Uniforms, How Did Kids Feel About It?

My kids attend Catholic school. Uniforms is all they've ever known. My oldest (8th grader) is sick of wearing them, but has 4 more years ahead of her as she'll also attend a Catholic high school. My boys don't seem to mind.

As a mom, I LOVE uniforms. It takes away any arguing over what is appropriate, not sloppy looking etc...

If I had the option of sending kiddo to a school that wore a uniform I'd do it in a heartbeat, their opinion not mattering.

I think it is horrible that so many girls have received attention for wearing clothing against the dress code. If a boy wanted to wear a bra then his bra straps shouldn't be showing either. If a boy wanted to wear a shirt that showed his tummy he should get sent home too.

I wish ALL schools would go to uniforms. That way they'd have to all dress the same, clothing prices for school would be set and designer clothes wouldn't be begged for.

I am all for this. If my kiddo got in and it was where we wanted them to go they wouldn't have much say in going or not going. They'd simply conform and go. After the first week or so they'll not care because all the people they make friends with would all be wearing the same thing. So they wouldn't care anymore.

I wish my kids wore uniforms. I went to Catholic school grades 1-12 and didn't mind uniforms. They remove yet another distraction and give kids one less thing to think about every day. There are plenty of hours in the day outside of school where kids can be creative and show off their personal style.

fine.
i wore uniforms until i came to the states in 11th grade. it was a huge treat to get to wear my clothes, but i soon realized how much wearing 'my' clothes showed up disparities, not only in income but in fashion sense. to this day i don't have any, but it bothered me more as a teen.
through a series of fortuitous circumstances i got to attend an excellent private all girls' school prior to that. i never realized that i was the 'poor' kid because we all wore uniforms.
my older son attended a private school briefly between public middle school and homeschooling. i thought he'd kick at wearing a uniform but it didn't faze him a bit.
i sure wouldn't let something like that be a dealbreaker.
khairete
S.

There's nothing wrong with school uniforms.
Most times the kids love it - they never have to take any time to plan what to wear.
Nothing ragged, or objectionable, no pants down on the thighs, no belly buttons hanging out.
It's a win every which way around.
Hopefully (and usually) the girls have an option to wear pants if they want to and not skirts all the time.
Khakis and polo shirts are pretty much what my son wears anyway - and his current school doesn't have a uniform.

If you want your child to go to this school, and she hates the uniforms, she will just have to get used to it.

There are lots of things our kids hate, and our job is to make them do them anyway.

Loved it. It was so much cheaper for me than buying regular clothes for the year for my boys. And it was just plain easy for all of us.

I know you're asking about girls, but the moms of the girls loved it too. Girls will always find a way to establish a type of "pecking order" (unfortunately), but thankfully expensive designer clothes isn't how they are able to do it...

My older two always had uniforms and loved them because it is one less thing to care about in the morning.

I see it this way.. wearing uniforms takes the stress and wonder out of figuring out what to wear each day. I know the schools do it to level the playing field and make people seem more equal, at least clothing wise.. I get that.. I really don't think it's such a big deal... if you take a job at specific places that require a uniform, then well, you wear that company's uniform.... same goes with a school... you go to that school.. you wear their uniform.. I think it's one of those things that you just have to deal with it.. In the bigger scheme of things, wearing one isn't so bad.. she will only be there for a few years.. if their uniforms are the blue pants and white shirts like many charter schools, then that isn't the worst out there.. plus, you will save some money on clothing... let her know this.. maybe it can go to other things she might enjoy.. just a thought.

I went to a Catholic school for middle school and thought I would hate uniforms - but they were awesome! I didn't have to think about what to wear and everyone was the same. It didn't matter if I owned 2 or 22, no one could tell. Our uniform was quite comfortable and I didn't mind at all.

My sons go to a public elementary school where we chose to have a uniform (parents vote). The uniform - for everyone - is either docker style pants or shorts and polo style shirt (long or short sleeves) with school name/emblem on it. Bottoms are navy and tops are red - my boys don't mind at all. I love it - it makes laundry easy and it is cheap! We have a huge variety of income groups at our school and the kids don't know the difference based on dress. We also run a "uniform closet" where you can donate old uniforms - sometimes the things in there are brand new with tags.

Choose a school based on academics and learning style not uniform or not...

Most kids who wear uniforms started in kindergarten and know no difference. My god daughter and her sisters wear a uniform every school day. No complaint that i have ever heard. Their mom loves it. I am sure an upcoming 8th grader may not be as thrilled but generally schools with uniforms do have non uniform/color days.

