Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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:
NeverDropYourMoonCup · 31/01/2021 21:37

@Lemons1571

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!

How keen are you on teachers taking classes from their own home whilst dressed in pyjamas? Their house, their rules, after all.
DeathValley69 · 31/01/2021 21:39

Depends on your job I suppose. I have to look smart from the chest up so a hoodie or onesie would be unacceptable.

I’m shocked at the number of parents who are perfectly happy for their kids to wear nightware to school.

marshmallowfluffy · 31/01/2021 21:50

Tbh I'm surprised that the school knows if a child is wearing a zipped hoodie or a onesie. Hoodies are definitely day clothes

thirdfiddle · 31/01/2021 22:06

Fashion rules are weird. Dungarees - fine. Joggers - fine. Hoodies - fine. What's wrong with onesies? They're just another variant. They're no less dressed if they put on a onesie. Are people thinking like animal dress-up ones or something? DD's is indistinguishable from a nice warm jumper and joggers - unless you see the join.
Asking for uniform is one thing. If they're allowed casual clothes they should be allowed casual clothes.

MartiniDry · 31/01/2021 22:10

YANBU.
While in their own home my children would be wearing whatever they/I damned like, within the boundaries of decency and practicality.

Also, are schools really dictating that children wear their uniforms at home? Really? Ludicrous!
These are children in their own homes, not paid adult employees of a FTSE 100 organisation.

AnarchicLemming · 31/01/2021 22:20

YANBU at all, Big Brother must be kept firmly in his/her/their place at all times.

Onesies it should be from now on. Preferably the unicorn ones with the massive horns on.

RootyT00t · 31/01/2021 22:23

@MartiniDry

YANBU. While in their own home my children would be wearing whatever they/I damned like, within the boundaries of decency and practicality.

Also, are schools really dictating that children wear their uniforms at home? Really? Ludicrous!
These are children in their own homes, not paid adult employees of a FTSE 100 organisation.

Not ludicrous at all.
RootyT00t · 31/01/2021 22:24

@NeverDropYourMoonCup ah yes but they are PAID. Hmm

Starlightstarbright1 · 31/01/2021 22:35

My Ds lives in his oodie at home.. i have not yet had a complaint about what he is wearing.. secondary school..

I have had complaints how he is behaving in a zoom call whilst at school..

A onsie much easier to deal with

elliejjtiny · 31/01/2021 23:44

We had an email about "inappropriate clothing" on a zoom call. Apparently ds's batman costume is not appropriate for school, even in online school. I get their point but I felt so mean telling ds he can't wear his barman costume when he hasn't been allowed to go out anywhere fun for nearly a year.

Mamanyt · 31/01/2021 23:58

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I know that those who work from home are more productive when they were "office casual" clothing than when they wear lounging clothing. There have been a good many studies on this, both formal and informal. I think that probably the same things holds true for children and schooling. The dressing for "class" puts them in the correct frame of mind, it sets that time aside as "learning time." I find it quite reasonable.

threatmatrix · 31/01/2021 23:59

And thus, quite simply Is why we have a nation of privileged children.

CatsnCoffee · 01/02/2021 00:37

Glitterbug76
Sorry if I didn’t make myself clear. When there is a zoom lesson l believe most schools allow children to choose whether or not they can be seen on screen. Obviously, if they choose not to be seen there is no issue about how they are dressed.

LizFlowers · 01/02/2021 00:47

@threatmatrix

And thus, quite simply Is why we have a nation of privileged children.
How did you reach that conclusion?
Viviennemary · 01/02/2021 00:50

I don't agree. Under the circumstances it's a sensible request.

CatsnCoffee · 01/02/2021 00:56

AIBU? My DD only started wearing a bra last year (very reluctantly). Since lockdown I haven’t insisted she wear one, but my DH and my older DD tell me it’s my responsibility to make sure she wears one. I don’t think it would be an issue, but she’s quite young for her age (11) and often wears crop tops, vest tops etc which make it obvious. I find it difficult to have the necessary conversation and I feel a bit of a hypocrite as I don’t wear a bra in the house (although I keep my 2x fried eggs well covered!) Seriously, she’s very sensitive and likely to be upset if I mention it. As she has an older sibling with an eating disorder I have to handle body consciousness issues sensitively. AIBU if I don’t tackle this directly but put her crop tops etc away for the time being.

Move2mo · 01/02/2021 01:06

Our daughter mostly attends the zoom call in her night clothes. A lot of kids do. Don't find the request reasonable at all. I have always thought that schools should be doing away with uniforms at the time of the pandemic - perhaps kids going to school could dress up more comfortably as well?

Pissedoff1234 · 01/02/2021 01:14

I have 4 dc. One in college, one in secondary, one in primary and one in nursery. Only my youngest wants to get dressed so she does and the others don't. The older 2 never put their cameras on for their zoom classes anyway as instructed by the schools and the one in primary has 2 registration classes a day for 5 mins each.

I think when they have told me that I have to help both my middle children with school whilst looking after a younger child, then they can sod off if they think I'm generating washing from 6 different people unless they want to or we are going for a walk. DH and I both get dressed.

The other day my primary child did decide to get dressed and came down in a pair of joggers and a top with a picture on it that looked exactly like pyjamas.

All 3 of them are doing so so well at home, probably better than they would do at school as they have more individual help as I'm furloughed at the minute. All work is done and handed in on time. Wearing pyjamas or onesies would not make them decide not to work.

My children are all super jealous at those that can play with their friends.

KickAssAngel · 01/02/2021 01:25

I teach in the US where very few schools have uniforms. I find behavior, even in DD's big high school, is far better than in the UK, with a more casual, everyone working together, type atmosphere.

PJ days, even when in school, are pretty normal and make no difference to behavior at all.

I've been teaching for over 25 years UK/US/state/private/city/rural and uniform is just the pits.

Boobahs · 01/02/2021 02:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Boobahs · 01/02/2021 02:24

Sorry, posted on the wrong thread. I've reported my post.

LizFlowers · 01/02/2021 02:32

Don't worry Boobahs. No school will be expecting your eldest to turn up to a Zoom today, with or without a onesie.

I hope they are both better soon and you have some peace.
Flowers

THEDEACON · 01/02/2021 02:49

YANBU

EffYouSeeKaye · 01/02/2021 07:33

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

‘How keen are you on teachers taking classes from their own home whilst dressed in pyjamas? Their house, their rules, after all.’

Love this. Excellent point.

MarthasGinYard · 01/02/2021 08:15

Makes me wonder if the head tried to use a bit of humour but it was taken badly by Op.

Same rules apply at our school too.