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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that a Reception teacher should help children change after PE if they constantly struggle?

31 replies

Alambil · 18/04/2008 15:11

DS is independant in many ways except getting dressed under pressure.

I picked him up yesterday from school and his socks were inside out, back to front (the heel was at the front of his ankle) and his shoes were on the WRONG FEET.... he had PE at 11am-ish... that's four hours of his feet being in the wrong shoe.

AIBU to think that his teacher or TA could at least ask him to swop them over - you could notice they were odd when he walked; they must've known!

When I TA'd in a reception class both the teacher and I would scan the room for wrong-shoe'd kids...

This isn't the only thing - he has PE on Mondays too and this week he had his ENTIRE uniform on backwards; trousers, jumper and T-shirt!!! (again, PE in the morning - child in backwards uniform all afternoon... she could have said something/helped him!

so, AIBU?

OP posts:
cushioncover · 18/04/2008 15:16

No not at all, you are definitely NBU.

I am all for velcro shoes etc but IME (I'm a teacher) checking shoes are on the correct feet after PE is part of a Reception teacher's job. It's not all about phonics and number bonds you know. Emotional education (which includes dressing skills) are all part of it.

Poor your DS is wrong shoes all day!

Anna8888 · 18/04/2008 15:16

LF - is a reception child aged 4+?

Here in France children are expected to be able to dress and undress fully on their own by the end of petite section (age 2/3). The school helps them learn - especially things like buttons and zips.

Anna8888 · 18/04/2008 15:18

cushioncover - very dubious about classing dressing skills as emotional education .

Here in France they are considered life skills (autonomie).

funnykc · 18/04/2008 16:06

LewisFan - I don't think you are being unreasonable. I have the same issue with DS who is also in reception. I have no major problems with him dressing himself at home but school is a problem.

He has PE 3 times a week!!

I think it is a combination of being under pressure to get back into uniform and the distractions that come with having lots of other children around as well.

I do think that the teacher and TA's have a responsibility to at least check the children over and straighten them up if necessary.

DevilwearsPrada · 18/04/2008 16:14

I have the same problem with dd1 she frequently comes out of class on PE day with her shoes on the wrong feet, he trousers inside out AND back to front. It is rather funny as she's not bothered by it but I think out 2 reception tachers and 3-4 TAs one could have noticed.

DevilwearsPrada · 18/04/2008 16:15

teachers

bigknickersbigknockers · 18/04/2008 16:20

DS2 starts school in September and cannot dress himself. I am hoping that the teacher and TA will help him but on reading this thread maybe thats not the case. I would be pissed off if DS was left in shoes on the wrong feet for 4 hours.

cornsilk · 18/04/2008 16:25

They don't dress them because they want them to be independent tho'. My ds is the same. Shoes regularly on wrong feet, trousers on back to front with zip at the back, jumper on wrong way round.

bumpybecky · 18/04/2008 16:30

both dd1 and dd2 had problems with dressing for PE at that age. They were both perfectly capable of dressing themselves at home, but at school with lots of other children to chat with very short time to change in, it was a completely different story!

I'd have a word about the shoes though - can't be doing his feet any good at all. It's an elf and safety issue too - he's much more likely to trip over if his shoes are on the wrong feet.

DarthVader · 18/04/2008 16:37

I think parents need to accept responsibility for teaching their kids to get themselves dressed and for letting them wear clothes that are easy for them to manage themselves. I don't think it is the role of the teacher or the TA to teach this to your kids - it's just not practical in a class of 30 kids.

Clothes on backwards or inside out is not a big deal but shoes on the wrong feet should have been noticed and swapped around by the TA.

I do however think that kids should not start school until around age 7 and then none of this would be an issue (well, hopefully not anyhow!)

cushioncover · 18/04/2008 16:56

Anna, to me, life skills are part of the emotional education of a 4/5yr old. TBH, I don't think you can compartmentalise(sp?) the education of children under 5, but that's just my opinion.

I've written a fair few PSHCE policies and part of emotional education is encouraging confidence to tackle things independently. That's a life skill in my book.

Cornsilk, I know what you are saying but they don't encourage independence by leaving them to get on with it to the detriment of their poor feet. A gentle reminder or drawing attention to a 'shoe poster' at changing time would help more.

shoshe · 18/04/2008 17:05

As a childminder, one of the things I teach all my mindees in the run up to school is to dress after PE (we change into gym clothes to use the tramopline and such, during the summer, just for this purpose).

