Advice needed re refusing to wear school uniform!!!

[jussi]

Hi all,
DS is 4 and due to start school in September.Have now bought all his uniform. Started trying to try it on yesterday. Not very successful.

He has sensory issues anyway and was pulling at the collar of his polo shirt and wouldn't wear the jumper over it at all. But the main problem are the trousers. Couldn't get them on him at all yesterday.

This morning tried to put them on him as soon as he got dressed.Was not having it. Managed to get them on for them just to fall straight back down again (will need a belt-a complete no go area).

I was wondering if anyone knew of anywhere I could find soft grey trousers. I have seen there are jersey trousers for girls-would they look completely wrong on a boy??!!? (I am pretty desperate). Otherwise, anyone know of any smart grey jogging trousers I could find.
Advice also welcome as to strategies to get DS to wear uniform. Am trying to be gradual-different item each day and we have DVD from school about settling in etc where children from the school are in it and am going to show his uniform while watching it.
Otherwise will have to speak to headteacher, explain sensory issues and hope they will work with us in order to desensitise him gradually over time.He has a 1-1 so that should be a possibility.
Am kicking myself for not choosing the school where they do not wear uniform!!!!
TIA

Is he going to a sn school or MS? the reason i ask is if its a sn school i'm sure he wont be the only child with these sensory issues and the school will be understanding. Would he wear shorts? (chances are the weather will still be warmish when he starts, i often send mine back in summer uniform). I would introduce it slowly ,one item at a time, you might have time to do this at home before he goes, start with the polo shirt, let him wear it for a few days before trying the trousers and then eventually the jumper. I'm lucky that i have girls so they can wear jersey dresses or trousers and cardigains instead of jumpers.

My ds was exactly like that. I eventually called the school the day before he was due to start and spoke to the teacher. They said bring him in in whatever he wanted to wear on the day, the most important thing was that he was happy with going to school. So on the day I did just that. When I picked him up he asked if he could try his uniform on. He wore shorts the next day and the polo shirt. We eventually got him into trousers in November when it was -15C and there was no way he was going out in shorts. He'll now wear the jumper but if its on when he leaves the house then its on all day so I don't put it on him if its looking like its going to be hot.

Have you washed it? I would try that first - might soften everything up. Smell is a big thing for my DS (and me, funnily enough).

And try shorts as Marne said.
You might find school is very anti-joggers as they don't want to set a precedent so you will need to persevere unfortunately .

(biscuit was for school, not OP, obviously!)

What does he normally wear?

Is the uniform just a sweatshirt or jersey, polo shirt and trousers?

You shouldn't need a belt with school trousers.

Most small sizes just have an elasticated waist...... no zip or fly.

Would he wear trousers over thermal underwear?

I have no idea how understanding your school might be. If he has a statement then they should let him wear jogging bottoms. Staff will be back in school well before term starts, so try to contact them during the holidays.

Thanks for all your replies.
He will be attending mainstream and he usually wears jogger style trousers(ie soft), and tops with no collars/buttons, etc.I did envisage having trouble but I thought the polo shirts may be okay as they don't have the hard collars the white cotton shirts have.
You have given good advice re washing/phoning school beforehand, etc.
I reckon I will be able to get him into either a sweatshirt or polo shirt (not both) but still stuck on the trousers as not a fan of shorts.
He will definitely need a belt as they fall off him. They are his age though and I didn't think he was particularly skinny but any smaller and they won't be long enough as he is quite tall!
Thanks again

Speak the school. My ds used to take his uniform to school in a bag. The isa would spend some time each day looking at it with him and talking about it.

Eventually he did wear it.

If it sensory maybe cutting tags out.

Seeing other children dressed in the uniform may help.

My ds is very skinny and I found that the M&S trousers didn't need a belt. They are gathered in though so I don't know if your ds would tolerate that. My ds has always had his trousers gathered in so I guess he knows no different. He can't wear joggers as they all fall off!

My DS yelled the place down when I tried on his first uniform. For a start he just about keeps pants on at home (constantly reminded) and he is 6!

I washed them 3 times removed every lable there was and cut off the extending elastic from taking them in at the waist, and I have to say I let him sleep in a polo shirt too and let him wear it round the house for the day.

He was still fussy about it and still is. First day he had ripped off most of his uniform and came home in his PE Tshirt and shorts! DS hates rain and I put him in his kit and pretended to leave in the rain without a coat. He screamed he was getting wet and so I bribed him by saying oh dear we really need to keep you dry in those trousers dont we He was amicable then (cruel I know

There is a member here who will make stretchy trousers to measure. Here name is purplepidjin, you could try inboxing her. She also has a facebook page with photos of the trousers and they are great.

Some advice with the polo shirts is to wash them a few times with lots of fabric softener, cut the labels off and the collars should be a lot softer. Also I have found that drying them directly on a radiator can make the collars go quite stiff so try to avoid that.