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Original poster

Why can't reception children just wear a jogging suit ?

171 replies

AngelaChill · 18/09/2006 14:02

My poor little mite hates her uniform, shirt, pinny and cardigan and had a complete melt down this morning (her first day). She's only just 4 and I can't see why they can't just wear comfy clothes surely that would make the teachers life easier too ?

OP posts:
Smurfgirl · 18/09/2006 16:37

spidermama i find this quite an odd comment - I wish the parents and teachers would try the polyester and teflon get ups for a week or two, in colours dictated by someone else, to see how they like it.

Loads of adults do wear polyester/teflon uniforms in colours dictated by someone else. I know I do (white and pale blue) and I quite like it actually well not the unflattering styles but the not having to chose what I wear in the morning or having a wardrobe full of expensive work clothes.

My friend who is a teacher works at a school thinking of introducing uniforms.

FioFio · 18/09/2006 16:38

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TellItHowItIs · 18/09/2006 16:45

...simple really... because jogging suits are sloppy, chavvy, and the first step on a slippery slope towards developing slovenly attitudes...

Whatever next? Feeding sausage rolls to kids through the school railings ??

Spidermama · 18/09/2006 16:57

I vill continue to enforce ze uniform rule as I em only following orders. Rules are rules has has been pointed out.

NOW who's on a slippery slope. Wake up and smell it girls. Don't you like nice colours and fabrics?

I bet half of you would be offended if your mums in law tried to choose your childrens clothes and yet you let school do this.

I've lost the battle and I know I'm in the minority of people who don't agree with uniform but that doesn't stop me HATING it. I wish I could let it wash over me but it grates like you wouldn't believe.

hulababy · 18/09/2006 16:59

My arguement to that though is that you know the uniform when you start at the school.

hulababy · 18/09/2006 17:00

And DD's uniform is nice colours and the fabrics are generally okay too.

madness · 18/09/2006 17:01

Thanks for the compliment tellmehowitis, I often wear jogging trousers as they are comfortable. As it happens I also hate uniforms and don't think any of the arguments in favour are really true. But then I went to school abroad where uniforms are unheard of. All my friends from there feel sorry for ds and dd...

Spidermama · 18/09/2006 17:02

Hula I'm hardly likely to opt to take my four kids half way across town to the one school which doesn't force them to wear bizarre clothes am I? I don't choose my school on a single issue.

As it happens I wouldn't get in to that school anyway.

I resent the implication that I have any real choice to do anything about it.

laneydaye · 18/09/2006 17:03

hia, i think if the school has uniform then the children should wear it.. not like half the kids in my ds's school its black navy or grey trousers and i see kids in joggers! its a disgrace they should be burnt at the stake.. (that is a joke)

im deffinately in favour of uniform though..xx

Blu · 18/09/2006 17:06

I'm here, Spidermama, shoulder to shoulder!

I do have a sneaking envy for the very cute 'proper' uniforms all in very expensive natural fabrics (my school coat was harris tweed!!), but once the photo was taken the upkeep would be too much for me.

I don't like the sweatshirt approach to schol uniform, and the very idea of teflon makes me shudder!

ediemay · 18/09/2006 17:06

I understand the practicalities of uniform but I don't like the fact that our school has uniform for the nursery children - it just seems too early. Lots of grey and black too, which just looks dreary. It's a great school though and although I grumble, I wouldn't want DS to stick out so he wears it. Grumble, grumble

handlemecarefully · 18/09/2006 17:09

I find jogging suits for 'day wear' a bit Vicky Pollard...

laneydaye · 18/09/2006 17:10

yeah but no but yeah but no but...lol

FioFio · 18/09/2006 17:12

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laneydaye · 18/09/2006 17:15

arent jog suits for doing pe in the winter?

Spidermama · 18/09/2006 17:17

Why can't the uniform be optional? How dare anyone tell me what to dress my kids in? The reasons they give are spurious at best.

I reckon if uniform were optional about 25-30% of the parents at my kids primary wouldn't use it.

People say it's cheap. Not as cheap as not buying it. Also it's such crap it falls apart.

Boys should be allowed to be children not forced into bizarre grey suit style trousers. My dh never wears anything similar and I resent that my 6 and 4 year old are forced to wear hideous grey teflon trousers with ridiculous creases down the front.

The social leveller argument is thin as they come. Kids aren't stupid. They make judgements based on all sorts of things. If they're not looking at labels (and I don't believe they are in Primary) then what's to stop them judging shoes, the age of the uniform, the accent, the name, the skin colour, the packed lunch contents etc etc.

Like I say, I can understand it in secondary school when hormones are flying, but little kids in primary. It's an abuse of power.

bakedpotato · 18/09/2006 17:18

After the last year, I'm very pro-uniform. Even for reception.

Last year, DD went to the nursery attached to the primary she is now at. No uniform for nursery. And yet to my horror (and the horror of the other mothers) those little 3- and 4YO girls were massively interested in who was wearing skirts, who wore trousers, who wore pink, who wore green. It seemed to be a tribal rather than fashiony thing, but still ghastly.

They're all in dark blue polyester kilts and polo-shirts now (and excited about it).

Jolly good thing too.

Twiglett · 18/09/2006 17:19

I've had this argument with you before spidermama .. so don't send your child to a school that demands uniform

personally I think you're wrong .. but more importantly you're spending so much energy expounding how right you are I am seriously worried you will burst something

oh and btw .. the little german / nazi allusions are totally uncalled for

FioFio · 18/09/2006 17:19

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laneydaye · 18/09/2006 17:24

well when i was at school i got the piss ripped out of me because i didnt have any decent clothes shoes etc... i was the girl in the crap shitty clothes that the government provided....

its not very nice.... i think all schools should have uniform.
its school ffs not playschool and its only for 6 hours a day........

Original poster
AngelaChill · 18/09/2006 18:02

Jogging suits = a diet of sausage rolls - please get some prospective, we're talking about 4 year olds here. I'd be equally happy with mini boden baggies, but actually that is the uniform of the middle classes children, you go to centre parcs and it's like some sort of cult
I dislike the term chav too, they aren't a subhuman race.

OP posts:
Spidermama · 18/09/2006 18:12

Twiglett, as I've already explained, I don't have the luxury of sending my children to the one school which doesn't insist on a uniform because it's far away and over subscribed.

Anyway, it's not the only issue which I take into account when chosing schools.

Are we not allowed to critisise anything about schools ever without someone saying, 'Change schools then?' How absurd.

You don't have to question anything if you don't want to Twiglett and if you find life more convenient that way. Some days I wish I could be so, um, unerringly satisfied.

Twiglett · 18/09/2006 18:17

you're not questioning anything spider .. you're ranting and at times being mildly offensive

Spidermama · 18/09/2006 18:18

Teach me to be more like you twiglett.

Twiglett · 18/09/2006 18:19

go out and cover yourself in marmite

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