Pick your favourite back to school pieces from George at ASDA and share your back to school tips - £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EmmaMumsnet]

It’s never too early to start thinking about the kids starting or heading back to school. There’s so much to buy that it’s hard to remember everything or even know how much of each thing you need - are 5 shirts enough/too much? Where should I shop? What should I buy? Are all common questions our MNers have.

Here’s what George at ASDA has to say: “Our schoolwear and footwear are such brilliant quality, we’re proud to offer a no-quibble 100 day satisfaction guarantee. This means that if you’re not happy with an item you’ve brought with 100 days, we’ll give you a full refund. So you can shop with complete confidence.”

George at ASDA would like you to go to their website here and pick out your favourite back to school items, whether that’s uniform, shoes, lunchboxes, or stationary and come back and share them (ideally with a link to make it easy on anyone who wants to check them out). It would be great if you could also share your back to school tips and tricks with your fellow MNers, especially those who may have DC going to school for the first time this year!

So how many shirts do you buy? Don’t forget about the PE kit! What are the most comfy school shoes for your DC? Have you found an amazing lunchbox with lots of handy compartments? Do you label EVERYTHING? How do you get your kids in the mindset for going back to school? Whatever your favourite back to school items and tricks, please share them on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 George at ASDA voucher.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

None of mine have to wear uniforms....but I and my DD are a sucker for pinafores and she gets them anyway - this one looks good (not so sure about the skater one).
direct.asda.com/george/school/pinafores-dresses/girls-school-drop-waist-pinafore-grey/GEM462970,default,pd.html

Don't leave it till the last minute. Be organised!

My favourite item is this Girls School Shirred Back Blouse direct.asda.com/george/school/shirts-blouses/girls-school-shirred-back-blouse/GEM559938,default,pd.html

Really nice and girly, but super cheap!

Enough uniform to last a week + a spare shirt! 3 jumpers, 3 bottoms, 5 socks, 6 shorts. Too busy in the week (work) to routinely wash extra uniform. DC get stripped aa they come in on Friday night and a uniform wash goes in immediately.

At the start of the Autumn term write everything you already have dates for on/in home, work, family and husband's calendars. Term dates, inset days, sports fixtures, birthdays, concerts, nativities, Cub camps, harvest festival, summer fair, parent assemblies, parents meetings etc etc etc. Book time off work as required now! Ask school office for dates if they have not been given out.

I label/nametape eveything and it pretty much always comes back.

I like the pinafore. I like that it washes easily, and doesn't crease. Also, I like the t shirts and grey skirt. I like the lunch boxes, but I think I'll have to go to our local Asda to let me daughter choose one in person!

Forget to say my favourite piece - I love the grey play suits, or rather my 5 year old daughter does. She doesn't like skirts, she is far to active for that- but also notvwild about trousers. The playsuits are the perfect merger of practical and smart.

get several shirts as good to have spares

I have to have more than week's worth of uniform so I don't risk any kind of running out crisis/washing failure. Never mind the kids I like this direct.asda.com/george/home-garden/kids-lunchbags-dining-sets/zebra-lunch-bag/050192834,default,pd.html?cgid=D26M08G08C20

direct.asda.com/george/school/sports-swimwear/school-2-pack-football-shorts-black/G005065332,default,pd.html#choice:colour
My son loves these shorts for PE.

My best tips for school is to put embroidered name tags on everything. I have tried printed tags and writing with a laundry pen but the embroidered tags long outlast the clothes and can even be removed and reused on new items time anytime again without losing their colour.
I also recommend writing your child's initials on the inside of the rear of their PE t-shirt collar as children often get confused which way these go as they usually have no tags.

The slim fit boys trousers have worn really well. I need trousers that I'm able to adjust the waist on and these ones haven't torn or fallen off.
I've bought some already for the new term.

direct.asda.com/george/school/trousers/boys-school-slim-leg-flat-front-trousers-grey/G005744368,default,pd.html#choice:fitting|size

I love the bow detail pinafore skater dresses.

I always buy 5 polo shirts, 3 pinafores, 3 cardigans and 5 pairs of tights

We go for 3 polo shirts, 1 skirt, 1 pinafore, 1 trouser, 6 tights and 2 cardigans to keep us going for the whole week.

I love this offer online direct.asda.com/george/school/pinafores-dresses/girls-school-2-pack-drop-waist-pinafore-grey/GEM563444,default,pd.html

The material is brilliant as it doesnt bobble like the rest.

I always but Asda George 5 polo shirts because they are very good quality and stay white for a long time, they never go dull and when my sons gets stains on them with a little stain remover these are like new every single wash!

