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

I always buy 5 shirts. Both work f/t so I don't iron midweek.

Shoes- draw half a smiley face in each shoe so they 'meet'.
If you buy Clarks with the toy in the heel- remove it for school as it will inevitably get lost and tears will be shed

Ooh Asda doing slim fit now - will be getting these for skinny DS direct.asda.com/george/school/trousers/boys-school-slim-fit-trousers-black/GEM561026,default,pd.html

I genuinely can't think about 'back to school' - we're only at the start of the holidays and six weeks seems like a lifetime at the moment

These pleated skirts are great as they meet the uniform code and don't cost the earth. direct.asda.com/george/girls-school-skirts/girls-school-pleat-skirt-black/G005746100,default,pd.html

We always have one shirt for each day. A minimum of 3 bottoms. We've always had to have school jumpers or blazers so have never brought supermarket ones.

We adore these sweatshirts in our house, they are incredibly durable, don't shrink on washing and are available easily (its not a common colour in our area) online for collection the next day so saves my nightmare of having to traipse around. direct.asda.com/george/school/sweatshirts/school-sweatshirt-burgundy/GEM304851,default,pd.html

I am generally a last minute shopper for clothes, last year was a nightmare as my son had put on weight and so we struggled to get trousers to fit his waist that weren't ridiculously long. I always recommend George clothing though as I think its good quality and hard-wearing, and above all, excellent value for money, because lets face it kids get all sorts on their tops from paint to glue and at these prices I don't mind getting replacements, unlike school brand tops which cost a bomb!

Their polo shirts are exceptional value for money and such good quality. Its always a good idea to buy one for everyday if you can so you don't have to worry about getting them washed and dried if you haven't got the time.

My DC have to have plain black shorts for games and plain white for PE. These rugby shorts come in both colours, are thick cotton and really hard wearing! Plus there are only 2 other places who sell them and they are more expensive there- direct.asda.com/george/school/sports-swimwear/school-2-pack-rugby-shorts-black/GEM13373,default,pd.html

Also, the charcoal grey trousers are great for my boys, despite being different shapes. A great fit and the knees hold up well to football at playtimes. direct.asda.com/george/school/trousers/boys-school-half-elasticated-waist-trousers-charcoal/GEM462519,default,pd.html

My tip would be to take advantage of early sales, which are sometimes even before schools break up. Measure up before you go, or try on the kids before you buy to avoid unnecessary trip. Never leave shoe shopping until the last couple of weekends of the holidays!!

love the pack 2 polo shirts and the cardigans

We go for 5 new of everything. Though more on the socks, as these always go missing.
Last years uniform will do as spares.
The children prefer to wear the school jumpers that have the school name and logo embroided on them.

ur school only allows us to buy the shirts from Asda now but I do like the fit for the girls - maybe they could also offer an actual 'adult' sized shirt for those girls who are a little more well endowed though as my teen is already a DD.

For littlies - make sure you have a week of tops and at least 3 bottoms!

https://direct.asda.com/george/school/trousers/boys-school-5-pocket-stretch-skinny-leg-trousers-black/G005744416,default,pd.html?cmpid=ppcgeorgergeggle-plaSchoolool--dskwid-s927000136887905955dm&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI47-3mtqi1QIVFOMbCh2loA3OEAQYAiABEgJs-DDBwE

Bit of a long link but I've been to Asda twice today for these! My DS starts Y7 in Sept and loves his skinny jeans. I've tried about 5 other shops for black school trousers in various different sizes and fits and these are the only ones that fit well, are comfy and look on trend, which is always a consideration for my nearly-teenager. The stretch in the fabric means the waist doesn't dig in and there's plenty of give so DS can get stuck in to a quick lunchtime game of footy. The fabric seems thick and hard wearing and I think also has the Teflon treatment. I bought one pair to try on after school today and had to nip back to the store later for another 2 pairs when we realised we had actually found The Ones because they'd already sold out online!!

We get 5 of everything because DD tends to be really messy and it saves having to do the washing in the week.
We usually buy school shoes towards the end of the holiday in case she has a growth spurt.
DD is always losing cardigans so we buy the cheap supermarket ones rather than school branded ones.

DD loves the 2 in 1 dress, she'd been wearing it for well over a year and it's washed well, doesn't need ironed and is very comfy.
Other favourite was the lilac gingham dress but looks like they've removed it, which is annoying.
These shoes are also getting closer to practical girl's shoes - sadly not any small sizes. My DDs walk the same distance each day as my DSs and yet it's near impossible to find practical shoes for them from the girl's section!

