11 Simple Back to School Uniform Tips for Working Mothers to Feel Really Organised

September 11, 2024

This article is about simple tips for organising school uniform.

Starting school is such a big milestone for your little ones, and here at Mamo & Mono, we want to make the process as seamless as possible. Therefore, we have put together some simple tips to help you get prepared when it comes to your child’s school uniform.

Below is the article ’11 Simple Back to School Uniform Tips for Working Mothers to Feel Really Organised’.

BUYING UNIFORM

1. Start Early (but not too early!)

In the run up to school starting there is a long list of things to do.

If it is not completing online applications, then it is visiting local schools, attending school meetings or even updating your child’s room so that they are ready for the new transition. Therefore, in addition to everything else that is happening, you don’t want to get stressed when it comes to preparing your child’s school uniform. Therefore, we would suggest that you get the ball rolling nice and early.

About 1-2 months before you child starts school, this is the time to start organising yourself.

Some schools have designated school uniform suppliers.

It is highly likely all parents will be using these suppliers, therefore, if you order too late, then you might find that your child does not have everything that they need on their first day of school.

Therefore, order your school uniform in good time, but don’t start too early, as you might find that your child has outgrown their uniform by the time it arrives.

2. Try on Clothes

If you are lucky to have a local uniform shop, or there are high street shops/clothes shops with changing rooms, then we would highly recommend that your child tries on different uniform sizes before making a bulk order of uniform.

So, yes, start early as we mentioned before, however, make sure you know what sizes you are ordering. Also, be aware that you may need to book an appointment with uniform shops, especially if it is a busy period, like the summer holidays, therefore, call the shop ahead of time to avoid any disappointment.

Another advantage of trying on clothes before making a large order, is that you will be able to identify any issues ahead of time.

For example, you might find that your child will be more comfortable in adjustable waistband on their trousers, or that if they are still small, they may need a Velcro top button instead of a regular one.

3. Shop Around to Save Money

The cost of buying uniform can quickly build up, therefore, if you have parts of the uniform which do not have a logo, or can be bought somewhere else at a cheaper price, then do this. Things like white school shirts, school trousers, school socks, school tights, pinafores or summer dresses – a lot of these can be bought elsewhere (for example at local supermarkets or on the high street), and do not necessarily need to be bought in the official uniform shop. Also, some shops may be offering summer sales for uniform, so you might be able to save yourself a bit of money this way.

4. Use the List Provided by the School

This is probably an obvious point.

But use the school uniform list provided by the school as your checklist. Have a copy of it on your phone or as a printout. Tick off the items as you purchase them.

Sometimes, it is easy to get swept away in the process of buying uniform, so much so that items that are on the main list may be forgotten about.

5. Ask School Parents for Advice

Ask current parents at the school for advice, as they are the experts.

They can let you know simple tips like when uniform sales are starting, the best supermarkets to that sell uniforms, the best shoe shops or where to buy the best quality clothes. Furthermore, they will have insider knowledge about the school, for example, some schools may run school uniform sales.

Having all of this knowledge will not only reduce your stress, but also allow you to be as organised as possible.

6. Buy Enough Uniform

If you have the budget, then we would recommend that you purchase enough uniform for each day of the school week. Furthermore, if your budget can stretch a bit more, then consider having a spare set of uniform on top of the above (therefore, 6 sets of uniform in total). Having an extra day of uniform will cover you when a school jumper mysteriously disappears or if there is an accidental breakfast spillage in the morning. This will allow for a more seamless morning routine.

ORGANISING UNIFORM

7. Label, Label and Label

As soon as you get your hands on your child’s uniform, make sure to label all of it.

This will save you so much money. It is likely that from the beginning of the school year you will notice that items will start to disappear. It may be that one day a jumper won’t come home, next their P.E kit goes missing, and then finally one day you realise that half their uniform is missing. Even if the uniform is found, if it ends up in lost property with no label, then you will have great difficulty working out whether this is in fact your child’s uniform.

And, when we say label everything, we mean label everything.

Use personalised stickers and stamps or a good old black biro pen. Also, if you can write their name twice on an item of clothing (in different places), then do it. You want to make it as easy as possible for their teacher to identify your child’s property.

This single tip will save you a lot of money!

8. A Designated Space for Uniform

It is very important that both parents and children know where their uniform is kept.

This is vital, especially in the mornings when trying to rush out the door. By having a designated space for uniform, this will allow both yourself and your child will know exactly where everything is.

In addition, it will allow your child to independently be able to find and put their clothes away.

To add another layer of organisation, label your child’s drawers so that it is extra clear where everything should be kept.

9. Easy Access for Children

As mentioned above, having a designated space for uniform will make your life easier, however, making this space accessible to your child will be even more helpful.

This allows your child to develop greater independence when it comes to finding their clothes, dressing and tidying things away after school.

Simple ways to allow for this include adhesive hooks on the inside of wardrobes (the child’s height) to hang things such as ties, summer caps/hats, bookbags or PE bags. Furthermore, other options could include putting clothes like their socks in lower drawers where they can easily reach them.

MAINTAINING UNIFORM

10. Wash School Uniform as a Priority

Make it a routine to wash your child’s school uniform first.

Start the washing process as early as you can. The earlier you start the better, as once the clothes are washed, you will then have adequate time to dry them.

Furthermore, if you have more children, then more laundry will be generated, therefore, it is always better to get a head start so that you do not become overwhelmed with uniform to organise on Sunday evening.

Next, the clothes will need to be ironed, this could be time consuming, therefore, better to start nice and early to prevent last minute unnecessary stress.

Alongside the laundry, you will have other household jobs to complete, in addition to homework, after school clubs and so on, therefore, in order to keep on top of everything, it is best to get the uniform washed, dried and ironed to avoid any last-minute panic.

11. Outsourcing Laundry and Ironing

If you have an upcoming work deadline, or you’re starting to feel overwhelmed and you have the budget, then consider outsourcing your laundry.

By hiring someone to help with your laundry, this would not only free up time, but it would also reduce your stress levels.

If you are not a keen ironer, then also consider hiring someone to help with ironing. There are companies available who will collect and deliver your freshly ironed clothes without you even needing to leave the house.

Thank you for reading this article ‘11 Simple Back to School Uniform Tips for Working Mothers to Feel Really Organised’. We hope that you have picked up some super helpful tips for managing your child’s laundry!

The main take home point is to make sure that whatever item leaves your home is labelled with your child’s name. Otherwise, you may be shedding a lot of tears after replacing your third set of trainers!!

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Do you have any school uniform tips that we can use to make this article even better?

Picture Credit (in order of display): toyamakanna, Lukas Blazek, Samantha Sophia, Samuel Foster, Filip Mroz, Siora Photography