Without a doubt it has to be Asda white velcro trainers. My children are required to have 2 pairs of white trainers each for indoor and outdoor use, the Asda ones are the perfect price, especially as they grow out of them so soon.

My daughter would love this dress as it looks like it would spin out a lot! direct.asda.com/george/school/pinafores-dresses/girls-school-bow-detail-skater-pinafore-grey/GEM279548,default,pd.html

We only get one p.e kit, as I wash it and bring it back the next day. I get a skirt, a dress, 3-5 polo shirts and 2 cardigans. I label our stuff with our surname with a sharpe so it can get passed down to siblings easier - our surnames not common. :)
DD has school dinners as she's in infants so we don't need to worry about packed lunch boxes. There are some cute ones on the Asda website that I like though!

Bulk buying has been my saviour - things like polo shirts are such good value that I tend to have at least 6 per child so that even if the washing has been piling up, there is never a wail of "Muuuuuuuum, I haven't got a shirt".
Very clear ways to spot their stuff has also helped - all their bags/coats etc have labels in (obviously!) but they also each have a different colour ribbon tied very obviously so they can always spot theirs amongst the dozens of others.

I love their basic v jumpers, for under blazers, but sadly everywhere is sold out, online and in store. :-(

Their packs of 2 shirts are unrivalled though. Short sleeved, last most of the school year, good cut on boys, loose neck for ties. I always get shirts from Asda, and most of their trousers too!

Was very impressed yesterday to see umbro football boots and Astros in store too.

Just wish things didn't sell out so early. It was august 1st!

I love the girls short sleeve pin tuck blouses - very sweet.

Label everything and even then accept that things will go missing...

I have three children in school and my top tip is to label absolutely everything as clothing and packed lunch items often get misplaced.

The primary school that my youngest two attend isn't very strict on uniform so we tend to go for jogging bottoms like these, lots of white polo shirts which are fantastic value and a school jumper.

My youngest son loves this lunch bag and I always use one of these Sistema boxes inside, instead of sandwich bags.

I have to say that George has never let me down when it comes to school uniform! As a foster mother of many I have always gone to George for uniform whenever possible. These boys shirts -direct.asda.com/george/boys-school-shirts/boys-school-5-pack-short-sleeve-shirts-white/GEM527029,default,pd.html are just amazing value and there really is not reason at this price that we can't keep our lads looking smart!

direct.asda.com/george/boys-school-shirts/boys-school-5-pack-short-sleeve-shirts-white/GEM527029,default,pd.html working link

Little boy wants this for next term
direct.asda.com/george/home-garden/kids-lunchbags-dining-sets/smash-dinosaur-bag-and-bottle/050200019,default,pd.html

I only brought 2 school jumpers for his 1st year at school- this year will be buying 4 as 2 defo not enough!!

these little cardigans are perfect direct.asda.com/george/school/cardigans-jumpers/girls-school-2-pack-sweat-cardigan-cobalt-blue/GEM462096,default,pd.html I always think it's easier for my daughter to have cardi rather than struggle with a jumper. We swear by George for a lot of our uniform needs! Hope they keep well stocked on sizes and so I can buy for all three of my kids there both in primary and secondary school as they have a big range.

5 tips, 2 Trousers 1 dress.

The pinafore dress is very practical with its easy zip. direct.asda.com/george/school/pinafores-dresses/girls-school-drop-waist-pinafore-grey/GEM462970,default,pd.html

I would recommend that your child can tie their own shoe, use a knife and fork and sharpie is just as good for labelling names on clothes. Finally, establish a clear morning routine and practise it a few days before the start of school to get them geared up.

I buy the school uniform at the start of the school holidays so it gives me time to sew on the name labels rather than rushing round the last week before they go back to school, frantic, trying to find uniform to find it mostly sold out (been there and done that, there's always every other size available except the size you need, lots of other parents will be able to sympathise I'm sure).

I leave buying shoes until mid August though, there's an amazing independent shoe shop near where I live, it gets busy but not the scrum like some other well known shoe shops, staff are so friendly and prices for good quality leather shoes are reasonable too, so we always go there.

I really enjoy buying school uniform and find the ordering online from Asda makes it very easy. Love seeing them on their first day back with brilliant white shirts. I've already got two of the bow skater pinafore dress and two bow skater skirt for each of my girls, I also got two each of the peplum shirts (to wear with the skirts) and the short sleeved blouses for the pinafore dress; the children are always so warm so I don't buy them long sleeved. We're all set, with new underwear and white socks, just the shoes to get and we're all ready for back to school.