I have all of DS's uniform for Reception

[CharlesRyder]

AND I've named it all!

I'm feeling slightly smug.

However, I am now going to restrict DS's food, bind him and possibly put bricks on his head for the rest of the summer.

I've got DDs. My plan of handing down DS (5) old bits has gone out of the window as she's bigger than him!

Just need shoes but will get them in August.

I would be feeling smug as well. I still need to buy a lot for my 2.

DS was not pleased about having to try on woolly jumpers and thick coats- but hey ho!

Oh good. I'm not the only one! Although I have yet to do the name tapes. And DD could do with growing a cm or two between now & Sept.

Erm, I was planning to wait until August in case Dd had a growth spurt. Is this madness? Will everything be sold out?

DS will still fit into his pre-school uniform so I only needed to get new jumpers for 'big school' which I have but a size too big which may drown him in september and then just need shoes nearer the time

I'm another smug one who's got it all except shoes.

I bought Ds his winter coat for Sept 2014 in March this year, reduced from 50.00 down to 18.00

I would say buy now as often good deals, but never remove the tags or sew in name labels until the end of August as shops will exchange for larger sizes if necessary. Also keep the receipts!

Dd starts nursery in January. I was planning on waiting til after September so the mad rush dies down and normal stock levels resume - should I start now?

I've got some of DS's ready for starting school but he has form for having a major growth spurt in June and July each yr so I'm trying to hold off. We had to get him new shoes on Saturday as his feet had grown and the only damn pair in his size that fitted were boring black school ones. He loves them but I was really sad at having to get him black onces already when he's got a whole life time of wearing school shoes to come.

Frozen if you have to got to a uniform shop for anything I would not leave it until August. We spoke to the assistant in the big uniform shop in Reading when we were buying DS's pre-school uniform last year and he said the place is one of the circles of hell every weekend in August.

All of my DS's tops had to come from one specific shop which is why I am ON IT.

For those with girls there were woolly tights in Tesco this week (in a heatwave!). They will not be around in September.

Shops do run out and woolly tights are a good example.
But check when buying what the returns window is so if your child does grow by end august you can still return it.
Also do not name now as if child does grow you cannot take back if named.
Most people by big anyway so a growth spurt can be accommodated.

By August lots will have sold out

Ive been buying uniforms for 12 years, I always wait untill end of August as they always have growth spurts over the summer. Ive never had problems buying them at this time. I usually need to replace outgrown items at some point during the year aswell and never been a problem.

I've bought nothing! Should I?!

There's usually a special offer at M&S so I'm waiting until then.

Hmm thanks Charles. We do have to go to a uniform shop for some of it I think. There is a school meeting in a couple of weeks and I think the shop are going to be there, so perhaps I will get it all then and hope for the best!

Can I suggest you all wait til the last minute for shoes, DD went up a size and a half between this time last year and her first day at school. Plus there are lots of deals on shoes and plimsolls generally come with a free PE bag and are cheaper in August than they are at the moment.

For those of you with girls, buy twice as many tights as you think you'll need and then a few more pairs, by winter school tights become rarer than hens teeth.

Avoid uniform shops at weekends at all costs, seriously, book a day off if at all possible and go during the week, the stress of trying to get dc to try uniform on in a packed, hot shop whilst everyone is ready to claw your eyes out for the last 5-6 yr old PE top in stock just isn't worth it!

^^ is what the dude in the uniform shop in Reading said.

A place worse than an NCT Nearly New sale- imagine that?

I'm waiting for the M&S offer too - am slightly worried I might have missed it? I'm sure it's usually happened by now?

Our uniform shop is quite good for main uniform.
PE/summer polos sometimes need ordering.

The difficult thing both at primary and secondary is girls trousers. They never have the right style in the right size and the right colour.

DDs schools were officially navy, there were an awful lot of grey (they wore grey skirts), no one said anything. They looked smart.

Senior school wear black which, is in theory, really easy. It is for adult sized DD1. Teen sizes, however, sell out really fast.

The official ones are horrible, no one wears them.