My daughter has worn a uniform since she started school. In Kindergarten, this is very exciting. Today, she is so used to it, I don't know that it matters. I think it will be okay once she starts school and realizes everyone else is wearing the same thing.

Kids often hate things that are good for them.
I wish I had gone to a school where we all wore the same thing. I would have been less focused on what I was wearing, how I looked, how I fit in, etc.
I think this is especially true for girls.
Of COURSE I would have said ew! no! I don't want to wear that! but I was a child after all.
Remind her she has plenty of choices on the evenings and weekends.
Also remind her that adults are often required to wear clothes to work that aren't necessarily their style. That's just life.

My kids don't go to private schools that require uniforms, but they do belong to organizations that require uniforms. They are proud to wear their uniforms as it give them a sense of belonging,

My son is in 7th grade and wears uniforms. His charter school has them k-8 (every Friday is dress down day and half day). High school doesn't wear them. My daughter now goes to HS but wore them in elementary. Frankly, if its a good option for her to go, she will get over it. *I* loved it because it was soooo much easier for all of us. JMO. Good luck.

Hi S.,

Forgive me if I'm overstepping here....I don't think you should predicate your daughter's education on what she will be wearing. I'm assuming this is one consideration out of several that are driving your decision making process.

That said, I love the idea of uniforms, especially in middle school. children, especially hormone raging ones, can be cruel to each other and what they're wearing, or not in some cases, is a really easy and sensitive target. It levels the playing field and gives them even more of a chance to focus on what they need to focus on at school....getting their education.

My son goes to a private school and they do not have uniforms. however, it's a building filled with pocket protectors and glasses held together with adhesive tape so no one ever seems to notice clothing....heck a lot of them look like they're still in their PJs. And what's up with teenaged boys leaving the house in single digit weather wearing T-shirts and shorts??? Queue my Seinfeld "what's the deal" moment....sorry for the digression.

My oldest son had to return to wearing a uniform his senior year of high school because the school changed the dress code to uniforms. I absolutely hated it because the uniform prices were far higher than the wardrobe of regular clothes I would have had to buy for him at that time and the fact that he was only going to get one year out of these very expensive clothes made me even more angry. The switch was a last minute decision in which us parents had only two weeks to acquire an entire uniformed wardrobe for our students.

My son didn't care because a uniform wasn't unfamiliar to him he just didn't like the timing of it because he had plans for his regular clothes for the school year which would have been better looking than that uniform. The former dress code of this school was business casual Tuesday - Friday and all Business on Monday's suits for the girls and the guys every grade.

The more important thing isn't the clothes but the education. I went to grade school and high school with uniforms.

Our public schools had uniforms. I HATED putting my daughter in them (and we were one of the "underprivileged" families the uniforms supposedly benefited). My daughter hated wearing them.
Kids learn to make decisions by making decisions. I felt that choosing clothing was one area of a kid's life where, within the limits of public decency, they should be able to make their own decisions.
The playing field is not leveled by uniforms. Kids will always find a reason to tease other kids. It is the parent's job to teach kids not to tease and also how to back off those who would tease them.
Uniforms did not save me money. I had to buy uniforms, AND clothes for real life, unless I wanted her wearing her school uniforms on weekends, to any out-of-school activities, to church, over the summer break, etc..

My daughter has to wear what they call Standard School Attire which consists of navy, black or Khaki bottoms and grey, white, navy or black top with collars (no t-shirts unless school spirit shirt). So while I get uniforms are supposed to level the playing field and save parents money, it just simply does not. As Fuzzy stated, I now have 2 sets of clothes to purchase, for school and regular wear. It does not level the playing field when some students are wearing Polo brand vs. Walmart brand and since the dress code does not cover shoes, that becomes a focus also. And as for not having to decide on what to wear in the mornings...ha ha ha...Apparently there is a certain combination of white, navy, black and grey tops and black, navy or khaki bottoms that's appropriate, and then you have to decide what shoes to wear (but maybe that's just in my house)...LOL

I went to two different catholoic schools (I realize its diff than ccharter) and had to wear uniforms and I detested the uniforms....But frankly, to this day, Im not sure if I just hated wearing uniforms or the uniform itself---you wouldn't catch me dead in a plaid skirt since-- lol
As a parent, I think it would be so much easier, tho
...just my thoughts