I label everything - have labels with just our surname so no need to change if things are passed down. I fold the name labels in half and sew them to the clothing with just a couple of stitches at the 2 ends - takes seconds and easy to remove if item is then going to charity (and I can re-use name label!)

I love these shoes direct.asda.com/george/men/shoes/leather-slip-on-formal-shoes/GEM303588,default,pd.html

I found letting my son run around in his school uniform a few days before he started reception made him really comfortable and used to putting his own clothes on was a great help!

I love this pinafore dress direct.asda.com/george/school/pinafores-dresses/girls-school-bow-detail-skater-pinafore-grey/GEM279548,default,pd.html as it washes well, surprisingly easy to iron and I think it looks good.

I like to buy 6 shirts, partly because they come in packs of 2 but I also like to have a few spares in case my children spill something or get paint on their top. Plus if the unifrom isn't particularly dirty, I like to wash similar coloured school uniform together on a Friday night/saturday morning to give me me chance to get it dry and ironed together. I can then count the clothes and see if there's anything missing (happens often with one of my children). I label all school uniform because my daughter loses clothes easily and someone else ends up taking it home.
I like to buy their PE kit from Asda but was shocked to discover the boys PE jacket is now an online exclusive item but the girls one I can get in store. I admit I buy the next size up in jackets so they last longer. My son grows at a faster rate than I expected. I also buy the next size up in school jumpers as they seem to shrink a bit despite not tumble drying them and washing them on a warm wash.
As it nears back to school time, I try not to make a big deal about it as they start to get worried. I casually drop hints about checking school uniform and making sure we have school book bags ready.

We have 5 tops and dressed and some gingham ones for warmer weather. 3 cardigans (because they have to have a logo on so cost quite a bit!) Usually buy DD expensive school shoes but this year she outgrew them at Spring Bank. I bought some Asda shoes and have to say I'm very impressed with the quality. Would definitely buy again.

. I think you need a minimum of three pairs of trousers/skirts or dresses/jumpers or cardigans/shirts. One to wash, one to wear and one somewhere in transit between the two. With Minnie I only ever had two and could often be found desperately sponging off stains when I got caught out with both needing a wash. Treating myself to that extra one of each item will take the stress off

DD will love the bow detail skater skirt. It looks really 'flippy' and easy to wear. I know that it won't need too much ironing!

Best tip is to get uniform sorted early, don't try to find a specific size in a particular colour the last weekend of the holiday!

Keep a spare polo shirt for 'best' i.e. School photo day, school performances etc.

Get some lovely warm tights for the girls, with plenty of stretch and a well placed gusset!

With my son having dyspraxia and not being able to do buttons yet these are one less thing I have to worry about when my son needs the toilet!
direct.asda.com/george/school/trousers/boys-school-half-elasticated-waistband-trousers-black/GEM462516,default,pd.html

I always use ASDA for daughters school uniform.

My main tip is to prepare!
ASDA's school range is available all year round. I usually start buying a little each month of the next size up for for my daughter. This means that when it hits the couple of weeks before school I just need to get my daughter measured for shoes :) (Her feet seem to be the fastest growing things on her body lol)

My daughter's have 5 polo shirts each, and luckily I can buy navy ones rather than white ones as they get really messy. They have 2 skirts and 2 pinafore dresses each. I also got them 2 pairs of shoes each as I know one pair would just not be enough as they like to jump in puddles or in mud. My kids are so messy!!

The washing machine is always on in our house.

We used to buy Clarks' shoes, but there really isn't any point in spending a fortune on shoes, because kids will be kids and they will be scratched etc within weeks. The fit is just as good on a pair from George @ Asda and at a fraction of the cost. Just a shame that with the exception of blouses, the uniform for our DC is all unique with badges and branding on everything so we have no option but to use the supplier.

We love the little blue gingham rara dresses, my daughter has 2 of them already. Asda uniform is the best value ive found and really lasts after washing which makes sense.

I love love love the Asda school sweatshirts ... I think they are £2-£3 , they are warm , soft and for that price I can afford to buy one for every day of the week for my DS who manages to get his clothes dirty every day !

Tip : I have given up with water bottles. They leak and get lost without fail .
I now by bottled water in bulk from Asda in recyclable plastic . That way my DC can grab one from the fridge and go whilst I don't have to fret about missing / leaky water bottles .

direct.asda.com/george/kids/shoes-boots/girls-school-butterfly-bar-school-shoes-black/GEM545617,default,pd.html

Great little shoes. I have bought the variations on these for the past two years, Hardwearing and terrific value.

My children are now older, but I did buy from Asda when they were younger.