Question regarding school clothes

[iheartdisney]

OK, I remember back when we were starting school Mom dragged us to the mall and we all got some nice outfits for school, which had to be changed the minute we came home.
I was anticipating and expecting this, but then when we went to Kindergarten Orientation, the teachers got up and asked us not to send the kids in nice clothes, as they get messy. And not to send the girls in dresses.
So what do you do? Now I'm doubting if we need new clothes.
What do you do regarding school clothes?

 

[mom2grace]

I don't send my kids in anything that I would be upset if it got ruined. Ie: Paint, holes, ink, food, etc.

Also, it's important that my kids are comfortable!

My daughter wears a uniform most days, and she prefers the jumper. We wear bike shorts underneath for modesty.

My mom was a teacher, we got 1 new outfit before school started, and then more clothes when it started to get cooler outside.

 

[mdsouth]

I agree with the teacher.
Send your child to school in something that you would not be terribly upset about if it comes home covered in paint, glue, etc.

Yes, you want your child to look nice, but there are lots of nice clothes that do not cost lots of money. Kids in the early grades do not care or even notice brands/logos so don't worry about that.

If you want to send your daughter in a dress occasionally, I suggest that you have her wear a pair of shorts underneath the dress. Remember, kids in lower grades are constantly sitting on the floor, running around on the playground, doing stuff in PE, and climbing up ladders (lofts, slides, etc). so you want something that will not show her underpants.

Most important, have your child or children wear comfortable shoes, shoes that are easy and safe to run in. You do not want your child to fall down and hurt himself or herself just because it looks stylish!

 

[The Moonk's Mom]

We didn't buy REALLY nice clothes for our kids for school, but yes, they always get new clothes for school. I would stick to scooters for girls, they tend to show off their panties on the playground if you put thme in dresses! I knew my kids would get messy so I didn't buy anything that I would care if it got messed up. (Now we have uniforms, YUCK!)

Oh...and find out which day is gym, because most schools will not let your child participate even if they to have on shorts under a skirt or they are wering a scooter!

 

[RumpleMom]

Please, please think about the shoes that girls wear to school.

I have seen kindergarteners wearing ridiculous shoes. The frou-frou shoes keep them from participating in physical activities. I have seen so many little girls walk right out of their flip-flops that I've lost count.

The heeled dress-up shoes are not meant for little girls at school... they twist their ankles... I have never seen one get hurt, but why hinder them as they go about their education?

The girls sit in school with their slip-on shoes off. I have seen them think nothing of getting up and walking to sharpen their pencil in their barefeet. I worry about a fire drill happening in the warm weather months and kids going out of the school building without shoes or holding others up while they frantically try to get into their shoes.

 

[Benducci]

I always get new clothes for my kids for school- it is part of the school passage - I get them decent clothes but clothes that if they get paint or marker on them I am not going to get upset - I do send themin dresses -To be honest - I think it is part of the learning process that they learn to NOT get things on them. I do put shorts underneath the dresses since at the kindergarten age level they still pull everything up over their heads.

I don't like to send them in sandals or anything that is a frivilous shoe- they wear either shoes or sneakers.

 

[jessica52877]

I have never understood the school clothes shopping thing. I just buy my son new clothes when he needs them, that will not be when school starts at all. He dresses the same everyday whether home or going out and that is what he'll wear to school. I would hope that his clothes don't come home ruined as he uses all the supplies at home (paint, glue, scissors and markers) and has no issues here. Now I would expect an accident or something here or there, but nothing to worry about on a daily basis.

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

I buy school clothes - I let her pick them out mostly and she is only 4. But I buy from target/wal mart/old navy and TCP. Nothing expensive. I did buy her a "fancy" outfit we saw at BJ's - a shiny blouse with a sweater over it that came w/ a plaid skirt. It is for cooler weather. other than that we evaluate if she needs clothes and go from there. DD#2 LOVES dresses so not sending her in one would break her heart. I have yet to meet a stain she has put in something that I haven't been able to get out. We use markers/glus/paint at home too.

growing up I always got new clothes before school and had to take them off when I got home.

 

[melancholywings]

I can see the teachers point of view. For DD's first day of school last year a little girl (maybe grade 5) showed up in a short skirt that barely covered her bum and black healed boots that went up above her knee. I'm not a prude but a little girl shouldn't be dressed up like a prostitot for school.

