Ok, so it's almost back to school time and that means that I have to get my kids new school uniforms. All three of them will be in school this year and all three of them need to have uniforms.
I suppose that I should be happy that, at least, I don' have to order from a catalogue and can purchase them at places like Walmart or Kohls, deciding how fancy or nice I want them to be and also can control the cost a little bit, but I'm not happy that they have to wear them and here's why:
Growth
Kids- especially younger kids, grow at different rates. What might fit my child at the beginning of the year, may not fit my child in the middle of it. That means, if they grow, I'll have to purchase more.
My 5 year old just in this last year started in a size 4 and is now wearing size 7. He's only an inch shorter than his 7 year old sister. He had quite the growth spurt.
I also just can't hand down the uniforms because my boys are built differently. One has wide hips and the other one hardly has a hip to hold his pants in place. That means that I have to get one boy regular size pants and the other one somewhere between regular and husky, even though he's not husky, he's just built like a broad football player.
Unavailability
If I have to purchase more uniforms during the middle of the year, it's very difficult to find them.
My kids have to wear navy blue pants with a light blue, dark blue, or white collared shirt. It's a little easier to find the boys collared shirts, but it's almost impossible to find shirts for my daughter.
If you're going to make parents buy uniform clothes that you don't personally sell, strive for khaki or tan colored pants. Those are out year round.
I can never find navy blue pants unless I'm shopping a colorful aisle in the adult section.
Price and Clutter
Buying uniforms isn't very cost effective. Instead of just having to my kids regular back-to-school clothes, I have to buy my kids clothes for home and clothes for school.
If we never went anywhere, I could just let my kids wear pjs when they get home, but there are instances where I need to get out of the house and people like to comment on the things my kids wear all the time. (That one time my daughter paired a pink Minnie Mouse dress shirt with red, plaid bottoms comes to mind.)
It's also hard enough to do laundry and put clothes away. Having to wash clothes for school and clothes for after school just piles more things to do on us. I'm lucky enough to have a husband who can work while I can do housework stuff whenever I want to, but there are single or working parents who don't have time to do it when it should get done.
Uniforms as an Equalizer?
I know that uniforms are supposed to be an equalizer, but they really aren't.
Uniforms are expensive and for those who thrift shop to save money, aren't really going to find something nice for grade school kids. When I've shopped in secondhand stores, even nice ones, everything has been faded or was one wash away from getting frayed or have holes in them.
Grade school kids play rough and chances are, those uniforms get worn more than once in a week, so washing multiple times fades them. Chances are, many of these uniforms don't fit like they used to either because they are stretched or have shrunk with many washings.
Some kids are going to go to school in really nice uniforms, while others are going to go in looking frumpy and out of place. IF kids were able to wear regular clothes, it's so much easier to find nice, hardly been worn, clothes at a nice resale shop, and no one has to know they weren't bought new.
Yes, I know that there are programs for parents to be able to get their kids uniforms funded for them, but not everyone meets the requirements and those who make just a little more than the top line, have to pay an arm and a leg to purchase them.
Personalities Still Shine Through
When you use the argument that uniforms reduce the attendance in gangs and stops kids from dividing into clicks, I think you're delusional!
Kids have personalities that draw and attract other kids. EX: My oldest son is a social butterfly with ADHD. Kids are drawn to him and he could make friends with anyone he wants, but the friends that he wants to make are the kids who keep getting themselves in trouble because they are the ones who grab attention, too.
You can see this example in movies. Have you ever seen Princess Diaries? Superstar? Students are still divided and kids can still be hurtful.
Even if uniforms stopped the segregation in school; neighborhoods, relatives, and family friends are still able to influence when it comes to how children behave. Kids still see others outside of school so there is still the chance of gangs gathering together. Think of the Mob- You had some who were dressed in fine Italian suits while others were dressed more casual. They still looked like ordinary people and even though they may not acknowledge each other in public, things still happened behind the scenes.
Conclusion
Buying uniforms is just a pain in the butt.
What do you think about uniforms? Do you agree with these points? Do you disagree? Comment in the section below and don't forget to share or subscribe if you like my posts!
Thank you! I was a single mom raising two kids who got plenty of amazing hand me downs. Instead of that being a blessing to not have to buy them clothes it just made me cry to have to turn around and buy them clothes for public school anyway.... Money or not you can always tell the kids who's parents care and are taking care. And that is the real dividing line. Not necessarily by the brand but the childs over all appearance. Making sure they have the right uniform, a uniform that fits and is reasonably clean. It doesn't cost $ to brush hair.... you get the idea. As a kid I didn't like the idea of a uniform because they weren't "cool" as a parent I didn't think they ever did what "they" said the purpose was.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you had to do it alone, but be proud that you were able to make it happen!
DeleteI totally agree with you luv🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI'm all for uniforms. I really wanted them for my kids. I still end up buying 2 sets of clothes for my kids. I get the less expensive ones for school and the nicer ones for when we go out. I add hairbows and cute socks to give them their own style.
ReplyDeleteAt the younger age, I was told we could dress my daughter up with leggings, but I don't know how long they'll accept that.
DeleteI used to teach at a school where the children wore uniforms and I have taught at a school where they didn't wear uniforms... I never thought about it this way! It really made me think of it from the parent perspective. Great read ❤
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteMy son is still a baby, and our local school district does not currently require uniforms, but I think you make some great points! I have always thought that uniforms don't "equalize" students like they are meant to. Kids will always find a way to let their personalities shine!
ReplyDeletei like the perspective, and I get where you are coming from. But i love uniforms. Maybe it is just my upbringing/background. Throughout my student years, I've always worn uniforms. So not wearing uniform is kinda weird. It was not a clutter for us because somebody can use them after us (handmedowns). when it comes to price, i guess it's one or the other. Should we spend money on uniforms or on the usual clothes.
ReplyDeleteI remember just by looking at the uniform, we know already which school everybody goes to. and everybody knows which students are misbehaving. i am feeling nostalgic here! lol
On a business perspective, it is branding. like how business owners will have their logo on a shirt or something.
Anyway, i enjoyed reading this post.
Thank you! I guess I'm just grumpy about it. I grew up never having to wear uniforms so I suppose that might be why I'm not a huge fan.
DeleteAll of the public schools around here wear the same colors, but the stores won't sell them after school starts. That is my BIGGEST pet peeve about the., I think because we never know if we'll need different sizes ot which ones if their unifor.s wear out.