School uniform tips

[curlyrebel]

My DD is starting school nursery in September and it's my first time buying uniform. So I'm wondering when you usually buy your DC's uniform.

Sorry my DS posted as I was writing!
If you purchase now do you go up a size or allow a couple of inches?
Also how much do you tend to get of everything? Do you buy non-branded clothes from the high street? Any tips grateful.

I usually wait to hear the end of the summer holiday when Sainsburys has their 25% off.

Don't buy anything with buttons. Pull on trousers/skirts/tops only. Zips are OK but only if your child is comfortable doing them up themselves.

Draw a smiley face inside the shoes so half is inside one shoe and half inside the other, that way they can match them up so they're on the right feet.

Buy more socks then you think you'll need.

Get a black sharpie and write their name on the inside of collars/cuffs. Not on tags, tags can be cut out when stuff goes home with the wrong child and the other parent decides to keep it.

Everything will get covered in black marks from whiteboard markers. Accept this and live with stains or you'll end up in a constant cycle of bleaching tops or buying new.

Stickins name labels are on my essentials list.

@TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 I love that smiley face idea!

Please, please , please name EVERYTHING

Despite good intentions I ended up having at least 4 of everything, it takes the stress away of always thinking about clean clothes and washing all the time. Mine always needed clean clothes every day, little ones get so grubby.

I found that supermarket uniform is perfectly fine but m&s, next and John Lewis are better quality, thicker, last longer and can be passed down.

Around September look for bargains in summer dresses ready for next year. With skirts and dresses it never matters if a bit long or short.

My dc are older now and I really miss buying uniform!

Love the smiley face idea too @TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 !
So what if you have to buy branded items from a uniform shop. Do you wait till August and risk not getting what you need?

I don’t wait til August. I buy as big as they can manage to wear.

Don't buy anything she's worried to get dirty, Ive seen children not want to get involved in activities because they are worried they will ruin their clothes, this goes for school coat too, it's worth having two incase they misplace or soak the other one.

I buy 5 school jumpers, 3 her current size and 2 the next size up. That way there is no stress in the morning as there is always a jumper available and then when she grows out of the smaller ones I buy the next size up.

I buy from M& S easy dressing range, partly because I hope that demand for them means they extend there range for people with disabilities but also it is much easy for Dd to have a shirt with velcro than buttons.

Dont send her in in tights on PE days, it'll take her forever to get dressed. Also tights are tricky for little ones to pull up properly so she'll be uncomfortable, I'd opt for trousers or skirt and long socks untill the colder months.

DD likes Jersey school trousers, they are pull on and very comfortable, we get them from next as they are thicker and better for winter but Sainsburys also do them and are much cheaper.
Name tags are great and really do stay attached and they do stickers for bottles and lunchboxes that are great. I'm still using the same pack I bought when DD was in nursery and she's going into Yr 6.

'Girls' shoes are rubbish, they are often open topped so get wet when it's raining and wintery and are rubbish for running around in - no tips for this it's the way of the world if you find the holy grail of a practical shoe perhaps buy it in multiple sizes.

DD can do her laces with no problem but she wears brogues which are tricky as she has to loosen them all the way down and kept getting told off for being late after changing for PE so we got some silicon, no tie laces from amazon which are great.

Avoid white socks, they will not survive, Dds were always stained with mud after the first wear and looked tatty. You can buy black frilly ones which are far better.

If your dd is a skinny I'd suggest the pinafore and shirt in one.
My dd can't keep skirts up as she's too slim, and finds a polo plus pinafore too bulky and hot.
See attached for what I mean - I worried that it'd be a nightmare to wash as it's grey and white, but they've held up surprisingly well being washed with lights.

I'd go for Asda's jersey trousers for a girl as tights are a real faff and make work for the teacher after PE.

Avoid anything that needs excessive ironing, and as I found out, don't throw pleated skirts in the tumble dryer all the pleats fall out and look a mess.

Sainsbury's have got some sensible shoes in. We live rurally as they are allowed to wear boots so I've got a pair of boots for winter and a pair of shoes the next size up.

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/p/TOEZONE-Black-Patent-Double-Strap-School-Shoes-%288-Infant-2%29/137010939-Black?searchTerm=:newArrivals&searchProduct=

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/p/TOEZONE-Black-Leather-School-Boots-%288-Infant-2%29/137013321-Black?searchTerm=:newArrivals&searchProduct=

Is the uniform compulsory? If it isn't, I personally wouldn't. She'll have another 13 years of uniform once in Reception, and it can be quite expensive (whilst perfectly and lovely clothes stay in the wardrobe Mon - Fri and get too small without having been worn much).

If you can get your DD to wear them Geox savage shoes are great for early years, they have a rubber bumper across the toe so they don't scuff them which is brilliant as the tend to kneel down alot and scrap their foot along the floor. DD happily wore them in the winter until year 1 when the "your wearing boys shoes" teasing started.

Thankfully she doesn't have to wear a skirt or dress yet. She will wear joggers but they're a colour I can't find anywhere but H&M and not much cheaper than the uniform shop.

She can wear trainers or black shoes so ones like those @HoneysuckIejasmine would be good for her. Want ones she can get on and off easily herself and that are comfortable of course.

Buy new whites when the weather gets hot. Then they'll be brand new white when they are most being used alone, and by the time they get to be grubby old whites they'll be covered by sweaters or blazers.

As a working mum I bought 5 shirts, three sweaters, three pairs of trousers, two ties.

I don’t have time to faff in the mornings so a clean shirt each day, Other stuff, one on, one in the drawer, one in the wash. That way when ds emptied cornflakes down his uniform or put a knee through his trousers, there was always a spare.

I found M&S more resilient, washed better than supermarket uniform. It still held its shape at the end of term.

Label EVERYTHING including shoes.

What colour are the joggers? ( intrigued)

Peacocks do boys joggers in plain grey, black or navy. That's what my DD wears, they're thick and warm whereas the girls jersey trousers all seem quite thin with butterfly or flowers hangy things on the waistband

@Prettybluepigeons royal blue!

Yeh it's annoying when shops do that @TorysSuckRevokeArticle50. So much differentiation between boys and girls clothes!

@TooGood2BeTrue yes it's compulsor. In a way I don't mind because it will remove all the faffing around deciding what she's going to wear every morning and mean she can't put on her party/princess/angel dresses!

Fair enough, CurlyRebel. I would get 5 outfits, one for each day of the week. Pinafores are great for little ones in the winter. I like the polos from Asda (fitted) and dresses and cardies from Sainsbury's and Tesco's.