But I think having new clothes for school can greatly improve a child's self esteem. And that will affect studies. I buy from a consignment store (where I also drop off clothing). So second hand brand name clothing I pay usually $3 a shirt and $4 for a pair of pants. She has a couple pairs of skorts and a few dresses for special occasions. So if things get ruined I'm not going to be too upset about it.

 

[pednurse]

I buy clothes only when they are needed.....such as when they are outgrown or worn out. I won't needlessly spend money on clothes just because school is starting. Especially because school here starts before summer ends.....I'm not about to go buy new summer stuff just before the season changes so they only wear the clothes for a few weeks at best....waste of money. I just make sure what they have meets school guidelines (no sleeveless stuff for school, shorts have to be a certain length, no flip flops, etc). Then I just buy clothes when it comes time for fall/winter wear. And what they wear to school is what they wear at home as well.....we are casual people....my kids would not be happy in dressy clothes at school (DD will occasionally wear a dress to school, but only if it's something washable!). The only time my kids (and myself for that matter!) dress up is on Sundays for church, for weddings, funerals, and such. It hasn't affected the self-esteem of either of my kids to not have new clothes....they don't think a thing about it. Maybe this is because my eldest is a boy and they tend to care the least about what they're wearing as long as it's comfortable.....but my DD is notorious for having her own opinions about what she thinks should be matched anyways (she recently told me she tried to make sure her clothes did NOT match when she picked out an outfit), much to the amusement of my friends who sometimes obsessively control how their DDs are dressed.

 

[mom2aredhead]

It's still warm when school starts, so the first couple of weeks my son will probably still be in his shorts and t-shirts from the summer. I'll get him some new things when the weather gets cooler and I go through his stuff from last year to see what still fits and what needs to be replaced.

There's really no "dress code" or hard fast rules about what to wear. The only request was that they prefer socks with sneakers that either tie or close with velcro (vs slip ons, crocs or flip flops) so they stay on in the playground and have less chance of getting hurt.

 

[badblackpug]

I buy "school clothes" at the beginning of each school year, and I make the kids change into "play clothes" when they get home. I buy nice clothes, but I do a lot of outlet shopping, so I try to "preserve" them for school. I know that kids spill and mess things up, but I try. (I have one colossal slob. ...and it's a girl! ) I do to send the littler ones in shoes that they can be active in. They do wear sandals, but I make sure they have buckles, not flip flops, and rubber soles so they can run and play. ...and my girls love dresses so hey do wear longer dresses, or skorts or scooters. I wish we had school uniforms. So much money would be saved!

 

[rt2dz]

I buy my kids new clothes when they need them, period. If their clothes get ruined, they need a new size, etc then I go shopping. I just don't see the point on special clothes for school or church--we attend a casual church. I want my kids comfortable and not nervous about ruining anything. Plus, if I spend money there, it's less money that I have to spend somewhere else.

As far as shoes go, the preschool requires closed toe shoes with backs. So does DS7 elementary school; he has PE everyday and they loose points on their grade if they can't participate for lack of gym shoes.

Oh, all right. Sometimes I’ll see something cute and buy it for them just because. Being boys though, that doesn’t happen often.

We will be buying some things here soon because the puppy is still a little mouthy and has ruined some shirts and shorts.

ETA: Nothing wrong with my kids’ self esteem. DS7 is always asking why does he always have to look so nice? Just because you don’t buy special school clothes doesn’t mean your kids are dressed in clothes with holes or stains.

 

[lclark0621]

DS is starting K this year, but was in preschool last year.

I dont send him to school in anything I would be upset if it got ruined. Nice clothes are reserved for other things.

To school I send him in things he is comfortable in & he can get messy.

I dont do HUGE clothing shopping either.

Right now so much in the stores is fall already & it is over 105 here today! It will be hot through Oct! So I refuse to buy fall things now.

I will probably start buying a bit here and there once he starts school (and I can shop without my 5 year old begging me to go somewhere else).

Target's Cheerokee brand is great for school. Good jeans, shorts, khakis & t-shirts (long sleeve & short) for pretty cheap & they hold up well.

DS likes some of his shirts to have characters & stuff on them, so I make sure he wears ones that he is not overly attached to, when he goes to school.

 

[carj]

We always buy new clothes at the start of the school year. I think that it is part of the fun of "back to school". We don't go overboard and I don't buy things that are terribly expensive. I spent $21 at The Children's place and got 2 shirts for my daughter, 2 scooters for my daughter and a t-shirt for my son. I also stocked up on things last fall when they were on sale so they have plenty of new things to wear.

