“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?

Yes we lay out the DCs uniform and shoes in the dressing room the night before. Probably only saves minutes but every little helps in this time poor household!

I do this for my youngest and my eldest does it for themselves. To those questioning how much time it saves; I don’t think it’s about the number of minutes saved per se, the value to me is avoiding any morning panic because something can’t be found (like clean laundry hasn’t made its way back for some reason) and more importantly, the feeling of being ready/prepared for the next day. I get the same sense of calm when I prepare my breakfast/lunch to take to work the night before rather than leaving it to the morning or most likely, buying something at work. Surely it’s not hard to grasp that some people find these simple strategies help their mornings go more smoothly.

Oh God, this truly does make me feel like a terrible disorganised mother. Nothing gets laid out, we generally have an argument over whether it's too cold or rainy for DS to wear his favourite jacket (which usually ends with me saying, "do what you like but don't complain to me when you freeze"), DD1 having a meltdown because her socks are too tight, DD2 going in a huff because her favourite hairband is missing, and at least one of them leaving with a stain of some sort on a sleeve or a still-damp skirt!

Only for reception and Yr 1 children (hung on back of chair), after that they can dress themselves, teaches them to independence and responsibility. I just check on a Sunday that everything's washed and put away in the right drawers, so long as there's stuff in the drawers I see no need to put out pants and socks? School uniform never gets ironed and they often look like they've been dragged backwards through a hedge but so long as their clothes, bodies and teeth are clean I really don't care, life is too short and busy for me to worry about how neatly turned out they are.
If I'm catching an early train I'll chose my outfit the night before and leave on a chair, but same as for the kids if there's undies and socks in the drawer I see no need to lay them out.

I put my ds’s uniform on the radiator the night before - both so it’s ready to put on and warm.

Hang it on the doorknob of the wardrobe when dc were little. Now they're big enough to get the stuff out of the wardrobe themselves we don't bother.

I lay it out on the kitchen chairs.

3 children and 2 full time working parents actually. Although not judging. I just don't do it.

I wash and fold everything and then they sort themselves out, and have from about Y2 onwards.

I lay my younger dd’s clothes out and get my own out ready too. Can’t stand not knowing where things are in the morning!

Seems I was a bad mum! I never ever did this. I didn't even know it was a thing! Mine sorted themselves out from a young age - certainly before Year R - and got their own stuff from the wardrobe/drawer. I couldn't cope with clothes draped all over - would make me very twitchy.

I put my clothes for work on the bedside table the night before.

I hang the hangers on the outside of the wardrobe if i'm organised -

Rummage through a pile if i'm not!!

Yes, I have always literally laid out school clothes the night before, all through primary school (DD laid out her own from about age 9 onwards). Also laid out bags, coats and shoes, packed lunches ready to take out of the fridge. Saves so much time and stress in the morning.

ETA - that is what i did when they were small.. but now they are big - they do it themselves

So right now at primary, if she’s late it becomes my fault and I have to wait in the line of shame to fill in a late slip… when she’s at secondary it will be her problem if she’s late 😂 she’ll need to sort herself out pretty quickly (and you have no idea of the number of mornings I am there in the car ranting about how she needs to get her act together before secondary school….)

I was naturally reasonably tidy and organised as a kid. DD is one of those children who was born to faff. Nothing we do has much effect.

My son lays everything out on the floor of his room before bed. I just leave him
to it 🤷‍♀️

Lie it on the windowsill usually. Lie my own on top of the rail if I have to be somewhere early in the morning, otherwise have an idea in my head and pull out what I want.

I do as there is a spare bed in the room and it makes me feel like I'm winning at parenting for once in my life.

Yes, I put Dds with socks and knickers on a small table in the hallway, her packed bag is on the floor by the table

Two working FT and DSs (now 7 and 10) and I can’t get my head around it saving time either. DSs get dressed in their rooms, accessing their own clothing, at the same time DH and I do (when smaller DH would shower and I would help DSs dress and then DH would get DSs started on breakfast whilst I dressed). I can see for other set ups it might work but for us it would be a faff for no benefit. I vaguely check on Sunday evening that they have enough uniform for the week and what I need to wash if not and that’s the end of it. Same with sports kit.

We have a uniform cupboard where all the school uniform, pe kits and swim bags are hung in a section for each child and a shelf underneath with shoes and above with a basket each with pants and socks for the school week. Kids help themselves mostly and makes it super easy to see if there is enough washed and pressed uniforms at a glance.

Yes, underwear, socks, trousers and jumper neatly laid out in their bedrooms. Shirt, blazer and tie on coat hangers on the back of the bedroom door so they don’t get creased.

It makes the morning go more smoothly if I don’t have to look for lost items.

Nope. It's pointless getting it out to sit around the night before. Either me or my daughter gets it out of the wardrobe in the morning and then she goes and washes and brushes her teeth and then she gets dressed, does her reading book and then eats breakfast. Her bag is sorted after school every day ready for the next day and then it just needs a clean water bottle putting in it every morning. Shoes are in a cupboard under the stairs so they are always by the door ready. I couldn't stand having uniform constantly hanging over sofas, chairs, tables etc..... it would drive me potty. She's in year 1.

Stick it on the back of a dinning room chair the night before, no fancy dressing rooms going on here!

Why would you have to "scrabble" through the wardrobe?
Is having your dining room full of clothes draped everywhere really easier than opening a wardrobe door??