The stress of school uniforms

Not that I'm a procrastinator or anything, but I'm planning to be up til the wee hours tonight sewing labels on my daughter's school uniform for her first day tomorrow. We also acquired her school shoes about, oh, half an hour ago.

I went to a school that didn't have a uniform, so the whole process is new for me. But I'm like many veteran parents in that I got sticker shock trying to kit her out with socks, gym shorts, dresses, shirts, skirts, blazer, swimsuit, house shirt...even a winter coat and kagoul (I'm not even sure what a kagoul is but I got it).

Luckily some of the items I snagged at a parents' second-hand sale, but I'm coming to understand that the stress and expense of the uniform are a hallmark of back-to-school.

School Gate reports on the stats and opinions behind uniforms. One survey showed that 73 per cent of parents are stressed out by them. And I thought not having the "Dora t-shirt or sparkly butterfly dress" debate in the mornings was a good thing.

Comments

[Christine]

I think uniforms are incredibly old fashioned and a waste of money for all those involved.

The idea of having my son in a blazer and trousers (although cute) is extremely uneccessary for his education. Furthermore, what kind of society are we getting our children ready for? Have we swapped socio-economic models with some island utopia, in which all members of our society are to be equal and dressed similarily? Come now! Lets face facts. Our children are being born into a cuthroat world, were uniformity and 'average' are unexceptional and uninspiring to teachers/friends/colleagues and bosses alike. By forcing these children to wear a strict and old fashioned dress code, you're not creating an incentive for them to think (pardon the horribly cheesy management term-) 'outside the box' and develop their unique personalities. Are we making a generation of uniform cogs or are we creating skilled and sentient beings? You can see how defensive I get when people want to take mine or my family's ability to buy/wear clothes that they feel good in!

[Christine]

I think uniforms are incredibly old fashioned and a waste of money for all those involved.

The idea of having my son in a blazer and trousers (although cute) is extremely uneccessary for his education. Furthermore, what kind of society are we getting our children ready for? Have we swapped socio-economic models with some island utopia, in which all members of our society are to be equal and dressed similarily? Come now! Lets face facts. Our children are being born into a cuthroat world, were uniformity and 'average' are unexceptional and uninspiring to teachers/friends/colleagues and bosses alike. By forcing these children to wear a strict and old fashioned dress code, you're not creating an incentive for them to think (pardon the horribly cheesy management term-) 'outside the box' and develop their unique personalities. Are we making a generation of uniform cogs or are we creating skilled and sentient beings? You can see how defensive I get when people want to take mine or my family's ability to buy/wear clothes that they feel good in!

[Giselle]

Uniforms are great, as is distinctive school identity - but do let's not get carried away. The school I attended required all items, from regulation underpants (even when we were 18) and hair ribbons through to the £100 blazers for six year olds, to be bought from _one_ and only one shop. We were put on detention if our clothes didn't fit (great for gangly teenagers) or if we wore our house badges the wrong way up (great for the dyslexic with no spatial reasoning when getting dressed for school at 6am). Hair dye or makeup meant expulsion.

All this was at a free-thinking, enlightened school which prides itself on stratospheric exam results... which would've been just as easy to achieve with a uniform of sandshoes, jeans and blue t-shirts. Forget the stupid blazers, ties, tunics, long socks, expensive shoes, cranky PE kit, hair ribbons etc - and get on with teaching the kids properly....

[nicky]

Uniforms are probably good, for the reasons that everyone else has mentioned. But why, oh why do they have to be so boring?

We didn't have uniform at primary level, and I remember enjoying looking at all the colours that everyone was wearing, and when I got to secondary school (also with name tags in house colours - think mine were red, or was it green) I thought it was really dull that everyone was dressed in grey.

My son's new secondary school uniform is black trousers and black sweatshirt. The kids all seem to really like the school but I'd find it really depressing - so glad I don't have to go there!

[Jenny]

School uniforms are wonderful. I would find it a nightmare if my children were wanting to to fit in at school by wearing the latest 'must have' gear, which is always expensive!

[asilon]

My eldest just started secondary school this week, after being home educated previously. I did have to embroider initials on some PE stuff, and her name on her science/art overall, but apart from that I just bought a laundry pen and wrote her name in everything. Sewing would have taken me forever and I detest ironing.

Their uniform's ok, fairly plain. But I'm sure saying that you can only buy one particular pair of trousers from one shop (25 miles from the school ... ) doesn't actually comply with the government's guidelines on uniform accessibility. Surely any bloody black trousers would be ok!

[tiredmum]

obviously school unifroms are a good idea - for all the reasons already stated - but I'll still feel a little bit sad on Monday when I dress my pink-loving just 4 year old in a grey school dress.

[LM]

Rachel - we DID go to the same school! I think you must have been in upper third when I was in upper fifth.

[Yank]

Like many of the comments here, I agree that the uniform removes the stress of 'fitting in.' Coming from America there was the dreaded 'but everyone has them and I MUST have them as well!!!!' Although new to the whole uniform concept - and sewing in all those name tags (I tried the iron on ones for nursery school and after a few washes I sadly saw them all peeling off and sticking to the washer drum- as if teasing me).
Keep the uniforms!

[Rachel]

That's right LM, the parents only bothered with the initial set I think. Rebellion in the first form involved rolling up ones skirt/ gym skirt as far as could be got away with. I think I was a few years after fingerless gloves (giving my age away too I think).

[LM]

I think Rachel & I went to the same school because we had to embroider our initials in house colours on the outside of our sports kit too - though as I recall, no one bothered after we got past lower fourth... (that was our rebellion - oh, and fingerless gloves too).