I just got my daughter a pair of tennis shoes from Target for $2.48 but my son will need new tennis shoes for school. Backless shoes and flip flops are against the dress code and as a teacher, I am SO glad of that. Kids need to be able to run and play and not have to be concerned about their shoes.

We get a ton of clothes handed down to my daughter. She could wear a different outfit every day but I think that it is fun to have some new things and to be able to pick out some of those things.

I bet the teacher who told you not to send them in fancy clothes was doing a couple of things. First, you have been notified now that her number one priority is educating your child, not keeping them clean. Second, she is making sure that parents don't feel like they need to come to school decked out for a fashion show!

Buy your child some cute things, enjoy going shopping. Just don't be mad at anyone if some things are not pristine at the end of the day and you will be just fine!

 

[EthansMom]

Like the OP, I remember starting school each year with completely brand new clothes (from the underwear out).

However, I think I'm more frugal than my mom was. I tend to buy the kids new clothes when then need them or I'll buy something a year ahead when it's on clearance.

Also, I agree with the teacher. My DD4 goes to the same preschool as her cousin. Cuz is always wearing cute matching Gymboree outfits that have the teachers oohing and aahing. DD wears jeans and a t-shirt (in good repair but nothing expensive). That's because I have to stain treat almost every item of clothing DD wears to preschool (and many of the clothes she wears at home). DD usually comes home from school with food, paint, and/or markers on her clothes.

Even DS6 comes home from school with stains (usually marker or grass stains).

The large bulk of my kids' clothes are jeans and mix-n-match tops... preferably good-quality brands bought on sale.

For school, I usually buy DS and DD each a new pair of sneakers. I also doublecheck the fit on their jeans, buying the next size up if necessary. As fall comes, I pull out their fall/winter stuff (bought last Jan. and stuff that still fits from last year) and buy new tops, coats, boots, etc... as needed.

 

[Rylee]

I always buy my children new schools clothes.

I think most people, including children, feel good about themselves, and have more confidence when they know they look good and are dressed appropiately.

*For the record... NO, we do not base self-worth on material items, or the brand names on our backs. I'm simply talking about a sort of "dress for success" attitude... and the confidence you have, like... walking into a social event, knowing you will not be over or underdressed.


I like to buy my children nice clothes, and am always looking for a bargin or shopping the clearance racks. If they are going outside to play after school, they are expected to change into play clothes.

I am not upset if they come home with paint and such, on their clothes... they're kids... and I would never want them to feel as though they couldn't give 100% to their activites because they were worried about their clothing.

 

[Teacher03]

A little off topic, but when I taught preschool I had a little girl in my class who always wore the most beautiful little dresses. Everything matched head to toe. The first day we painted, I put the paint shirt ( a man's shirt put on backwards) on the little girl and she painted away. My assistant and I were a little nervous about the dress, but we were pleased when she was finished and we noticed not a spot on the paintshirt. That's because she lifted up her paintshirt and wiped her purple painted hands on the front of her dress! It was so funny and she was so proud that she didn't get any paint on her paint shirt! We explained to her mom who thought it was equally funny.

I guess my point is, don't dress your child in anything that you would be upset if it got stained! And I agree, be careful of shoes, especially with little ones!

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I buy my kids clothes as needed throughout the year but also do a "back to school" shopping as well. They each normally get a new pair of fall/winter shoes and a pair of athletic shoes to start off the school year. Since its still pretty warm in the beginning of the school year, they usually wear their keens or crocs for the first few weeks. They live in their summer clothes until the weather turn, so i make sure they have a few pair or new jeans/pants as well. I tend to do fall/winter shopping around late October, November.

 

[Minnie_me]

Kindie/pre-K teaching chiming in and agreeing! You don't need to send your child to school in rags, but just SENSIBLE clothes!

I had a little girl in Pre-k last year who wore tiny little dresses that barely fit her, always showing her undies and her bum cheeks. It made us so uncomfortable! And her shoes were high-heeled plastic dress-up shoes -- like the ones in the play dress-up boxes! Not to be worn outside of the home, I would think! We tried and tried to get her mother to dress her more appropriately for school, since she was half-dressed and twisting her ankles trying to walk in those ridiculous shoes. But the mother wouldn't hear of it. She told us that we were stifling the child's creativity by putting restrictions on her clothing.