Uniform for girls who live in leggings

[oneplustwoplustwoplusone]

My nearly 4yo starts school in Sept. She is quite fussy about clothes, only really wearing leggings or cycling shorts and a T-shirt.

For those with less ‘girly’ girls what did you go for with uniform. I’ve not no chance in getting her in a dress/skirt/pinafore now. Jersey trousers should be OK but what if it is still warm in Sept?

Did you find that they changed their view on uniform over the first term? Don’t want to buy loads of other girls in her class wearing dresses etc changes her mind….

Wear have I sneered at a cloak? Would I bought my DT’s a cloak - no - they preferred jeans and a hoodie which they could wear at school and also at weekends and holidays.

This. If you can’t parent her when she’s 4 what chance do you have when she’s older? Stop teaching her that the rules don’t apply to her.

I’m sure many UK children would love the option of wearing jeans and a hoodie or during the recent hot weather, a T-shirt and shorts. No rules about whether a blazer and tie have to be worn or shirt top button done up, no wasting time on policing what footwear you have on when you can wear your trainers anyway.

I grew up in a country without school uniforms and getting clothes for school was such a drama. Getting dressed every morning was a whole production and it was exhausting. I love the school uniforms here.

However I’m in Scotland at a state school I’m a very mixed catchment with very reasonable policies. Primary school was black joggers, leggings, skirt, pinafore with the school colour polo and sweatshirt - easily available at the Sainsbury’s next to the school. High school is the same bottoms with a black or white t shirt and black hoodie. They have branded hoodies if you want one for free from the office. Any shoes you like with an emphasis on trainers and a reminder not to spend a lot of money as they won’t stay clean. Super easy - I get 5 of everything at the start of the year and that’s us done. Saves so much money and time and everyone is comfortable.

Most schools if they’ve got a modicum of common sense want the 4 year olds in reception to be happy and comfy (even private schools with the most elaborate of uniforms seem to have the littlest ones in pe kit most of the time).

There are also shops that will stock adapted uniform with softer closings and other changes. in the winter both of mine often wore leggings rather than tights. When it was cold they wore thermals under their school skirts and dresses and were comfy and warm. I’ve seen plenty of reception kids in joggers (pe kit) instead of the proper uniform. There was a boy in one of my daughter’s classes who could never get on with polos or shirts and always had a t shirt on under an easy fit jumper.

Give the uniform a go but also speak to teachers if there is a specific issue. The kids are 4. They need to be happy to learn. There are plenty more years to have battles over conformity.

As an aside, I am becoming very suspicious over a new push on uniform at my primary (changing it for no good reason). When there are bigger issues at play, I think a micro focus on uniform sends a message that the wrong things are being prioritised.

i wouldn’t say mine ‘changed her mind’, in that she still never wears dresses out of school, but she worse the school dresses because it’s the uniform and that’s what she was told to wear.

Of course. Like everywhere has free healthcare. And like everywhere has gun laws to stop kids being able to get hold of guns. And like everywhere lets girls have the same education as boys.
Obviously just copying other countries would improve everything 🙄

I mentioned school uniform not access to guns and healthcare.
I’m happy (and pleased financially) that my DT’s attended a non uniform school - I saw the benefits compared to the uniform school (very highly regarded by some parents on Mn) I attended - it was a shock when I arrived in the UK!

@Parker231 You don’t get irony do you? As you don’t get school uniforms.

My DDs didn’t have rules about blazers and top buttons. No ties and no top buttons at any school they went to. Private or state. You don’t seem very clued up on uniforms. Decent fabrics too. All cotton blouses and dresses so cool. Blazers were wool so like a coat when needed. No blazers at state primary and they used polo shirts with open necks and school sweatshirts or pullovers. Sensible and practical uniforms and dc were pleased to belong to the schools.

I would hate my dc going to school in jeans and hoodies. They are weekend and evening clothes in our house. We subscribed to uniforms at school and choice when not at school. No trainers at school either.

I have travelled widely in east and South Africa and school uniforms are very common.

Once she gets to school and makes some friends she'll start wanting to wear the same things as they do.

Am totally clued up on school uniform - when I came to the Uk the school I went to had a uniform. Luckily DT’s school didn’t and neither did their cousins in France, Belgium, US and Canada.

It’s interesting which countries use uniform. Mainly ones that both educationally and culturally very different from the UK. And ex-colonies - what a successful export school uniform was across the Empire! Go Britain!

I can’t help but feel the British love of uniforms harks back to those halcyon days 🙄.

But by the same logic as you were using, everyone would be doing the same thing if it was right.

I attended a non uniform primary and a uniform secondary. Uniform was a great leveller, I no longer felt "less" because my parents couldn't afford a whole wardrobe of branded clothing, or felt like I had to pick something that was "right" to fit in with the other kids.
Most uniform is as cheap as casual clothes and most schools have plenty of options for comfort, whether it's sensory or temperature related. I actually liked my blazer, it had excellent pockets, but no one forced me to wear it in summer and short sleeved shirts were fine.

I wasn't concerned either way when my kids started school, we had a uniform and no uniform on our preference list, but now they're in uniform I am enjoying not having the daily negotiations and hunts for a specific item that turns out to be dirty or outgrown that we had at nursery.

@Ddakji Do you look upon our ex colonies as being so stupid as to being unable to change school uniform views! They copy us??? Still? That’s almost offensive. They choose what they went to do and it appears they like uniforms. Their free choice. Also I’ve noticed dc proud to wear it.

Mine did jersey trousers but did tolerate a summer dress and she is not girly girl at all.

To be honest she ended up in leggings by year 6.

Most kids want to fit. Likely your dd will see all the other girls are wearing summer dresses at first, then zip up pinafore, followed by skirts, then skorts, then skirts again with nike pros. Don't worry about it @oneplustwoplustwoplusone. I'd get a summer dress, soft skirt / dress and a pair of soft trousers from M&S for the autumn term

trousers (quite similar to leggings, super comfy)
https://www.marksandspencer.com/girls-regular-leg-knitted-trousers/p/clp22388768?color=GREY these come in black, navy and grey

https://www.marksandspencer.com/school-2pk-girls-cotton-rich-skirts-2-14-yrs-/p/clp60621628?color=GREY#intid=pid_pg1pip13g4r4c2 these are soft

https://www.marksandspencer.com/girls-cotton-rich-knitted-pinafore/p/clp22226535?color=GREY#intid=pid_pg1pip12g4r2c4 also soft fabric

*Most kids want to fit in

from tu
https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc140708561 leggings

https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc128960123 soft trousers

https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc141665330 culottes for when she is a bit older

I'd get trousers and shorts then. Tailored styles will feel different to leggings bit she'll get used to them. They should be comfy with the polo shirt tucked in. If she finds them uncomfortable then I'd talk her into dresses and pinafores as they have no waistband.