Most of my mindees can put their own shoes socks and coats on by the time thay are three.

Anna8888 · 18/04/2008 17:09

I think you can make a distinction between motor skills and cognitive skills for under fives.

I think a child unbuttoning and buttoning a dress is a motor skill.

I think a child recognising that an adult has mistreated him/her and telling that adult so in a calm manner is an cognitive skill.

PussinWellies · 18/04/2008 17:15

Could be worse... after summer-term swimming, mine have variously come out with:

No pants (forgot)
Wet pants (forgot to take them off before putting costume on)
Wet entire uniform (forgot to take swimming costume off before getting dressed)

Sigh...

GrapefruitMoon · 18/04/2008 17:17

LOL PinW!

ReallyTired · 18/04/2008 18:29

My son still finds dressing hard in year 1! He is so bone idle that he would be quite happy to be dressed by the LSA/ Teacher. Prehaps the LSA did tell your child that their shoes were on the wrong feet, but your child didn't care and chose not to not swap the shoes over.

Also it can be quite an achievement for a child to get their jumper on. Is it really the end of the world if its on inside out?

I don't think you can compare the UK to France. In France children do not wear school uniform. It must be easier to find easy clothes for a child to take on and off. I know that my son found his school shoes hard to take on and off, but had no problems with clark doodles.

ellingwoman · 18/04/2008 18:51

Let me give you the best combo for independent dressing :- polo shirt, v-neck jumper, pull-on trousers, velcro shoes

Now the worst :- (obviously for a girl!) long-sleeved shirt with buttons and cuffs, button-up cardigan, pinafore dress with zip-up back, tights, lace-up shoes.

Aaaaargh! Choose wisely mums, PLEASE!!

bozza · 18/04/2008 19:11

bkbk I think you really should be working on this over the next few months. DD has been able to do all that stuff for ages.

Mind you, once in reception DS came home with two shoes, both left feet, same style/make but two sizes different.

Original poster
Alambil · 18/04/2008 19:14

"Let me give you the best combo for independent dressing :- polo shirt, v-neck jumper, pull-on trousers, velcro shoes"

That is his uniform; with a roundneck sweatshirt.

He has velcro shoes - he can do them up, just puts them on the wrong feet!

I'm not asking for him to stand there like a dress maker's dummy to be dressed, just have a little guidance. I mean even in a class of 30, it can't be that hard to cast an eye over their feet as they go out to play and tell those that need to be told?

TBH the inside out/back to front thing isn't the end of the world but shoes on the wrong feet for the majority of the school day (INCLUDING running around in the playground twice) is bad - very bad, IMO.

If he'd been told, he would have swapped them - he complained to me walking home that his feet were sore so he must have been very uncomfortable for a long time.

I am not impressed with his teacher at all anyway and this is really the icing on the cake; at least there's only a few more weeks of this term

OP posts:
PosieParker · 18/04/2008 19:17

I think that is a skill they should have before school, perhaps you could practice at home. If it's really just at school that dc gets it worng then maybe you could have a word with the teacher just to check, not help.

PosieParker · 18/04/2008 19:19

I put shoes labels in my dss shoes with a big L and R...

Original poster
Alambil · 18/04/2008 19:19

I've had a word a number of times; it doesn't change.

She just doesn't like him - it is obvious from many other things that have happened so I think I'll just have to wait til he moves up to Y1 - at least if the Y1 teacher stays, she's really nice.

OP posts:
constancereader · 18/04/2008 19:20

I would have helped him (am a teacher) but I have missed these things myself sometimes. I'm sure his teacher would have told him if she had noticed, but honestly it can be so hard to keep track of stuff at times. All it takes is for one child to have an accident, or be sick everywhere, or something else and checking other childrens shoes is the last thing on your mind.

PosieParker · 18/04/2008 19:20

If you've addressed it and she's done nothing I would go to the head!

LambethLil · 18/04/2008 19:25

In Australia my kids went into school in their sports uniform on the days they had PE; at their current UK one they don't change for sports. So sensible, primary aged children don't sweat but they do have trouble getting changed, losing kit etc.

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