Do you have uniforms for ease sake???

[Tanya in KS]

Do you use uniforms for ease sake??? Where do you order to get best price? What is your uniform??

 

Thanks!

Tanya

[nutmeg]

I know some do it, but it really would not make my life easier. I'd rather have my girls just grab whatever they like from the closet, rather than having to be sure uniform items are clean each day.

 

My uniform in a t-shirt and jeans. :)

[Alenee]

You can buy basic uniforms from Gymboree and other department stores. The uniforms are usually online-only for well-known department stores.

[elegantlion]

My ds has a self-decided uniform. Only because it's the only thing he likes to wear! he has those silky cheap shorts from Walmart and a matching t-shirt from Kohls. The shirt have a big stripe across the middle. We have this uniform in every color possible. I decided no more of one of each color, otherwise people might think he never changes his clothes.

[Frontier Mom]

Are pj's considered uniforms?

 

No uniforms here but what made my life easier was giving each dc a day of the week to do their own laundry. After a couple of months of training, they now do their own. Even my 7 yr old knows how to sort, start the washer, turn on the dryer, fold and hang up their clothes.

 

We started this when one of my ds's would change about 6 times a day. However, this is probably the best thing I have ever done.

[nmoira]

If the kids are out of pj's more than 5 minutes before going out, it's a miracle. Now if the uniforms could be worn to bed...

[ChristyB in TN]

Pajamas. My kids have been known to get out of bed, take showers and put on clean pajamas. They tend to like the flannel pants and t-shirts best.;)

[Heather in the Kootenays]

PJs here too.

[Unicorn.]

Pj's for us as well. My dc don't put on clothes unless they are going somewhere or heading outside. Most of the time, I have to remind them to come in and change into clothes.

[Just Me]

I am so glad to read that your children like to stay in pjs. I was starting to worry about mine!

 

And my children do their own laundry, also! This is great because laundry is my most dreaded task. :thumbdown:

[Jean in Newcastle]

The only time I've wished for uniforms has been on field trips. My ds has been stopped a few times by docents at museums etc. - "Why aren't you in school, young man?" I step up immediately and inform them that he is in school, and in the future, could they please address their concerns to me? (Who brings his mother along when he's playing hooky?! And who plays hooky and then sneaks off to the history museum?!) I don't know if they still do, but Sonlight offered jackets and shirts with their logo for this very reason (at least that was one of their advertised reasons).

[Mekanamom]

Do you use uniforms for ease sake??? Where do you order to get best price? What is your uniform??

 

Thanks!

Tanya

 

Yes. I got ours on clearance from Target. (Target sells the brand French Toast... quite a bit more expensive directly from them, but handy if you need one or two more items during the year.)

 

I did it out of desperation when my then 10yo refused to wear anything other than her one favorite outfit... she would wear it to do horse chores and then it was such a struggle every. single. day. to get her to change into clean clothes and wash her favorites.

 

The uniforms are comfortable, easy to launder, still look practically new after a year of wear, and they actually do help my kids concentrate a little better on school. It saves their regular clothes some wear and tear- and they always have something clean to change into for going out.

 

They do NOT have to look exactly the same every day- I have a variety of navy blue and white, and they can mix and match to their hearts' content. :)

[RoughCollie]

When my kids were young, I made sure we always had one set of matching T-shirts or sweat shirts, for those times I took them somewhere in public (other than our local playground or local stores). I usually chose orange, yellow or green so the kids would stand out in a sea of blue and red.

 

It made it easier to keep track of all of them. It also caused lots of people to ask me if we were from a daycare center.

 

I wanted to do uniforms at home one time, after I got the idea from these boards, but the kids did not want to do it. After reflection, I decided they were right.

 

I am in favor of uniforms at public and private schools, though. It the adults there notice really fast if a child is present who doesn't belong there, it cuts way down on the fashion wars, the kids look presentable, and there is no argument or wasted time about clothing choices every morning. Supposedly, they also get in the mindset for school after they are used to wearing the uniform every day.

 

When I took my DS out of parochial school lately, I begged him to continue wearing his uniform in HS because he looked so darn handsome in it. He was unpersuaded.

 

My DS haven't worn PJs for years. They wear sweat pants or shorts and a t-shirt or sweat shirt to bed. When they get up in the morning, they are already dressed. Before they were teens, they took baths at night and wore clean clothes to bed. Now they take a shower in the morning and don clean clothes then. I started this some years ago because it was easier on me in the morning. DD is pickier and always wears PJs. She is the most voluminous contributor to our laundry.

 

 

RC

[Jennifer in MI]

We don't have uniforms. We tend to buy very few clothes and everything can mix and match. My boys have three pair of "play" pants - all dark so they won't stain as easily. They also have about 4 - 5 shirts for each season. Picking out clothes is VERY easy for them and everything always matches. It does mean that we don't pass many clothes down simply because they really do get worn out!!

 

With a uniform, would they wear it all day? Or just during school hours? If it's just during school hours, it would only add to the laundry pile!

