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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to make school tie into a clip-on?

43 replies

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 17:41

DS aged 7 has to wear a tie from September as part of the uniform. I'm not a massive fan of ties at that age (or in general) but it is part of the uniform.

I've seen some videos about how to turn a tie into a clip-on and it looks pretty doable. I'm very good at crafting so confident I could do it well. A clip-on would save us time in the morning and also seems an improvement in terms of comfort and safety. I will just put him on a regular tie if I need to but I'd definitely prefer clip on if it is an option.

WIBU to do this if it looked the same when clipped on? I'd be using a branded school tie so it should look the same.

Would I need to check it with the school first? I've thought about contacting them but I'm not sure if they'll understand what I mean and might just say that the uniform provider doesn't sell clip ons.

OP posts:
CalmWriter · 14/07/2026 17:54

Thats a brilliant idea, I’d do it if my kid’s uniform had a tie. I doubt school would even notice

NoisyViewer · 14/07/2026 17:56

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 17:41

DS aged 7 has to wear a tie from September as part of the uniform. I'm not a massive fan of ties at that age (or in general) but it is part of the uniform.

I've seen some videos about how to turn a tie into a clip-on and it looks pretty doable. I'm very good at crafting so confident I could do it well. A clip-on would save us time in the morning and also seems an improvement in terms of comfort and safety. I will just put him on a regular tie if I need to but I'd definitely prefer clip on if it is an option.

WIBU to do this if it looked the same when clipped on? I'd be using a branded school tie so it should look the same.

Would I need to check it with the school first? I've thought about contacting them but I'm not sure if they'll understand what I mean and might just say that the uniform provider doesn't sell clip ons.

Are you sure it’s not already a clip on tie. I’d be shocked to think they wouldn’t be

Talltreesbythelake · 14/07/2026 17:57

For younger children ties are often on elastic. I don't like school ties on Primary aged children but I have never seen any bad behaviour around them, if that's your concern.

Chewbecca · 14/07/2026 17:57

Why would you? School children (including primary) have been wearing tied ties for ever, why risk singling him out from his peers?

ThatGreenFawn · 14/07/2026 17:58

You can buy the clips for clip on Tuesday on Amazon. Ds has broken several this year and it was cheaper to replace the clip than the whole tie.

ToffeeCrabApple · 14/07/2026 17:58

NoisyViewer · 14/07/2026 17:56

Are you sure it’s not already a clip on tie. I’d be shocked to think they wouldn’t be

Why? Its quite normal to have elastic or clip on in ks1 then a regular tie in ks2.its similar to tying shoelaces which most kids should be able to do by age 7, and its good for motor skills to learn. Both mine had to have a proper tie for ks2.

MoggetsCollar · 14/07/2026 17:59

I made my DS's into a velcro-close. I tied the tie and sewed the knot in place then I cut the back of the neck and sewed velcro in. It looked identical to a regular tie.

Chewbecca · 14/07/2026 17:59

Over, over, under and through. It will take him seconds and you no time whatsoever.

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 17:59

NoisyViewer · 14/07/2026 17:56

Are you sure it’s not already a clip on tie. I’d be shocked to think they wouldn’t be

Definitely a regular tie. Not elasticated or clip on. Our neighbour's older kids go to the school and have been wearing them for a couple of years and find them a bit annoying

OP posts:
Mama2many73 · 14/07/2026 18:00

I dont know of any schools (primary or secondary) that still use a normal tie. They are all clip ons except one school has elastic for younger children.
Mainly its for safety but also so time consuming.

Pernicketywishes · 14/07/2026 18:00

Our school sells both clip on and normal. When DD started she was the only one with a traditional one, everyone else had clip ons so when we inevitably lost it, it was replaced with a clip on.
Are you sure the school doesn’t sell clip on ones.
If not it’s totally fine to change it, that is of course if it’s ok with your DC as they’d be the one wearing it.

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 18:00

MoggetsCollar · 14/07/2026 17:59

I made my DS's into a velcro-close. I tied the tie and sewed the knot in place then I cut the back of the neck and sewed velcro in. It looked identical to a regular tie.

