Personalised uniform - waste of money or meanie mummy?

[fossil97]

School are introducing the option of having their (already logo embroidered) sweatshirts personalised with the childs name across the back - like footballers.

Now most of DS1's uniform gets handed to DS2 so if I get the personalised ones, I will have at least 4 tops to get between now and when they have finished school, none of which can be given to or used by anyone else. Seems a complete waste of money and clothes to me. I have thrown away or charity shopped so much uniform over the years - not much demand for secondhand around here.

But I am getting a lot of pestering and protesting that all the other kids are having the names - am I just being too stingy/too precious? Do any other schools do this sort of thing?

I don't like that idea at all. School logos but not their name.

I know I am being OTT but also makes me uncomfy in any adult being able know what my child is called by their uniform.... A person with awful intentions would know the school and the kid's name in a instant. I think I need to stop watching reruns of Inspector Frost.

I would say no - I never let my DS's have their name on stuff i was worried about strangers knowing their names and pretending to be friends and.....

I would raise this with the school as a child protection issue, tbh.

It would be easy for an adult to 'pretend' to know a child because they knew their name eg see them on the way home from school without a coat on.

I certainly wouldn't have this done and would be really worried that the school hadn't thought through the implications of it.

Absolutely not. We're not allowed to put name badges on our Brownies when we go out on trips, and I think the same logic applies for schools. If someone knows what your DC's name is, DC will think that person is a friend.

Suggest you feed this back to the school.

No, most importantly the security issue and then it's a total waste of money and resources. I'm sure there are families with two or more children in the school that won't be happy with this as sweatshirts can't be handed down or shared. Also I would imagine it's an extra expense for this embroidery which is unnecessary. Teachers don't spend that long learning the names of their students, so I can't see the benefit.

Good point - actually we do have a child protection concern in our family so for our DCs it would be particularly relevant. I hadn't thought of that aspect at all.

I am not one for seeing a stranger lurking round every corner but I will mention it to the Head. It's primary school so not too many children walking around unaccompanied, fortunately.

The objective was just for fun and to sort of make the children feel part of a "team". Nice but unhelpful IMO!

Thanks for the helpful comments BTW

Agree fossil - it sounds like fun, but not practical. I imagine most kids wear hand-me-downs, and that wouldn't be possible with names sweatshirts.

Nice idea - but no!

But be aware that when they go to Secondary school it is common to be a uniform requirement to have their name printed or embroidered on their rugby jersey and PE tops.

Is it? I've never seen that round here ByTheWay. (thank goodness)

Not round by me either - not the independent or state schools.

massive waste of money. i have three boys at one primary at the moment so hand stuff down!

i do not know any high schools that do the name thing either. all the local ones to me ie 7 state that i know of and 3 private do not have embroidered names on stuff.

Not common at all, ByTheWay. Crap idea.

Awful idea. I'd consider it for surname only if it was to become the norm, but really don't like the idea at all.

they've probably thought it up quite deliberately as a way of generating more cash for the school because of the non use of 2nd hand uniform

Another issue to bring up with your Head is that the child protection issues will be a nightmare if children wear their named tops for events that people might take photos of eg shows, sports days, special assemblies. The school will need to try to enforce that no-one puts any photos which show a child's name on Facebook, on posters, leaflets. Logistical nightmare - last thing I'd want to try to manage if I were a Head.

Odd..... We are in Gloucestershire - my daughter's comp, her alternative local one we went to see (and 2 of the local grammars) require it on sports kit.

Maybe just over here then...

Perfectly awful idea, for all the reasons others have said.

Also open to abuse with 'hilarious' amendments to names in marker pen.

There, yet another reason why it's a crap idea.

Bytheway - our local schools require embroidered initials at secondary, not really sure of the point (less likely to lose/be stolen?) but it's def a thing and a full name is just one step further.

I would not be happy with this situation OP, child protection issues and being almost entirely pointless aside, it doesn't sound very smart. I'd even go as far to say it is a bit cheap.

By the way, it is common at secondary school here in Kent too- don't know why people are giving you a hard time! At secondary I imagine its much less of a protection issue.

Yes common for secondary school here too (Sussex). However I would NEVER have my childs name all over a sweatshirt. Seems such an odd idea.

I'd be ok with just surname.

In fact, ds1 is now wearing dd's old logo-ed polo shirts. Since I knew this would be likely I only ever got name tags with surname. So don't even have to rename from year to year.