Schools - Christmas jumper day - wear an Xmas jumper and raise £1 for charity

[PineappleRox]

Aibu to be aggravated with notices from two different schools about Xmas jumper day. I would have to buy two Xmas jumpers in order to send in £1 for charity.

It would cost about £40 to send them in with Xmas jumpers and pay the £1 for the privilege.

AIBU to think it’s a tone deaf request from school when people are under pressure with the inflated cost of living?

When? I work full time. I have kids to look after at the weekends. I don’t want to spend a tenner either on them. I’d rather but something useful and worthwhile with the money I’ve earned.

My son’s school did this. ‘Winter Jumper Day’. Wanted to avoid parents feeling the need to buy jumpers they didn’t have.

Then we had some idiotic parents saying that they changed it from ‘Christmas Jumper’ because minorities were offended by Christmas.

Can’t do anything about stupid.

Our school does an old Christmas jumper collection and resale....

It would have been less time consuming for you to buy one on Vinted than waste your time here on mumsnet moaning about it dontcha think

it is a royal pain for a lot of SEN kids too, who don’t want to be different and get anxious about the whole thing.

Actually it’s a bit late now to sort them out. And I don’t want to spend the cash. I’ve enough to buy for growing kids and funding Christmas without that.

Oh Vinted 🤮 Fine if you don't explode into a red raw eczema ball itchyness from all the many, many unimpenetrable layers of laundry stink.

I just think that being expected to raise money for charity is an unnecessary additional burden on parents, no matter how it's done: I'm not just talking about the money.

I realise that for many people it's a case of "Oh, it doesn't take up that much time!" but for some it's an additional stressor that they don't need.

To my enormous relief, DD's school is having a non uniform day with optional Christmas jumpers.

We can afford one (though I object to the unnecessary expense) but when we've looked, we haven't found any that feel OK for her - she (and I) have significant sensory issues. I'm just very relieved that school uniform feels OK; neither of us have the time or energy to search for a non-itchy Christmas jumper.

Oh gawd what are you going to moan about next - world book day needs banning?

Has nobody you know got a couple of jumpers they can borrow for the day? Most people have 1 or 2 and won’t be wearing both on the same day

I have never bought a Christmas jumper and the schools won’t expect you to spend £40 on them either!

Cut a star out of foil/card or a tree out of felt and safety pin it onto the front of a jumper they already own!

YES my kids dint wear jumpers the only one that will hates the feel of wool makes him retch he goes in a Christmas tshirt his big brother just goes in uniform (because the jumper is to be worn over the uniform in his school) I pay a pound for that privilege

In secondary? Your just begging for your kid to be bullied

I bet a bunch of women volunteers are expected to jump in and run these things and clean and iron and sort. Women are viewed as having nothing better to do.

My son’s old primary has a big stash of jumpers. Each year they take donations from the school community, they get washed and dried, and are given out for those who don’t have one for jumper/Christmas dinner day. Most then get given back and reused year on year. Works really well as the school is in a deprived area.

Most schools have some kind of Christmas Day celebration so it shouldn’t come as a surprise really? It happens every year!

I work in a primary school and we have Christmas jumper day but it’s not compulsory and if they’re wearing an ordinary jumper that’s absolutely fine too.

Even though it’s easy to get one cheaply second hand, I think it sends all the wrong environmental messages

It’s not fine for a lot of kids who are SEN. They often don’t deal well with just wearing an ordinary jumper.

Speak with the school. Ours do Xmas jumper day/non uniform. No child is made to wear a Christmas jumper. Not all our children celebrate Christmas, so non uniform is absolutely fine.
Likewise children who cannot afford £1 to donate are also not penalised and made to wear uniform. They can still come in the jumper/own clothes.

I think this could easily be sorted by communicating with the school.

Our school doesn't do a lot for charity, just the British legion for poppy day and buy a cake for 50p for a local hospice a couple of times a year. Both entirely optional. Christmas jumper day is free..as is yellow and odd sock day. They do have an own clothes day where you have to bring chocolate for the tombola but a £1 bar of dairy milk suffices.

I bought some Christmas jumpers on Vinted or ebay a few years ago and my 3rd child is currently wearing them.

If they don't want a Christmas jumper just let them wear any jumper though.

YANBU. I’ve lived in a semi-rural area while not owning a car. I’d have to order those sorts of things online where even at a cheaper price it would come to £15+ with delivery for one child. There were no big supermarkets nearby for cheaper options. I have struggled financially in the past, hence no car, and this sort of thing used to make me sweat nearer to Xmas.

I don’t think everyone understands what it’s like to be counting down your last pounds with days to go at the end of the month. I’ve been in tears before wondering how I’m going to pay for the train to work in those last few days and Christmas jumpers were the least of my worries. My poor ds just had to miss out.

I’m very fortunate to have managed to work my way out of that situation, but I’ll never forget the stress and resentment caused by the school CONSTANTLY asking for money for different events.

@PineappleRox Can DCs not pin decorations you own onto any jumper? A few bits of tinsel would surely do? I would not dream of buying a Christmas jumper. Never have and never will. Your dc can surely improvise?

I bought them so they'd fit for at least a couple years and one year just made little Christmassy badges they stick on a regular jumper. I wouldn't be buying something just for one day.