That would be another option and might be better I suppose as it's less likely to be noticed

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SallyD00lally · 14/07/2026 18:01

Chewbecca · 14/07/2026 17:59

Over, over, under and through. It will take him seconds and you no time whatsoever.

This is what I'm thinking.

Even for a 7 year old it takes no time at all really.

hahabahbag · 14/07/2026 18:01

I wore one from 4 tying it myself, just start teaching him. He could be teased if the other kids think he can’t tie his

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 18:03

Pernicketywishes · 14/07/2026 18:00

Our school sells both clip on and normal. When DD started she was the only one with a traditional one, everyone else had clip ons so when we inevitably lost it, it was replaced with a clip on.
Are you sure the school doesn’t sell clip on ones.
If not it’s totally fine to change it, that is of course if it’s ok with your DC as they’d be the one wearing it.

Absolutely 100% certain. I even just checked the uniform supplier. They sell clip-ons for other schools but not ours unfortunately.

Although that does make me wonder if it's a deliberate choice on the part of the school, so maybe they wouldn't like the clip-on if they found out.

OP posts:
Portmore · 14/07/2026 18:04

Prob be elastic anyway at that age. Otherwise you know you can loosen the tie to put it on & take off then just pull to tighten. You don't need to tie it every day

He might feel singled out id he's the only one with clip on

MargaretThursday · 14/07/2026 18:05

Depends if he's the sort of child who loves having a shortcut or hates being different to everyone else.

Dd2 learnt to tie a tie age 7yo because he friends had a "proper tie". She's missing one hand, so I thought she'd like the clip on. No, she wanted to be like her friends.
Ds otoh never learnt and ideally had lost the clip on tie by lesson one. He didn't care what anyone said; just wanted it to be easy.

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 18:06

SallyD00lally · 14/07/2026 18:01

This is what I'm thinking.

Even for a 7 year old it takes no time at all really.

Without wanting to drip-feed, I strongly suspect DS has dyspraxia. He can't tie his shoes and can't even reliably tie a knot despite practicing. I suspect I'd be putting it around my neck, tieing it, and then taking it off and putting it on DS. Which is fine if I have to but I'd rather not if I can avoid it.

OP posts:
FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 18:07

Portmore · 14/07/2026 18:04

Prob be elastic anyway at that age. Otherwise you know you can loosen the tie to put it on & take off then just pull to tighten. You don't need to tie it every day

He might feel singled out id he's the only one with clip on

Edited

It's 100% definitely not elastic. It's a traditional tie.

OP posts:
SomeoneIsWrongOnTheInternet · 14/07/2026 18:08

A simpler and easier idea would be sewing it on elastic. You should be able to get lanyard-type clasps to sew on if you want the possibility of snapping. I’ve got the other problem, turning ties only supplied as clip-ons into either a regular or an elastic tie. Sewing to elastic took me just over half an hour and I’m not the best sewer. My youngster can’t stand the feel of the clip.

Sirzy · 14/07/2026 18:08

When ds started secondary school he struggled with the clip on one the school has (he is disabled and has a lot of issues with fine motor skills even after a lot of OT) so we put his tie onto elastic which worked great for him!

Ineffable23 · 14/07/2026 18:08

I would go with switching it to a velcro close rather than a clip on if they don't sell clip ons. You could always put the velcro on one side if you wanted it to be safer than at the back? That's what they do with lanyards for safety purposes.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 14/07/2026 18:08

Ties at school seems ridiculous tbh!

my kids just wear a tracksuit

people don’t even wear ties to work anymore

what’s the point of having it as part of the school uniform

DeathMetalMum · 14/07/2026 18:08

I had a regular tie in primary school from reception. Don't remember it being a problem, I could tie my tie better than I could do my shoelaces.

Our secondary school has moved away from clip on ties. Their reasoning was because the clips were breaking and a regular tie doesn't really need replacing (excluding being lost). DC seemed to think it was due to behaviour with the ties as they were so easily removed.

FrenchBunionSoup · 14/07/2026 18:10

Fupoffyagrasshole · 14/07/2026 18:08

Ties at school seems ridiculous tbh!

my kids just wear a tracksuit

people don’t even wear ties to work anymore

what’s the point of having it as part of the school uniform

Completely agree! I had to wear one at secondary school and hated the feel of having it around my neck so feel sorry for DS.

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