The shame: Are my kids always this filthy?

[roisin]

DSs (7 and 8) are currently just in white shirts and shorts for school. Every day their shirts are absolutely filthy, disgusting, a disgrace. I don't mean a bit grubby, but hideously filthy - unbelievably "how on earth could they manage to get so dirty" filthy.

(I hot wash all the whites - so they are always sparkling and shiny in the morning.)

DS2 also has his arm in plaster - due to come off tomorrow. He's had this plaster on for 12 days and it is black.
I'm glad dh is taking him to the fracture clinic, because I would die of shame.

So tell me - is it the outdoor living of summer, or am I just a slutty mother of slovenly kids, and I don't normally notice with their burgundy school sweatshirts?

I have the same problem with school shirts.

My stepdad always says 'I like to see a dirty child, it means they have had fun' .....................I'm trying to believe him

Boys and white clothes are such a bad combination roisin.

I should know I have 4 that always look like they've been dragged through a hedge backwards and rolled round in a mud pit by the end of the day!!

I am hoping to get away with buying ds1 any more school shirts before the summer holidays but don't think they will last - the collars are filthy after only one day of wearing them! And why does he insist on wearing them for 3 days before he puts them out to wash? ugh.

When I mention it to dh he just grins and reminds me that I always used to say (years ago before we had kids) that I would want kids who didn't mind getting muddy
and that I wouldn't complain about it

MY ds could get filthy in a hospital 'clean room' in the time it takes me to blink! I think kids and dirt are just an irresistable force - like iron and strong magnets - you can't keep 'em apart!

My ds is exactly the same at the moment, don't think I'll be able to pass his polo shirts on to his brother when he goes to school!

Ours are the same in their white school shirts, roisin. Their charming habit of wiping their hands on their shirts doesn't exactly help.

ahh roisin, white school polo shirts just attract muck.
Agree with others, no way I can pass them on. Have been hunting through the ironing basket for a few days now for one that's not too stained for ds1 to wear. I will have to buy him some more before the end of term, there's no doubt.

I think it is worse in the summer honestly Roisin. Both DS and DD (5 and 2) are dreadfully filthy. They get the side of the bath all dirty as they climb in, it is that bad. DD has white t-shirts that are terribly grubby and as DS is allowed to wear red, blue or white polo shirts I have been mainly sending him in the darker colours. Still doesn't stop the white board pen from staining mind you.

MY DS, aged 9, is exactly the same. Goes off to school nice and clean but when he comes home he looks like he has been wearing the same shirt for about a fortnight.

He is currently away on camp with the school - comes back today. I went to camp on Monday night to help cook dinner for the children - it is self-catered. (I am not a very good cook!!!). Had to cook spagetti bolognese for 38 children (and 6 teachers) from fresh on an outdoor cooking stove in a tent!!! There were 3 of us and it took over an hour to cook as the pans were so large and the gas rings so small!!

My friend has to stay with her son at camp. He was not allowed to attend - ongoing behaviour problems - but in the end the school said he could attend but not stay the night and also if his mum was there with him. She has a 40 minute drive in the morning and at night (after hot chocolate time at 9:30). Spoke to my friend last night and she said that yesterday my son had on exactly the same clothes that he had on the day before. I think he is going to come home today with the toothpaste seal still on the toothpaste, his clothes unpacked, etc. etc.

But at the end of the day he can have a nice hot bath tonight, get nice and clean and he had a great time.