[klmama]

Friends attend a private school with uniforms, so my dc wanted some, too. They wanted to wear polo shirt with decent slacks, shorts, or skirt. We already had some, so we tried it for a week. We discovered that the cheap polos we had didn't release or hide the stains as well as the t-shirts they usually wore, and I didn't want to buy the more expensive shirts. Ds thought his nicer slacks/shorts were uncomfortable. We also discovered that dd didn't have enough slacks or shorts, couldn't wear the ones we found in the store, and didn't like the uniform skirts because they were too short. So... back to our usual "uniform." Ds in t-shirts and comfy pants/shorts, dd in dress or top with skirt, and preschooler running around in whatever clothing hasn't been peeled off yet.

[klmama]

Our friend that wears uniforms buys from Lands' End, and his clothing always looks great. He plays in them after school, too, and his mom says all stains have come out just fine. I've seen that with the Lands' End polos we've had before, too. Very nice quality, even though the price is higher than the cheaper ones from Target or wherever.

 

Besides Lands' End, I've seen them at JCPenney, Target, Burlington Coat Factory, and Walmart. We did buy a uniform blouse once at Burlington - it was a Lee blouse - and while the fabric still looked nice after washing, all of the bows fell apart and had to be removed. The Cherokee polos at Target are okay, as far as staying in one piece, but they do fade and the stains don't come out without real effort, at least in our house!

[Tracey in TX]

Uniforms are a pain in the patootie! Nothing like adding extra laundry chores in order to find matching attire. It's challenging enough ensuring DCs wear correct leotard and jersey/socks-of-the-day.

 

They can wear pj's, Halloween costumes, or leo/jersey/sock of the day...as long as they are freshly bathed and dressed :)

 

 

Have I mentioned laundry is a hassle, even when the kiddos are allegedly responsible for their own clothes? LOL

[K&Rs Mom]

Why would uniforms be easier? I have heard they can help with school attitude and work ethic. For us it would be kind of silly because we only "do school" for an hour or so a day, and they've just gotten dressed 1/2 hour before.

 

I do have a couple of shirts for each of us (polos, tees or sweatshirts I've found on clearance) that I put our school logo (we made one up) onto with those iron-on printer sheets. The kids love wearing their "school shirts" and I think it cuts down any envy they might have of their outschooled friends having school mascots & stuff, plus creates a little more of a team feeling for them. I don't require they wear them for anything, though.

[Snickerdoodle]

We tend to buy very few clothes and everything can mix and match. My boys have three pair of "play" pants - all dark so they won't stain as easily. They also have about 4 - 5 shirts for each season.

 

 

This is what we do too.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I thought about it. Actully like the idea. Nothing has come of it though.

[dragons in the flower bed]

For homeschooling? Are you serious? What is the purpose of that?

 

I guess we have accidental ones. My son Bear won't put on any pants that do not feature a tail. Here he is with the actual cat, napping.

 

[6packofun]

Nah, part of why we homeschool is to avoid being uniform at all costs. LOL!! ;) I'm sure some can make it work, but I'm not sold on *why* I'd want to. Good luck!

[Leta]

I sort of do uniforms for myself, the kids, and DH's dressier clothes (he has a work uniform).

 

Our clothes are sorted in complete outfits- for example, today I am wearing wide leg jeans, a blue fitted T-shirt, and a gray sweater. When I do laundry, I hang all three of these items on the same hanger.

 

I never, ever wear the blue T-shirt with anything other than the gray sweater or the wide leg jeans, never wear the gray sweater with anything other than the blue... you get the idea.

 

This takes virtually all the hassle out of deciding what to wear- which usually is actually trying to decide if x goes with y, and trying to figure out if y is clean or not. You just grab the hanger and you're good to go.

 

If some of the items in a given outfit are not too dirty and can be worn again, they go back on the hanger. So this method doesn't really create more laundry.

 

It does, however, require having more clothes. I converted to the outfit principle about two years ago, and have noticed that, in order to do it correctly, we each needed about 8 extra items per season (that is, fall/winter and spring/summer, so 16 extra items, total). Since I buy about 85% of our clothes at thrift stores, this is not a big deal. (Not counting socks, undergarments, and shoes.)

 

When I do buy brand new clothes, it is to fill in gaps that the thrift store has been unable to fill- usually this is tank tops and T-shirts for me, and onesies for DD. This stuff generally isn't not too pricey, even for the really high quality American Apparel items.

 

We have need other, more expensive items as well (like special, enormous-necked button downs for DH) but because this system allows me to be much more organized and methodical about shopping for needs (vs. the dreaded impulse buy), I have not spent a nickel more on clothes than I did before.

 

Oh, and the other advantage to this system is that it uses closet space very efficiently.

[ThriceBlessed]

Pj's for us as well. My dc don't put on clothes unless they are going somewhere or heading outside. Most of the time, I have to remind them to come in and change into clothes.

 

 

:iagree:

 

I thought I was the only one who had this "problem" ;)

 

Blessings,

[kimmyandgracie]

I never thought about school uniforms for homeschooling. The idea of having one for field trips actually sounds pretty good to me, though. Now to design a school logo...

[Cindy in C-ville]

Our uniforms look surprisingly like pajamas!

 

:) Cindy

[RoughCollie]

Oh my gosh, he is so cute!

 

For homeschooling? Are you serious? What is the purpose of that? I guess we have accidental ones. My son Bear won't put on any pants that do not feature a tail. Here he is with the actual cat, napping.

[Sandra314]

I never thought about school uniforms for homeschooling. The idea of having one for field trips actually sounds pretty good to me, though. Now to design a school logo...

 

Same here.