not to have missed competitive mummery during half term?

[spertyporson]

Have just finished ironing on a couple of kids' nametags and found myself smiling at all those who withdraw in horror at the very THOUGHT of iron-on tags. Sewn on are better, goes the collective wisdom. I use iron-ons and, as with most of my haphazard parenting, I don't care what competitive mums say. Well, I do or I wouldn't be posting this.

But it made me realise what I like best about half term is not feeling inadequate this week.

think cmry is at its HEIGHT this week. Someone just said to me kindly as I bumped into them on street, "I suppose you have a busy afternoon ahead?" And I thought no, why should I? I shall be relaxing haphazardly and the dcs will have to relax too. A bit of tooing and froing not a whole battleplan for goodness sake.

nametags...gosh, I just write teh name onto teh tags that are in the clothes...

fair lady, mew too, or actually a lot of dd's clothes have other peoples names in them that we have inherited them from, the teacher knows as well, she says oh this must be dd1's jumpers it says on the label

lol sockmonster

I just brand mine with a too-hot iron mark. as none of the other mums do in my nursery it works a treat..

But it is your choice to feel inadequate - personally I choose not to give a flying feck about such things. Has anybody actually come up to you and proffered an opinion about the rightness or wrongness of various types of nametags? And if they did, wouldn't you just mentally file them in the bonkers drawer and get on with your life?

For the record I have never sewn on a name tag in my life, and don't intend to. Life's too bloody short, and I have plenty of biros that do the job just fine.

I don't name stuff anymore - just threaten my children with dire penalties if anything gets lost

I like 1/2 term too - it's a break from the sprinkling of non-working outside the home mums who think obviously think as a working mother I muct be so tired/busy/selfish and convey same with 'sympathetic' smiles at the school gate..

sockmonster, mrsduff - you are a joy to be around!

Only get the iron out to iron on labels these days, not for actual ironing. We live in crumplesville. Unless they're going to visit grandma

i must be the laziest as i just use a sharpie on the washing labels.

actually think mn has been very competitive this week though, which has put me off.

an iron, what's that?

I don't use iron on ones - because I don't know where the iron is. I just tie a strip of the sew in ones into the hanging hoop / label. Do I get a prize?

stinkymonkey - you are so right about choosing to feel inadequate. I do, sadly, have mum friends who say things like "I'd never use iron-on labels" and "I've got SO many labels to sew on before DD starts school". Meanwhile I get on with my life, which will probably be far too short to waste time sewing on labels. But we're all in a bonkers draw, really, aren't we?

southeastastra - MN is not immune to the competitive vibe; it probably comes with the Bounty bag handed out to new mums.

using a sharpie is a good idea... maybe write their name in large letters on the front of their clothes to prevent any confusion?!

I don't think sewn in labels are about being competitive,more about not being able to afford to replace items when the iron in label comes unstuck.

Come on Sperty - no paid up mumsnetter accepts the Bounty bag - they give the Bounty lady a lecture on early weaning and the dangers of fabric conditioner instead. There's absolutely no competitiveness around here - oh no none at alll! Must dash now - have to take Jocasta to her dolphin resuscitation class and then reinsulate the loft with homegrown moss.....

We use sew on labels - but only so we get a better price when we sell the uniform at the secondhand sale!!

Oh God, I feel worse when on half term. Keep getting texts / seeing FB updates from mums I know listing all the boring bollarks fun-filled activities they have planned for half term ad feeling like a right slut for spending the day hanging round with my bezzy mate drinking tea and bribing to DS to go next door and be quiet so mummy can gossip in peace.

Dangers of fabric conditoner - what dangers??

i miss it because i'm perfect and so usually win all the medals in competative mummery.
the DDs get sewn in tapes, polished shoes and wholemeal bread all the time in fantasy land

I don't think its a matter of competiveness, I use sew on labels because they don't come off in the wash.

If you don't choose to then its up to you to balance the cost of losing stuff against the effort of sewing on name tags.

A better option is to get dh to sew some nametags in!

Sweetcheeks - I was being sort of sarcastic - but it's this sort of thing that I meant by dangers. If you use fabric conditioner - don't worry!

Oooh treacle. That's a good idea!

Southeastastra - How so?