to organise as well as financial burden

@catgirl1976

YANBU

I just spent £20 on a jumper that will be worn once (and maybe once next year by his cousin if I remember to hand it down). We can afford it but I did think I bet a lot cannot and it seems wasteful as well in terms of almost single use fashion.

Next year have a look on Vinted/ eBay / Marketplace or look in the charity shops. I've never paid more than £5 (inc postage) and have had some lovely ones from Next, M&S etc. They only get worn for a few occasions so are nearly always in 'as new' condition. I then donate / resell for the next year. I'm not hard up but am motivated by environmental concerns. No way would I buy new for something that's barely going to get any wear.

Our school does a Cosy Jumper day. Pupils can wear any jumper they please.

So you want kids to be brought up with an unrealistic expectation of the world? That everyone is equal and the same? So when they grow up and enter real life they’re shocked and unprepared for it?

Doesn't school for most part provide respite from the inequality? Surely anyone would want that for young children. That we have an egalitarian state school system.

Our school have tables in the hall of Christmas jumpers so you take in the one from last year and exchange for a one that fits this year. So only the oldest class need to buy a new jumper. It's better environmentally and also helps out us parents so we don't have to keep buying new ones.

When I was a primary PTA chair, I used to help the school eco council to run a Christmas clothing swap shop. Families donated outgrown Christmas jumpers (also nativity costumes, Xmas PJs etc.) and we laid them out in age order on tables in the playground at pick up for a week or so in November. Anyone was welcome to help themselves to a jumper / other item and there were buckets around for donations to the PTA, but we deliberately didn't put the buckets alongside the jumpers so it wasn't obvious if someone took a jumper but wasn't in a position to donate.
It was quite easy to run, raised a few quid for the PTA and meant that pretty much no child went without a jumper.

I hate jumpers anyway, am more of a cardy person myself! But I also hate the whole Christmas jumper issue. Over the past few years have solved the problem by either adding a bit of sparkle with clothes I already have, or a primark cheap t shirt (not as hot and can be used for multiple years)

Of all the 'events' school put on Christmas jumper day is really low on my level of concerns. I've bought DDs Xmas jumper second hand on eBay, but many are changing hand free of charge on a local Facebook parenting group. If you are concerned about families struggling set up a post on your school Facebook page (or whatever means of communication you use) encouraging parents to advertise and pass on outgrown Xmas jumpers.

Ds has one coming up he won't wear one so he will go in uniform that day quite frankly he is 12 and I'm not arguing with him

Bring back decorated paper crowns!

I bought them for mine, and us. But we will use it at school/ work, going out around Christmas, putting up the tree, on Christmas itself or the days between, and then next year too.
Actually, a particular penguin one ended up being a favourite of my daughter, and I got some funny looks when she wore it in the park.
But I do not care. She liked it, it was weather appropriate and ready to get all mucky!

This does not sort the money issue though. I think the woolly winter jumper is a great idea. And the swap shops too. A non-uniform, party day is the best, you can get away with some smart clothes and a bit of tinsel.

I do agree that schools could fine a better way to do Christmas jumper day which would allow all pupils to join in without more pressure on parents. However I don’t agree Christmas jumpers are a wear once job. I buy my DS one every 2 years I always go a size up and get 2 years out of it. He always wears is though out all of December and most of Jan before it gets passed on to my Godson

We actually just stapled some tinsel to an old jumper one year for our dc

Our primary school has done a ridiculous amount this term. I think for a parent struggling it would have been hard to cover the cost of it all. Also a lot has been announced late so there’s little opportunity to search for second hand things.

Personally I think events should be things that anyone can access regardless of financial situation. Eg last year our school did “mad hair day”. That was easy as most people would have something or could put hair up in hair bands in a funny way etc.

So much of it is unnecessary to. I hate to sound like a grump but I feel like one thing per term is enough.

Our school asked us to send in a glass bottle….the kids are going to craft them and then parents will be able to buy them. Obviously all children are going to want their craft things!!!

I was poor as a kid. I can think back and remember the feeling of shame and embarrassment of things like being being sent to school in my mums massive tights because I didn’t have any of my own etc. It’s a horrid feeling.

I agree that some children will, sadly, be unable to participate even if the school/PTA sells secondhand jumpers in advance, but I don’t understand why people are saying Christmas jumpers are wasteful because they are only worn once. Maybe I am a mean mum but I buy decent ones and make my kids wear them through January and February as well! DC1’s then get handed down to his siblings. Admittedly DC1 is only six - I appreciate ten year olds may refuse to rewear a Christmas jumper but then they are old enough to understand that they can’t have something if they’ll only wear it once.

Why can’t they just say, some in Christmassy then leave it open to things like tinsel Ona hair band, bringing in a Xmas book to share etc.

YANBU. I was thinking about this the other day. I’ve noticed that Christmas jumpers have become more and more expensive over the years and I seem to have to buy one each for DDs every year - almost exclusively for Christmas jumper day at school!

My DD1 has worn the same jumper two years in a row and will wear it again this year. DD2 will wear it next year and hopefully another couple after that! Not too bad for £12 from Sainsbury. DC also wear their Christmas jumper loads of other times this month not just 1 day.

Our school and nursery have a general dress down day and there's zero pressure to buy anything

Don't know if anyone has suggested it, I am being lazy so won't go through the whole thread but wouldn't an idea be to donate any jumpers from the previous year, provided there are no little siblings/cousins/friends kids that can use them?