How do the rest of you manage uniform shopping with a child with AS?

[MrsShrekTheThird]

We've bought DS1s new shoes today...heaven help me there's three weeks of holiday still to go, a special occasion before school goes back - but there's no fooling him cos "school shoes" are what we have actually bought. Therefore he assumes that holidays almost over and cue new term anxiety....just can't win!!! I didn't want to take him to the last week of holiday chaos! There's no avoiding the fact
that more uniform bits for him and two (NT) sibs needs to be bought...and can't leave him with other people every time it might occur!! . He needs to check that stuff meets his very fussy requirements too!

I have it all delivered by M&S try it on at home, keep what meets very exacting requirements and dd takes the returns back to store at the weekend. For shoes we buy after school on a wednesday three or four weeks into the new school year although since ds has stopped growing I go and pick up the exact same pair without him

I try his old trousers on measure the length on how long they should be. Then make a dash for it to M & S lol! (they have buttons at the waist to take in so dont matter how big they are) Sweatshirts? When he was due to start school, I went and bought 5x3 various sizes all the same and just had to take the first ones back so havent got to go till he starts Juniors! Same with polo shirts. School shoes are a no no he will only wear trainers at the moment. Hates real shoes say they feel like wood I dont have to go for another 12 months thank god

I've had the whole lot delivered from M&S to home.

I'm seeing a good pattern involving M&S home delivery here
Sweatshirts aren't a problem, he's keeping the ones he's got. Trousers need to be adjustable waist like the rest of you, Ohh the joys!!!

Well I'd not order from M&S then get him to try them on the night before school starts only to find that you're an eejit who ordered slum fit by accident

That's no fun at all. But usually ordering online works well, lol.

Slim fit, obviously, rofl

I buy all the school uniform in early July, hoping they won't have a growth spurt over the summer, while they are still at school. [smug]

Except the shoes of course. 3 pairs of school shoes, plus 2 pairs of 'non marking' trainers, 2 pairs of football boots and one pair of daps. £200+ later....aarghhh!

I order it all from NEXT and then whatever doesnt fit goes back.

Luckily ds1 could care less about clothes and shoes BUT he is very funny about labels so they need to be either very soft ones or cut out.

He wont/cant wear buttoned shirts (thank god for polo shirts!) and hates thick socks but other than that not too bad.

Online ordering here in all the sizes till he leaves primary school.

Sweatshirts are from school but I really need 5 as he makes such a mess and I cant keep up. I am NOT buying 5 brand new @ £8 each. Therefore he can make do with the ones that my mum has put velcro across the shoulder in as his head is so big he can't get it through the hole without it until the next school fair when I can buy them at 20p each second hand

Granny does shoes. OMG Ellen I feel a little bit sick on your behalf.

Ah yes. £120 at clarks last week

ellen you said daps (are you a west country girl?) I have huge discussions with dh and his family cos they have no idea what daps are, and that's what we call them 'round ere'.

it's gonna be shoes for us too, (have cut off 2 pairs of morrisons adjustable trousers to make shorts, so he can go for the first few days in his sandals, hope no rain! and then I can take him to buy school shoes when everyone is back at school, he will be part time to start with.)

We do it all online (M&S, Next, Asda) we managed to get school shoes from TKMax and it was a lot easier than waiting in clarks to me fitted.

Yes, sign, born and brought up in Bristol, now up in Gloucestershire. They were always daps, black for primary and white for secondary. At least they are cheap!

i bought all their uniforms in Debenham on-line sale, really nice quality & cheap.
Shoes I leave ds1 at home with dh & just take his splints :)

Of course i still have to take ds1 (the 11 yrold nt one) shoe shopping, now that will be a trauma!

so what are Daps?

Daps are plimsolls, or pumps or whatever. No idea why they are daps in the West Country. Just a nice local turn of phrase.

Shoe shopping I do in bits, usually have to take all three boys, but school shoes one day, sport shoes on another. Just been to JJB Sports to get their football boots and trainers today, whatever is cheapest as the 2 older ones, geeky and ASD, both hate sport but have to have them.

Just boxed up outgrown trousers for next DS and put in the loft. Got next sizes out. 1 of the joys of 3DS - there's usually something that fits.
Ben10 - I buy at least 5 of everything - including school sweats. All of them come home looking like they have been in an explosion at a food/paint factory. Same principal applies - all is passed on. Extra sets needed for school for soiling issues
Shoes are the only thing that don't get passed on - they never make it that long. Lucky if we get a term out of anything. Why can't they make indestructable shoes?

That's not quite true in my family! Clothes have very rarely lasted all three children. Usually two, to be fair, but nothing of DS1's lasts until DS3. Which is just as well because it's surprising how styles date after 5 years, even with boys clothes.

Quick hijack. Does anyone know whe I can get boy's elasticated school trousers with no fly? I have a ds age 10 who will not wear buttons or fly on trousers.

Daps in this house, too! Born & brought up in Bristol.

The ones at Asda were like that dramaqueen but all of a sudden they have a fly....... might be worth cheking to see if they have any old stock

Auntevil I only have one child so no passing on here unfortunately. He has 5 of everything but try to bulk buy during the sales as I know that he will work his way through quickly. Size 8-9 at 6.2 months old at the moment but completely in proportion

oooh noooooo, please don't tell me ASDA have started putting a fly on their school trousers He won't touch a zip

Am definitely going to either make it appear in the wardrobe in the weekend before the new term and lie or just not bleeping well buy him any til the term starts. He will insist on going back in shorts anyway, I have to hide all the shorts in the October holidays to stop him embarassingly wearing them til Christmas He'd have been fine in the 1950s!!

Am going to have to send him off to Granny's whilst I take the other two uniform shopping then hide the lot and gag dd, aren't i

My dd has not go ASD as such but a dx of developmental delay and AS trait which makes shopping like this hard, I do it online. She is a slim girl so I roughly know what size she is and pick skirts, trousers with adjustable waist

My dd hates school dresses and pinafores with zips on the front, she has a meltdown over them.

Oh God we have to attempt the shoe run this weekend. The plan: be waiting outside the shop at 9. Persuade assistant to use manual foot measuring device as he wont stand still enough for computerised one. Breathe huge sigh of relief if foot size hasnt changed. If it has, DH to take Ds2 to seating area where he lies over the seats. Ds1 and I run to shelves and gather up possible shoes/trainers. Get out packet of crisps. Give Ds2 a crisp every time he inserts one foot into a shoe. Give him whole packet if he deigns to walk up and down wearing said shoes. Hope against hope that first pair are OK.