“Laying out school uniform”

[museumum]

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?

Did yours say, "I'll probably get pneumonia and DIE!!!!" ?

Always lay it out, with pants and socks all in the order they need to go on. Saves a lot of rushing and nagging first thing!

I don't 'lay clothes out' but if I do plan an outfit the night before I hang it on the door handles of the wardrobe. This also helps me see if the selected items look good together.

I hang my children's uniform in the living room, as they get older I'll stop doing this but for now school mornings are stressful enough and my eldest has suspected ADHD so anything that makes my life easier is worth doing. To be honest even when it's in front of her, she gets distracted half way through getting dressed and still takes forever - we'd be late every morning if I left her to get on with it.

We get it out and leave it folded in a pile in the hall between DDs room and the bathroom.

Um no. My kids know where their wardrobes are and where to find uniform, what it consists of etc. I don't see the point in laying it out anywhere if they can just get it themselves?
If I want them to wear a specific outfit for some reason (for example non uniform days I usually vet their choice to make sure its not stained or too tatty/posh for school) I will put the outfit on the floor in front of the wardrobe so they know what to put on.

I put it folded in a pile at the end of the bed!

Yep. Goes on top of one of the toy boxes. Easy for DC to reach.

I do all uniform for the week on a Sunday. So each hanger has a full days uniform and then a hanger is placed on the wardrobe handle the night before.

We don’t have space for a chest of drawers in my daughters room. She has got a few drawers at the bottom of her wardrobe for jammies and underwear; everything else is hung (fitted wardrobes)

Skirts can’t go in drawers as they get creased (dds uniform is a skirt or trousers but she prefers to wear a skirt) so even if we did have drawers, hanging would be far more practical.

The rail on her wardrobe is at adult height and she’s on the 2nd centile for height, and 7, so she can’t reach things anyway.

Dds school uniform is a cardigan rather than a sweater; it’s harder for me to fold a cardigan than a sweater.

Yes I do this

Yes our DC each have hooks on their bedroom wall to hang their uniform on for the following day. They're responsible for sorting it each night before going to bed. Saves precious time in the morning and flags if anything is missing etc

When my were little uniform was laid out in the kitchen and their toothbrushes and flannels were down here too (we have a downstairs loo). They came down for breakfast and then brushed teeth, washed faces, dressed and off we went. Meant there was no faffing around going back upstairs.

Now they’re a bit older (still primary school), clothes are on a radiator in their room and they go back up and get dressed.

My Mum always made me lay out my stuff so it makes sense to me! I only go into the office a couple of days a week and will often hang what I’m going to wear on my wardrobe door the night before - once less thing to think about in the morning!

I was feeling really guilty about not doing this (or a million other things that would make me a better, more organised parent) then read your post and it made me feel loads better. Thank you!!

All of their stuff is ironed and hung on a hanger the night before.

Uniform is hung on hangers the night before in a spare bedroom then brought out next morning and hung on bedroom door handle as a gentle reminder to get arse into gear.

A little prep work saves a lot of drama and makes for a smooth and easy morning.

@Stressfordays

You seem to be judging people who don't do it though.

If you find it helpful fair enough

I dont see the point. Which is also fair enough.

And yes, I had 2 under 10 and a full time job

I’ll add, I don’t do it for the week just the following day as I have 5 kids so would take ages.

Yes, the DCs' uniforms were placed on a hanger, blouse over pinafore, in order of putting on.

Wow I wish I was this organised!

I lay mine out by either hanging it over the chair or just having it folded in a pile.

I wear different things for work and it saves me having to figure out what I’m wearing in the morning.

Back of their desk chairs in their rooms.

Exactly, ive been searching round the house for various items before (having no idea how they got lost between being ironed and going in the wardrobe)🤷🏼‍♀️ I dont have time to search for missing pe shorts etc in the morning, so i’d rather have that problem the night before.

For those that do, why do you put clothes out in the living room or dining room? Doesn’t everyone else go bed > bathroom > bedroom to dress > breakfast > out? Surely that’s an extra trip downstairs to get clothes, then take them back upstairs!

Presumably those families get up, get washed, go down to breakfast, get dressed downstairs, leave as opposed to taking the clothes back upstairs ... If you have younger children it makes sense to just have them change downstairs in the living room where you can supervise/help/chivvy along/bribe the child to get dressed whilst also tidying up from breakfast and getting ready for the day yourself. Older children who want privacy can obviously change in their room but then those children would have their clothes laid out in their room in the first place.

For those that lay them out on the floor, aren’t they at risk of being stepped on/sat on by pets and messed up?

Presumably those who do this either don't have pets or have pets that aren't allowed in the bedrooms or wherever the clothes are laid out so it's not a concern ... My parents have pets but they very rarely go upstairs so, whilst they don't leave things on the floor, if they did then there would be no fear of them getting dirty as the animals don't come upstairs and they're a "shoes off at the stairs" household (all of downstairs is hard flooring so they don't mind shoes being worn, but nobody wears shoes upstairs which is all carpeted) so floors are pretty clean in bedrooms.

For those that put multiple outfits out (e.g. for the week as some have said) do you have a lot of space or are there clothes hanging all over your house?

I used to have all of DDs uniform separated out by day for the whole school week but it was just a small plastic drawer unit that slotted into the bottom of her wardrobe so took up no extra space ... In the holidays, especially the long summer holidays, I'd use the unit for seasonal things like swimsuits/shorts/sandals etc to make them easily accessible for DD to get herself.

Ours go over the banister in the hall (3 small children so it just about fits!). When they get bigger I guess they'll go on a chair in their individual rooms. (Right now they prefer to get dressed where they are most in the way so have just gone with it - hence why their clothes are in the hall!)

3 sets over the banister, but we only started doing this when school decided some days were uniform, some were PE (and these are liable to change at the last minute) and they have millions of NSU days too. So safest with 3 kids all with different PE days, just to "lay it out"