Is it terrible that 90% of DC2s Reception school uniform is second hand?

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I’m sorting everything out and feel bad about it. Most of it is hand me downs from DC1 and the jumpers and trousers are faded/bobbly. I think I might have left it too late go order a logoed jumper now anyway if the majority opinion was this was considered bad form. I could get new trousers though.

What do we think?

@justanotherneighinparadise

Genuinely don't understand the issue

The issue is that;

1. my eldest did have new everything and now DC2 is relegated to a lifetime of hand me downs
2. whilst I don’t use social media i do take photos of the first day at school and I’d like those to look decent
3. similar to 2) they do individual and sibling school photographs in October. It would be nice if the children didn’t both look like they’d been fitted out at a jumble sale
4. i want him to feel good about himself and whilst the sane part of my brain knows he won’t be looking at his trousers and comparing the colour fade with his peers, the crazy anxiety ridden part of my brain is concerned he might feel ‘less than’ and it’s really no effort at all for me to but him new trousers.

These are all your issues though, nothing to do with secondhand uniform, so I still think there's no issue.

If you want to keep up with the Joneses, buy new.

There's a lot of judgement in your post, I wouldn't care if my kids did look like they'd been 'kitted out at a jumble sale' as I just genuinely care what people who would think such a shallow thing think! I would not think that if your kids wore secondhand, I literally wouldn't give a toss.

Basically it's up to you and is about what you care about.

p.s. almost all non-first children have hand-me-down clothes don't they?

Our polo shirts are £10 each. On ds2 first day in reception he came out with it totally ruined with paint. From then on I sent him in ds1 old polos until he learned to put an apron on. Still had a few more ruined with lunch spilled down the front. No idea who decided white shirts were a good idea for little kids!
Second hand is fine op as long as they still look OK.

It’s environmental, financially efficient and unmaterialistic. All things I admire. Most of my friends have this approach and it’s very sensible. Cash goes elsewhere

Sorry should read 'just genuinely don't care...'

It’s the norm in our area, a very middle class lefty area. There are people with new everything but they are in the minority. It only looks new for two minutes anyway

I also really like hand me downs from a sentimental point of view.

I think also caring about appearance is a driver of insecurity. My kids are worth the same in any pair of trousers and they know it.

@latticechaos

I didn't realise that! 🤦‍♀️
Not a private school at all - just local small primary school - the letter came with a list of everything they needed and all the polo shirts and PE t shirts had to have the logo and they are £9 each! (Compared to good old white ones from Sainsbury at £2!) then the school jumper was £25!!!! For a 4 year old! My jumpers don't even cost that much 😬

@latticechaos

I'm also pregnant with twins so dreading the cost when they start school! 🤣💴💴

@ivfdreaming
Check because my knowledge is old but it was the case and I used to simply ignore! Some schools are sneaky with purple or turquoise jumpers.

Secondary is legally enforceable, as in they can send you home.

I always seem to end up buying new for everything. Not through choice, just no one ever offers me 2nd hand and school doesn't seem to have a nearly new sale. Nothing on class fb page either. I can only assume the clique sort themselves out.

I put DD's good condition stuff on there and I was ignored so I sold it on ebay and gave the money to DD.

As an aside, some stuff fades quicker than others. Morrisons cardigans look awful after a few weeks but matalan polos still look nice and don't need new.

I'd just get one jumper for day one and photo day. Do they specify logo? Ours said either so I didn't bother.

We keep getting pep talks about how DD school must wear uniform with logos for school spirit or some such. We bought one and the jumper shrank and the logo didn't meaning it looked AWFUL. And didn't fit.
Now we hand DS old plain sweatshirts down to DD. The DCs are adopted and we send school photos to birth grandparents but without logos. On photo day we sent DD in a plain cardigan and they lent her a classmate's logo cardigan! It was enormous and the logo was partly under a fold (and, the photographer isn't very good, and, DS didn't cope with school photos this year. So we didn't send any. But we were pretty cross).

Schools are limiting visitors coming into schools at the moment so school photographs may not be happening this term

I'm a retired teacher and taught reception for years. At my school we had a recycling scheme for used but good uniform. Tbh when I saw a child in brand new uniform I did wonder why the parents had forked out for kit that would end up with paint and glue on it (and yes the odd scissor attempt). Don't get new if you can help it. As a parent there are lots of things to feel guilty about, secondhand uniform isn't one of them!

Well I'm such a tightwad I don't do school.photos either, I take my own, so that problem also solved

It's fine, very sensible. Shave the bobbles off with a razor if you must.

DS had the whole kit and kaboodle and had grown out of the lot by Christmas. Plimsolls, shoes everything. He still has a massive growth spurt after Easter and will !hopefully? be returning to school in a uniform bought in April last year as per normal.

I'm about to check on FB if anyone needs his PE kit. Much better for the environment too.

At the independent school I work at there is a Very popular second hand uniform shop. I suspect a lot of the uniform has been recycled many, many times there. It is however quite useful expensive uniform and lasts longer than the stuff you buy from supermarkets,

I buy my kids their uniform from the independent uniform supplier rather than from the supermarkets. This lasts a lot longer and keeps its shape. I’ve embroidered their surname on the jumpers/cardigans to stop them being stolen (it’s happened before) and the jumpers/cardigans Are about to go to my third child. The cardigans etc from m&s don’t even keep their shape in one academic year, fray around hems/buttonholes etc. Therefore by the time I’ve replaced them for one child I may as well have spent more on quality to begin with.

So imo second hand is fine if it’s looking serviceable.

My kids always get new school shoes, think it’s not on to wear shoes secondhand unless they’ve hardly been worn.

DC4 is still wearing hand-me-downs for school from DC1. I do replace supermarket cardigans after a year as they look tired. But stuff with logos goes through all 4!

@justanotherneighinparadise the good thing is that you can reduce your worries with one set of either new or used and great condition uniform. One new pair of trousers, and the great condition jumper from your friend, maybe one shirt. Use it for the first day, then for picture day, and then put it in general circulation. great photos, and good for the environment, best of both worlds

I also think preferable! Save money, save planet, and care less when they come home covered in filth. What's not to like? Even my oldest had 2nd hand... This is probably terrible to say but at our school it's often the more affluent families who tend to dress their kids in 2nd hand (I know this because I see them at the 2nd hand sales - we do donations to school)

Its fine. If it still has wear in it, pass it along. So long as the younger sibling gets to choose some new clothes of their own. Things like coats, wellies, school uniform all get handed along here

@latticechaos

My DD had a school photo done in pre school this year and to be honest I thought it was bloody awful. Didn't even bother to straighten her collar out. We have a semi professional camera at home and take MUCH better photos that we actually want to put on the wall!

100% of DC2 and DC3 second hand in reception. Madness to buy new when all in the cupboard! Do it with all their clothes. Always have.
Most of the children with siblings at their prep school were the same!
And we all handed to others when youngest outgrown and bought at very active 2nd hand uniform sale!
Why would you not?

[quote ivfdreaming]@latticechaos

My DD had a school photo done in pre school this year and to be honest I thought it was bloody awful. Didn't even bother to straighten her collar out. We have a semi professional camera at home and take MUCH better photos that we actually want to put on the wall! [/quote]
Plus the prices are

@latticechaos

Oh my god yes! £19!!!!! For a single DIGITAL image!