by Julie Cole
My kids don’t go to private school, but they were part of a pilot project that introduced school uniforms into the regular school system. I soon realized that uniforms are a hot debate topic for parents, teachers and administrators.
So what do I think? In short, it is one of those little things that has helped me maintain a bit of sanity while raising my half dozen kids. The benefits are many for this mama of six.
These are the reasons it works for me:
1) All the kids are dressed the same. I like that school does not become a fashion show and that clothes don’t define the child. I’m a big fan of level playing fields for kiddos, and I think this can help in those leveling efforts.
Some parents will argue that kids should be able to express their creativity with their clothes. I feel comfortable with my kids expressing their creativity through other avenues – maybe their academic subjects and artistic interests.
I’ll be dealing with tattooed goth teenagers soon enough – I don’t mind delaying that self-expression for a few more years. Oh, and when all kids are wearing the same colours, it makes for happy times in laundry land.
2) What a pleasure it is to wake up in the morning and not be required to think or discuss what is going to be worn that day. Mornings are busy enough around my hectic house and having to debate with pre-tween girls about outfits at 7:00am would bring a bad start to most days. I like to avoid morning conflict so I can focus on my task at hand – getting people out the door!
3) Many parents would argue that uniforms are expensive. While I agree I made a fairly decent original investment, I did some calculations and in the long run I can say with great confidence that I have saved a lot of money. My fifth kid is going off to JK this year in a golf shirt that has been worn by four older siblings. For smaller families who don’t reap the benefits of my spectacular hand-me-down situation, most schools have a ‘gently-worn’ used clothing sale.
Oh and really – could the kids look any cuter?
Julie Cole is one of the Co-Founders of Mabel’s Labels Inc. and the mother of six.
2 Comments
I am with you Julie, I love uniforms!
I just bought the uniform basics last night for my oldest, and I will then take them to have the school crest embroidered on the shirts and sweaters. I spent a lot less purchasing his new clothes then I did my daughter who won’t wear a uniform for another 3 years when she goes into grade 1.
I too love the look of the kids in their uniforms and although I will have to do a lot more laundry because I don’t have 10 pairs of pants and 30 shirts for him to choose from, I do have one less thing to worry about in the morning when I am just fighting to stay awake!
I agree!! I love uniforms. We only have one child, but she’s a ‘true’ pre-teen girl. It’s bad enough debating with her on the weekends about what she will wear. I couldn’t imagine doing it everyday; arguing about what color socks she will wear is bad enough. I also believe that we get a better quality of uniform than if I had to buy new school clothes every year. We spent about $200.00 this year but I know that she will get at least 2-3 years wearing out of at least $100.00 of that.