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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

“Laying out school uniform”

365 replies

museumum · 02/04/2023 21:06

I’ve just realised that I’ve never actually considered the phrase “laying out school uniform” literally. Does anybody literally do this the night before? And if so, where? Have you all got massive “dressing” rooms? With space to lay out outfits?

We prep the school uniform, iron shirts and things. But it needs to stay in the wardrobes until it’s time to put it on.

AIBU to think laying it out isn’t really a literal thing?

OP posts:
Bellaboo01 · 03/04/2023 09:33

museumum · 02/04/2023 21:06

I’ve just realised that I’ve never actually considered the phrase “laying out school uniform” literally. Does anybody literally do this the night before? And if so, where? Have you all got massive “dressing” rooms? With space to lay out outfits?

We prep the school uniform, iron shirts and things. But it needs to stay in the wardrobes until it’s time to put it on.

AIBU to think laying it out isn’t really a literal thing?

I lay it out over the back of a chair and then lay it out on the end of her bed in the morning.
Writing that actually makes me sound crazy as she is 11 and i even 'layout' her deodorant!!
My Mum used to put my clothes on the radiator so they were warm before i put them on!!

Eleganz · 03/04/2023 09:40

We do this for the primary aged children just on top of their cupboards. For the older ones they have to sort themselves out to varying degrees.

LuvSmallDogs · 03/04/2023 09:42

Folded piles on their bedroom windowsill, takes 2 minutes before bed, when I'm a lot more with it than first thing before coffee lol.

redskylight · 03/04/2023 09:50

Having read all the posts, the reason that posters assert it saves time is that you know where everything is and there's no hunting about in the morning.

My routine, all the way through DC's school year has been to wash all the school uniform at the weekend and put it away in the same drawer/wardrobe.
DC put any worn but still clean uniform on a chair in their room who am I kidding, they dump it on their bedroom floor There is no need for hunting about, everyone knows exactly where it is.

I'm therefore assuming that the posters who find "laying out" saves time in doing the finding the night before otherwise have uniform strewn variously about the house? In which case (not being judgy here, generally trying to make helpful suggestion) it might be preferable to have a better "system" to stop it being so strewn?

(And yes, I am judging the folk that are still laying out uniform for their secondary school age children unless SEN).

When I was growing up in a household that didn't turn the heating on, I got dressed under the covers before I got up properly. So having school uniform downstairs would not have helped. (That was in reference to the poster who said people do this when they can't afford the heating).

liveforsummer · 03/04/2023 09:55

redskylight · 03/04/2023 09:50

Having read all the posts, the reason that posters assert it saves time is that you know where everything is and there's no hunting about in the morning.

My routine, all the way through DC's school year has been to wash all the school uniform at the weekend and put it away in the same drawer/wardrobe.
DC put any worn but still clean uniform on a chair in their room who am I kidding, they dump it on their bedroom floor There is no need for hunting about, everyone knows exactly where it is.

I'm therefore assuming that the posters who find "laying out" saves time in doing the finding the night before otherwise have uniform strewn variously about the house? In which case (not being judgy here, generally trying to make helpful suggestion) it might be preferable to have a better "system" to stop it being so strewn?

(And yes, I am judging the folk that are still laying out uniform for their secondary school age children unless SEN).

When I was growing up in a household that didn't turn the heating on, I got dressed under the covers before I got up properly. So having school uniform downstairs would not have helped. (That was in reference to the poster who said people do this when they can't afford the heating).

Yes - my dc are responsible for putting their own clothes away and have been since fairly early in primary. They were good at it when small but less so now, so things may often not be where they are supposed to. They also might not even be clean if they haven't found their way to the washing basket as I only wash what is in there (looking at you dd1). This is why getting stuff ready the night before is still encouraged so if dd has no clothes she can sort that. Yea the system could be better by a long way but at 13 that's for her to figure out

BooksAndHooks · 03/04/2023 09:57

I lay the kids uniform out on the sofa each night so I can check the boy’s ties haven’t vanished etc.

Bellaboo01 · 03/04/2023 10:05

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

DoubleShotEspresso · 03/04/2023 10:12

I iron and assemble uniform on Sundays, so full uniform, shirt, tights, underwear, vests etc all ironed and a hanger bundle for each day of the week. One is removed each night and put on a radiator in our bedroom where I get DC dressed each morning. Makes mornings so much easier.
After school entire lot gets washed as soon as DC get home and changed, all gets ironed again on Sundays, just a routine that works here.

ReadersD1gest · 03/04/2023 10:17

Nope - completely separate wardrobe for school uniform so not strewn around the house
So why does it have to come out the night before?

Bellaboo01 · 03/04/2023 10:36

ReadersD1gest · 03/04/2023 10:17

Nope - completely separate wardrobe for school uniform so not strewn around the house
So why does it have to come out the night before?

No idea - just something that i have always done!! I baby her too much probably but, it works for us :)

Ponoka7 · 03/04/2023 11:53

People need to do what works for them. My DD works until 7 Wednesday -Sunday, it's PE kit for one on a Monday, the other Tuesday, so her main washing is done Monday/Tuesday. Lack of dryer/drying space means that the system can't run like pps It's easier for her to put a uniform together the night before. It is done the same time as sorting out bags. The children are involved. The children 5&8 get dressed downstairs because of a downstairs bathroom.

Forever42 · 03/04/2023 12:58

I iron on Sunday nights when the DC are in bed, so most of their uniform goes straight on their chair. The rest is hung up. They will get out new t-shirts/shirts during the week.

I don't mind helping my older DC too. I don't think she'll be leaving the house naked as an adult just because I left out some school uniform for her.

StarlightLady · 03/04/2023 13:18

The butler has to do something 😂!

Bellaboo01 · 03/04/2023 13:33

Forever42 · 03/04/2023 12:58

I iron on Sunday nights when the DC are in bed, so most of their uniform goes straight on their chair. The rest is hung up. They will get out new t-shirts/shirts during the week.

I don't mind helping my older DC too. I don't think she'll be leaving the house naked as an adult just because I left out some school uniform for her.

This is exactly my thoughts as well.

I also remember people being horrified and being told that i am making a 'rod for my own back' because my daughter every morning when she woke up, she used to call for me from her bedroom before getting out of bed and then she used to sit in bed with me and her Dad to watch Postman Pat!!

She is now 17 and i wish for those mornings back as she clearly doesn't want to do that now!

So my 11 year old having her clothes laid out is also fine with me.

QueefQueen80s · 03/04/2023 14:11

Kitchen table

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