When M&S asked us to share our school uniform stories, I didn’t have to think twice!
It feels like yesterday I gave birth to Wriggly, yet she’s off to school in September… How is that even possible? I vividly remember that warm June morning as if it were just a moment away. When my little man came upstairs after breakfast to put his uniform on, I had his baby sister in my arms, born just a few minutes before. What a surprise it was for him!
My fierce little girl was determined to make an appearance and my labour was so quick she was born in the bathroom! No need to put those suitcases in the car, no need to rush to hospital, no need for childcare for the older three. Instead, we had cuddles on the bathroom floor and rather than our local hospital, I fed my newborn baby on my own sofa and had tea in my favourite mug, two whole days before her due date!
Today, three-year-old Wriggly and I went for a bit of ‘first uniform’ shopping. Since it’s my last time buying the first uniform for one of my children, it was really special for me. We left the house, hand in hand, talking about the style of school dress she wanted to get for her first day of school in September. She didn’t hesitate for one second and shouted: “I want a rainbow unicorn dress and a pink vest.” She’d clearly not been paying much attention to what her sisters had been wearing to school.
She was beside herself when I announced her school dress would have to be grey rather than the ‘rainbow unicorn’ she was after. I had to explain to her that everyone at school would be wearing a uniform so that everyone looks the same and represents the school. She was puzzled and only said two words: “But why?” Once the crying (OK, full on meltdown) had subsided, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and asked, still sobbing: “Can I have a bow on my uniform dress?”
Right, we were moving in the right direction. Once we’d cleared the colour issue, things went a lot more smoothly and happy chatter resumed. We might even have galloped to M&S, where I’ve always bought my children’s first uniform.
Within seconds, my spirited unicorn lover had set her eyes on a simple grey slip-on dress with a bow.
She also picked a second dress, a cardigan, tights, underwear and white socks. We went a size up just because she’s likely to grow in the next three months, but we’ll wait until the end of August for her shoes, just to be on the safe side.
As soon as we got home, we labelled her new uniform and she insisted on wearing it. Why not, hey? Labelling uniform bits and pieces is always the first thing I do straight after coming back from the shops, because I have a ‘serial uniform loser’ in the house. My 5-year-old’s party trick is to lose school cardigans. Surely there must be a place where she hides them at school.
Every morning, I make sure she has a cardigan on, and most days there’s also one in her school bag. Guess what? Whenever she comes home, she has no cardigan on her or in her bag. I can never find any in the lost property box in her cloakroom. Last time a teaching assistant offered to have a search through the school, she found 9 of her cardigans. Nine! Check her little story, which is featured on the M&S website:
Life quite simply isn’t uniform, especially with young children! I love a good school uniform anecdote. Have you got any ‘life isn’t uniform’ stories? Did your little one ever bring other children’s clothes home? Have they used their brand new school cardigan to wash the car? I’d love you to share your stories with me!
Disclosure: This blog post is part of the ‘life isn’t uniform’ campaign by M&S but all photos and opinions are my own.
Little Wriggly is really innocent! Who won’t love to wear a unicorn dress to school! When I was a kid, my mum used to put cardigan on me before going to school and she strictly ( in a loving way) told me to not take it off. She knew I’ll lose them 😁
Hahaha, I don’t blame her!
Nice article about the uniform. Your daughter is very cute!!
Thank you 🙂
Wow, nine cardigans! That was a funny story 🙂
She’s so funny. She keeps doing it as well. Little monkey 🙂
Loved this, always jealous America get to go without uniform, although it does make clothing choices more tricky in the mornings!
When I was growing up in France, we didn’t have to wear a uniform at school, but to be honest, I much prefer it here with a uniform. All children look the same and there’s no mockery about what they’re wearing / the pressure to buy big labels etc.
I love your video! My son is the same. I’ve spent so much money on jackets and sweaters and he doesn’t come home with them. It really ticks me off! Now that it’s the end of the year, the school put all the missing items out and low and behold, we found all of his! Wow!
I ironed a ridiculous amount of cardigans this weekend. I think we’ve found them all (finally!).
Cute selections! I especially liked the one with the bow. What a big milestone for little ones! 🙂
It’s huge! She’s really cute with the one that has a bow on 🙂
I can SO sympathise with you on the uniform loss – when my son started at a new school a couple of years ago he lost one of his brand new jumpers on his very first day! we started this year with 10 white polo shirts, I realised the other day that we were down to 4. What on earth he’s done with the other 6 is beyond me, I’m beginning to suspect he must be eating them or something, ha ha!
Now he’s a Master at the art of Uniform Loss, clearly! Jumpers can easily get lost, but I can’t imagine how they could lose their polo shirts… Surely he must be losing them in the house, hahaha!
We don’t have school uniforms here in Germany but I think they’re such a great idea. Plus, the gingham dresses for summer are so cute. I’d totally dress Amy in one anyway 😀 x
We didn’t have uniforms in France either and I’m so glad my children have to wear them. It’s so much easier than dealing with comparison / arguing over what they’re wearing 🙂
My eldest has almost finished her first year. we have both these m&s dresses. They’re so cute and have lasted well.
Wriggly’s big sister is also finishing her first year. It all goes so quickly! Next year will be the only year when my 4 children are all in Primary School 🙂
Ahh we love Marks & Spencers for school uniforms! They’ve done us well over the years and this time I have to buy one for my baby boy, lots of tears!!
Your little man is starting school too in September? Gosh times does fly, doesn’t it?
We are off to M&S this morning to buy my son’s first school uniform for September. I have no idea how four years have gone by so quickly!
I was thinking exactly the same!
That’s a lovely post with beautiful pictures. keep up the good work. Nice blog I must say.
Thank you
Mark & Spencer dresses/uniforms are adorable and durable. thank you for sharing
They’re brilliant… and if you get them out of the tumble dryer as the cycle ends, they don’t even need ironing!
Hearing about her birth made me quite emotional – as both of ours were born at home in planned homebirths. The tea in the favourite mug brought tears to my eyes – it took me right back to cuddling Athena on the sofa after her birth. The years go so quickly – and she looks so pleased with her uniform x
I know… life just seems to whizz by. It’s crazy, isn’t it? I was telling her all about her birth story this morning. She’s so proud she was born on the bathroom floor!
Haha don’t you just love their innocence of just thinking there will always be more uniform where that came from! We frequent M&S because Eva insists on growing just as I have got her new trousers..but don’t even get me started on the emotion, Roma doesn’t even start until next year but I’m already so emotional about it!
It’s the idea of letting go of your youngest, isn’t it? I think those first few days are going to be tough for me!
Gosh she looks so gorgeous in her new school uniform, she must be so excited to start school! I love the grey school dresses with the box one, good one M&S!
She can’t wait!
I love the idea of this series. Because even if you have to wear uniforms you truly are far more than the uniform you chose. Those gray colored ones are so lacking in color and life is so colorful.
I couldn’t agree more!
Your daughter is adorable! Also I wish every school, everywhere did uniforms. I think it would eliminate so much stress on our kids. Also I am a huge love of M&S and loved shopping there was I was in the UK. Would love to see them one Canada!
You don’t have M&S in Canada? Oh dear, you need to start a campaign to introduce M&S there!!
Your little girl is really lovely! The dress she chose with the cute bow is really nice too – she has style. While i don’t have any “life isn’t uniform” stories to share, i really enjoyed reading this one.
Thank you Koby 🙂
Good old school uniforms. I went through high school with the dreaded uni look. Not as big a deal it seems now as most of the other high schools in my hometown now do the same thing.