Boys pants for starting reception class

[grumpyzebra]

4.5yo DS will need new pants soon. Whatever pants I buy him now he'll be wearing when he starts school in 7 months time. I remember a MN thread where the mum said that character pants (Bob-t-B, Thomas, etc.) led to her son being teased in school. So should I buy plain and boring pants,or is it ok to get something more fun (Thomas, Spiderman, Actionman...?). Do boys in Reception class really notice?

Life must be pretty good if this is the top of my worries list today, eh?!

my ds now 5 wears Thomas pants for school, no complaints at all

grumpyzebra - do they wear pants and vests for PE? If so, give the school a call for advice or ask another Mum with a child at the school? This is the only circumstance where I can imagine the other kids would notice.

At that age I think that 'something' on the front makes it easier for them to dress themselves. Dd would always get plain ones on back to front or a leg through the waist. At least with a motif on the front they can tell easily. I think if they had Teletubbies on or Andy Pany he may get teased (children can be horrible) but I am sure Spiderman or even Thomas would be ok, what about football ones - kids never grow out of those.

I agree with Jaybee, it is easier if they have visual clues on their pants as to which way round they go! You can usually get relatively anonymous football/robot type pants that would escape ridicule, but IME they're not usually very streetwise in reception, it takes a little while to kick in! My gut feeling would be to avoid Bob and Thomas if you want to be sure, but Actionman and the like would be fine.

Glad you're feeling a bit happier, zebra

DS1 (reception) has plain ones, "shark" ones from Tescos and some transport ones from M&S. He's certianly never told me that anyone's teased him about the logos.

I did make a point of teaching him how to work out which way the plain pants go on "label to the left or the back" but he still ends up with them back to front sometimes and it doesn't seem to bother him unduly He gets them right more often than not but this is helped by the fact that he has a freckle on his left wrist so he can tell which side is left.

Saw some great England (presumably footbal related) ones in Woollies but didn't have my son's size. Woollies also do totally plain ones and saw some nice plain ones in M&S

It's amazing, isn't it Soupdragon? My ds used to wander round looking as though he was wearing a thong from the back, and some sort of medieval baggy pants from the front, and he never seemed to be in the least bit uncomfortable .

Obviously practising for when he gets given wedgies

If you're concerned about teasing, I'd avoid character pants and go for general ones, not necessarily plain. You can get loads with sharks, footballs, etc. on.

I'm surprised that DS3 doesn't get teased about his pants. They've normally done both his brothers beforehand and often look as though they are "designer" pants, as in the torn and tatty jeans look.

favourites of ds1 and now ds2 were a pack from mothercare which had a single plane, car, train etc on the front. Agree with Jaybee that a logo of some sort on the front makes it easier for them to dress themselves.

dd1 has princess knickers, they're always her 1st choice in the mornings

Thanks for the feedback, a shark sounds cool, will look for those, then!