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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy DS a PE kit off ebay?

13 replies

MrsSnape · 09/01/2009 14:16

DS will not wear sports clothes and even protested about having to wear them for PE at school. To try and be nice I paid a decent amount of money for some Adidas tracksuit bottoms...knowing full well they would be the only tracksuit bottoms he'd ever have, I bought I'd make it a good pair.

Anyway within weeks he'd ripped a massive hole in the knee he's dyspraxic so falls over a fair bit, often heavily.

I told him he'd have to make do with them for a while longer and he did but it must be embarasing for him having a big rip in the knee but I begrudge paying a lot for a pair of trousers he will only ever wear for PE.

Then again, if I buy cheapy ones with no name on, they'll take the piss out of him (another lad kept getting called "tramp" because none of his PE gear had names )

So would it be really 'tight' of me to buy some adidas/nike tracksuit bottoms off ebay second hand? I'm thinking not but I remember being called "charity shop" at school because all my clothes were old fashioned and obviously second hand.

But second hand clothes are not like they used to be, are they?

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 09/01/2009 14:20

oh lord!! i can so sympathise with this!! how old is he??

i have bought my 10 year old son some "names" off ebay.....there are some bargains to be had!! also,try charity shops in affluent areas. i had similiar childhood where my parents were quite old fashioned and just didn't "get" the bullying/alienation thing at school.

muppetgirl · 09/01/2009 14:20

Not at all. Ebay is fab for cheap clothes. I buy good quality clothes I can re use with ds 2 and then re sell.

I had second hand clothes at school and carried on buying second hand clothes.

Plus your ds has to accept he has to do things he doesn't want to eg wear clothes he doesn't want to at school and maybe won't get the labels that his classmates want him to have.

TheCrackFox · 09/01/2009 14:25

Ebay sounds like a sensible solution. Alternatively move round my way. The school does not allow branded PE clothes, including the dreaded football strips. Oh, and they are only allowed black plimsolls. I think it is a sensible policy.

nappyaddict · 09/01/2009 14:31

It's quite hard to get them without names though. often works out more expensive. also sports direct has some good bargains.

sitdownpleasegeorge · 09/01/2009 14:36

These days the stuff you get via ebay can be as up to date and cool as you are prepared to pay for.

All our school PE kit has to be plain with no obvious large logo/brand name splashed across it. White T shirt. dark shorts and dark tracksuit , black plimsolls and trainers are only used briefly for outdoor PE in the summer term

I bought ds1's PE T shirt (new) , PE shorts (used but good as new) and tracksuit (used but with plenty of wear left in it) via ebay and we are by no means the least well off parents at the school gates, in fact far from it. I also got his rugby top and shorts (almost new) from ebay.

His swimming trunks and trainers were bought brand new from the high street however, Oh wait the trunks were half price in mothercare sale and put away until he grew into them.

His school trousers were all second hand from ebay too although the rest of the uniform was new as it has a school logo on.

That reminds me we need some bigger school trousers. I'm off to ebay - bye !

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 09/01/2009 14:41

YANBU at all. Save yourself a few pounds and your son some embarrasment all at the same time - sounds like a great plan to me!

Katiestar · 09/01/2009 14:50

Absolutely, I'm all for saving money where you can.However i am a bit disturbed about the pressure you are under to buy labels.I woukld be suggesting to the school they ban branded PE kit & trainers.They do this at DS1 secondary school (they don't at our primary but the children don't seem remotely interested.)

Original poster
MrsSnape · 09/01/2009 14:55

He's 10.

I'm going to have a look tonight, see what I can find because DS2 needs some too really.

I wish the school would ban labels I remember when DS1 started nursery, he was about 4 when another 4 year old went up to him and said "what trainers have you got on?" DS didn't know what he meant and the kid said "I'll have a look" he looked at them...still not sure he looked at his mum and said "mum, are these nike?" and she nodded rather embarrassed and he replied "oh, thats ok then" and smiled at DS as if he'd "passed" bloody stupid.

Must point out though, DS is not a labels fan, far from it so its not often he's nagging for stuff with names on. Just at school its a bit of a competition.

OP posts:
sitdownpleasegeorge · 09/01/2009 15:08

Lordy Mrs Snape, do you live in chav central ?

The clientele at your nursery sound horrendous as the 4 year old clearly displayed his parents preference for designer goods.

DS1 will be putting his pocket money towards any brand names he starts to express a preference for just as I had to (although fortunately I grew up way out in the sticks a long time ago before all this designer goods brand name nonsense got a strong foothold in children's brains.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 09/01/2009 15:37

Mrssnape - remember you'll generally get better bargains by not going for things that end on a weekend or an evening. Less people about to do last minute bidding on weekday sales!

HappyMummyOfOne · 09/01/2009 15:58

Have a look on M and M's website, you can get decent brands very cheap from there.

HSMM · 09/01/2009 16:15

My DD age 9 thinks ebay is the best shop ever

DangerouslyUndercaffeinated · 09/01/2009 18:12

Is there a reason why you can't sew the rip up (or get someone else to)?

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