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Original poster

“No onesies please as it makes the children in school jealous”

954 replies

Lemons1571 · 30/01/2021 15:43

A message from the head of our primary. Please could all parents at home please ensure their primary children are fully dressed in day clothes ready for their class 9am zoom. No onesies. Apparently the children actually allowed to go to school are annoyed seeing their classmates lounging at home in onesies / pj’s / loungewear.

Ummm, I’m sorry, I thought I heard you issuing instructions on what I must / must not do in my own house. What possible authority does a school have to do this? Kids forced out of face to face education. Being shown some lovely examples of the artwork done by the kids at school over zoom with the caveat “oh don’t worry I know you can’t do this at home”.

Read the room ffs. Just another request to put other people’s children before my own. As it happens my primary child gets dressed of his own accord, but if he wanted to wear a onesie then quite frankly anyone else’s opinion can fuck off.

Physically going to school = uniform worn as per school rules.
Physically barred from school = my house my rules.

No doubt I’m overreacting but it annoyed me!

OP posts:
Lougle · 30/01/2021 15:45

It's a reasonable request.

GravyBoatt · 30/01/2021 15:46

I think it's a perfectly reasonable request.
Most definitely.

FTMF30 · 30/01/2021 15:46

I think YABU.

Shelovesamystery · 30/01/2021 15:46

Physically going to school = uniform worn as per school rules.
Physically barred from school = my house my rules

Yes I agree. My DD is very jealous of the kids who are in school so I imagine I would get pretty annoyed at at email like this.

jollyunicorn83 · 30/01/2021 15:47

Mmm, DH is working from home, I don't think it would be acceptable for him to attend online meetings wearing a onesie..? Same principle for kids I think..

LadyCatStark · 30/01/2021 15:47

I agree actually. They can’t tell children what to wear in their own homes as long as they’re decent. Also, some children might have cold homes if their parents can’t afford to keep the hearing on all day when they’d usually be out of the house and therefore might need to wear a onesie or dressing gown.

ZaZathecat · 30/01/2021 15:47

Children 'allowed' to go to school probably don't see it that way. They probably feel forced to go to school while the lucky ones stay at home! I don't think it's a particularly unreasonable request. I wouldn't wear a onesie on a work Zoom 😁

WorraLiberty · 30/01/2021 15:48

Perhaps they perform better when they're washed, dressed and ready for the day and this is their round-about way of saying that?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/01/2021 15:48

Asking for day clothes... Reasonable
Showing off the fun one group having over the other... Unreasonable.

My DD got upset over her teacher mentioning the in school children doing gymnastics in PE while they got an exercise video. Luckily they don't have Zoom lessons.

AgentProvocateur · 30/01/2021 15:49

You wouldn’t wear a onesie or PJs on a work call (I hope). I wouldn’t expect kids to wear a onesie or PJs on a school call. Common sense, surely. I’m surprised the head even had to bring this up.

Wheresmycider · 30/01/2021 15:49

I would be annoyed too. Our school suggested children at home should wear uniform jumpers while working 'to get in the right mindset'. Yeah. Sure.
They have only had their first zoom calls this week (none at all in first lockdown) and I dont doubt similar comments will be forthcoming

Seeline · 30/01/2021 15:49

I don't think wearing a onesie would put the children in a working mindset.

I know some schools require everyone to wear their uniform. Children associate their uniform with learning and so work better.

blue25 · 30/01/2021 15:50

YABU. All children & teachers should be dressed appropriately for a day of lessons. How would you feel if the teacher dressed in a onesie?

hedgehogger1 · 30/01/2021 15:50

YABU. They should be up, dressed and ready to learn

FenEel · 30/01/2021 15:50

YABU. Our school has also said children should be dressed. Seems fair enough to me. Also they have said they should not have other devices eg phones with them when doing online learning as this is distracting for them and for other children. This also seems fair.

DBML · 30/01/2021 15:51

We have kids present at school who certainly don’t see it as a benefit and would love to be home.

We have one pupil who has point blank refused to do anything in school except put his head in his arms on the desk. He’s not happy that he has to come into school everyday because in his words ‘I have to come in because I’m thick’.

You and other parents might see your child as disadvantaged as they have to stay home...but spare a thought for what it’s like to be an 11 year old who’s been shoved in a mixed class with few friends, whilst everyone else gets to stay at home. Most of them aren’t seeing it the way you do.

Alfaix · 30/01/2021 15:51

Ours have asked this too- dressed not in PJs on registration zoom. It’s not for the benefit of children in school but to put them in a frame of mind to work.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 30/01/2021 15:51

Ffs stick a jumper and joggers on your child. It's really not a big deal. The other children are om school because most of them have to be, not through choice.

FenEel · 30/01/2021 15:51

Also, some children might have cold homes if their parents can’t afford to keep the hearing on all day when they’d usually be out of the house and therefore might need to wear a onesie or dressing gown.

Do jumpers no longer exist?

HmmSureJan · 30/01/2021 15:52

I agree with you actually. It's not like kids are home out of choice.

Mine usually just put a hoody on over their PJs though as they just feel a bit weird about other people seeing them.

crumpet · 30/01/2021 15:52

YABU. It’s an entirely reasonable request - and would be reasonable even if it didn’t piss off the other children. It is lesson time and it helps to create a demarcation between work time and chill out time.

RandomGrammarPun · 30/01/2021 15:52

YABU.

I bet the children in school would (mostly) prefer to be at home. Especially in a onesie.

m0therofdragons · 30/01/2021 15:52

My youngest dc are in school and would love to be home in a onesie with mummy (like her friends). Unfortunately for dc, this mummy works in a hospital.

Poor choice of words by head teacher though. It’s much better for dc mental health to have a routine and be up and dressed ready to work.

NoSquirrels · 30/01/2021 15:53

I think it’s OK for school to request that the children are wearing appropriate clothes to be ready to learn.

I don’t think it’s appropriate to tell parents exactly what their children may or may not wear in their own homes.

I don’t think it’s appropriate to emotionally blackmail parents either. That would annoy me yhr most, to be honest.

As a PP says, the first thing that came to my mind was perhaps they’re wearing onesies to keep warm. It’s not just food poverty that’s a concern- it’s winter and not everyone can afford to heat their houses adequately.

The head should have thought this communication through better.

Gwenhines · 30/01/2021 15:53

YANBU at all.
Those in school are getting an education that those at home will be jealous of.
You win some you lose some. They win a better education, being able to socialise and have normality in their lives. They can lose a comfy day of wearing a onesie. Actually they are winning a hell of a lot more than they are losing here. I think the HT is BU, and I'm cheering you on to buy 5 bright vibrant onesies for every day of the week.