[Nikki]

MIKE FW - not a sad world but a practical one. Bet you would be the frist to complain if, on a school outing, your child wanders off into the crowd and is not easily found (due to a distinct school uniform ID). Actuaally, no, you wouldn't complain- your child was "expressing freedom and a creative impulse" - hmmm.

Uniforms, on the whole, are easier for parents, teachers and reduce bullying - why on earth wouldn't you be behind it?

[mumoftwo]

Kagouls are like thin anoracs which, in my childhood, used to keep you dry in light rain, but as soon as it was heavy, the wet used to seep in through the joins....many a happy holiday was spent in my kagoul trudging the coastal path with rain running down my neck....They can have zips and pockets though.

[Gipsy]

I always thought a kagoul was one of those rain jackets with a hood and a front pocket, and no zipper or fasteners up the front - you had to pull it on over your head, or is that a snorkel (of the jacket variety, not the underwater breathing apparatus). Whereas a mac was belted?

[KM]

I am so looking forward to school uniform. I am useless at clothes-picking and I am sure I send my son to school most days in clashing clothes.

[Ad-Mum]

My daughter started 'Big School' for the first time this week, and I was HUGELY grateful for the uniform! She loved the fact that she immediately looked like she fitted in, and could spot all the children who were going to the same place as her. And I didn't have any fight in the morning about why fairy wings with micro shorts and snow boots might not be appropriate....

I used woven iron on name tags which were a joy and only took 20 mins (whilst watching Desperate Housewives, ironically) to apply to the whole lot. Check out easy2name.com.

I loved uniform as a child, as it took the pressure off having to prove your trendiness every day, but still allowed the 'bespoke touches' which marked you out as one of the gang and a bit of a rebel. In my days those were things like fingerless gloves, legwarmers and a root perm. Doesn't that give away my age!

[Rachel]

Jennifer: a kagoul is a rain coat/mac.

We had uniforms and I think they are a great idea for both children and parents. No hours of deciding what to wear in the morning, you just get up and put it on.

At my school all PE kit had to be embroidered with names/initials on the outside - in house colours. My mother must have spent hours. In fact, I still have my school PE towel as a beach towel and my name is still embroidered on it 15 years later.

[mumoftwo]

Thanks Gipsy, I've managed to source pure cotton dresses in the required colours which is a step in the right direction, it's the horrible polyester sweatshirt (does what it says on the tin) I'm still trying to replace, as it has the logo on it.

Still, I'm not sure whether at the age of four and a half my daughter's creative impulses are being stifled, she mainly wears what I choose to buy for her (she has her preferences within that choice) whether it be uniform or ordinary clothes.

[Gipsy]

I'm with Teapot. Uniform's were a lifesaver for us. Our parents really scrimped to send us to private schools as they wanted us to attend a religious school (and at that time you didn't get state funded religious schools in NZ). Uniforms were a great leveller and contrary to what Mike might think, they freed you up to be more creative not less. On mufti days, I wore my uniform and paid the money to charity anyway - I told all my friends I was doing so to make a 'political' point as mufti days were for many (but not my friend's thank goodness) a fashion parade with girls showing off wearing the most outrageously expensive outfits - it was almost evening dress level - and then being utterly b****y about all the other girl's clothes. But in actuality it was because I was one of those girl's who couldn't afford to dress up.

MoT - I found with stepson that there are still specialist uniform shops around, where you can get uniforms fitted to size and in cotton and wool. It does cost a bit more but with stepson it was worth it - one pair of trousers from there might cost 20 quid but they'd last until he grew out of them whereas the trousers from Asda wore out at the knee within a couple of months.

[Mike FW]

what a shame so many people feel the need to uniform children robbing them of their creative impulses and self expression for the pay back of mere convenience.
what a sad sad world.

[LM]

Just realised I didn't explain my reason for liking uniforms - basically because it removes the pressure to be trendy, which I would have hated as a child & am dreading having to handle as an adult (no uniforms where I live now).

Teapot - we had all our stuff labelled; I remember my mother sitting down every evening for a few days before school started in September with piles of clothes, labels & needle and thread. About to do the same thing myself.

[Teapot]

I'm really glad that we had uniforms when I was at school. Being from a poorer and very unfashionable family, I used to dread mufti days and the analysis of what everyone was wearing. Our uniform was simple and only the tie had to be bought from the school. Us tomboy girls could wear trousers fortunately.

I don't remember ever having labelled clothes though - is that a new thing? I guess it's useful if you have expensive uniforms and your kids are primary age. I'm sure we used to come home with other childrens jumpers etc. at primary school, but I'm not convinced that my mum ever noticed. Must have been a pain for the teacher when a stray item turned up after school. But then it was a small school, so less items to get lost.

[LM]

I grew up with uniforms & strongly believe they're better for children than not - after all, you have expense with other clothes too & if your child isn't wearing a uniform, you need more other clothes in place of the uniform. Of course, now I'm sending my daughter to a school that doesn't have uniform but since almost all the children are in jeans, t-shirts & crocs, it might as well be...

[mumoftwo]

You can get iron-on labels which take about two secs to apply, however, if like me you have lost the silicone paper, you can end up with them neatly ironed onto the back of an envelope... I used www.mynametags.com (and am not related to them in any way!)

I also never had a uniform and have mixed feelings about it, especially encasing children in black, grey and navy...on the other hand, the poorer children really did stand out, hopefully this would be less the case when everyone has the same hideous nylon uniform. It is really hard to get a uniform all in cotton or wool, those synthetic mixes are awful for children with eczema or who just sweat a lot...