To be amazed that people still haven't bought their school uniform?

[llamajohn]

Kids go back on Tuesday. WhatsApp Group is alive with "argh, I can't find X item" or "where can I get the book bag"?

As if it's been a complete surprise that their child is joining reception and the uniform shops and supermarkets have been closed since June...

Why would you leave it to the last moment?

You are a better human being clearly op
well done < slow handclap>

Like the poster above, we replace on a "rolling" basis rather than buying all new in September. I bought my DC shirts down to their knees last January so I'm hoping they'll still fit. My DC needed new school shoes in June (managed to lose one at a sports event 🙄), so they won't be getting new ones this September.

How appalling.
Maybe you should ring the local authority and report these parents OP.
It's gross negligence and requires involvement of outside agencies immediately before they're sent into school with a kitkat in their lunch box instead of organic homemade trail mix.
I despair!

Are you 'baffled' as well?

I had a growth spurt in year 3-4 of secondary school, I shot up 2 inches but not wide and my old school skirts looked like mini skirts! My DM who hated fashion and shopping was dragged by me into our nearest big town and I persuaded her our head of year had relaxed our horrid airforce blue rules and I managed to get a long turquoise fishtail skirt, light blue and white horizontal stripe short sleeve padded blouse, a baggy turquoise long sleeved shirt, blue fabric deck style shoes and a chambray. blue knee length skirt and shirt (matching) all Top Shop which my DM usually hated! I then wore these items a lot (got them mid school holidays) and I ended.up changing school anyway.

See I did buy all of ds uniform before he broke up, however, he tried it on last week and it was too small! Cue the running around trying to get it last minute. Things don't always go to plan 🤷‍♀️

It’s like you haven’t been on mumsnet for long 🤣🤣

Mind boggled!
Flabbergasted?

Always get their shoes at the last minute. What if they have grown? If they haven’t they can use the shoes they finished the term in.
School uniform generally in the shops all year round. I don’t get the summer time rush. Just buy bits as and when needed then there wouldn’t be this problem. Also Most people go away for a chunk of the summer. So the last week is sometimes the only week they have to go to the shops.

I've not got all mine yet, I had to work in the holidays and been away for two weeks. Didn't want to get it too early for them to grow out of. But I'm generally a disorganised person anyway. Well done OP 10/10 for organisation.

Absolutely this!!! Yawning hell.

Anyway I always get hand me downs from their mates who are all bigger. The joy of small kids.

I go to the school shop the day after the children go back to school for anything we need (apart from the first year at a new school when you have to buy everything). They don't need everything the first day and and most of the last years stuff is fine as it's only been six weeks. There will have been long queues outside the school shop all summer but it'll be empty when I go.

Op I'd ask for this to be taken down. It is an embarrassing level of tone deaf. And I say this as a parent who has everything for school ahead of time

I always leave things until the last moment. Unless they're starting a new school you can usually get by for a week or two without something if it comes to it. I don't really care that I don't get super organised at the beginning of the holiday. When they started at secondary I did it earlier though.

Both expensive and hard to get hold of though

There may have been four paydays since finding out. With four DC, that is a lot of uniform, especially for DC starting high school.

Like others, we did rolling uniform purchases. Shoes normally have to be bought at the end of the last school year.

When DS started senior school, he required school shoes, trainers for PE, football or rugby boots and astros. He grew out of every pair by Christmas.

Maybe they should have been saving it up over the last year? It's hardly coming as a surprise??

None of mine ever grew that substantially over the summer, plus I always bought a little on the generous side. Our school outfitters would have exchanged it for a bigger size anyway if need be.

What does it matter if the August paycheck pays for September uniform?

It doesn't - just don't be surprised if you can't get what you need!

Some people just don't have much choice though.

(And like I said upthread, I've never struggled to get uniform at any time of year. 🤷)

Why would you leave it to the last moment?

It’s the thrill of the rugby scrum in the uniform section of Marks and Spencer that is the highlight of my children’s summer holiday. We love it. The moans of wailing kids, the stressed mothers and camaraderie of looking for the size and length of the trouser you want whilst keeping an eye out for the size the women opposite wants who is checking the other rails.

We haven’t this year only one dc needed a new pair of shoes , we tried on everything else and it all fit ! I think it’ll last till October half term 🤞Has saved us hundreds!

Which is why I always bought uniform out of my July salary. Had it down to a tee. Went late afternoon on 31st July, to take advantage of the 20% discount the shop offers until the end of July. Avoided the queues, got the discount, and they had stock. We could have exchanged it if they had outgrown it. Worked very well for me for 21 years of school!

I overheard a conversation a couple of weeks ago between two ladies in a shop.

"Who would have thought it would be so hard to get girls' school shoes""

"That's because you left it until today!"