Children are so expensive! Why do we have them?

mrsspendalot

I spent about £150 on school uniforms for 2, including £60 on shoes from Clarks. My kids have really wide feet (G and H fitting) so we struggle to buy cheaper shoes from anywhere else. Most of the uniform was bought in matalan though and then the school jumpers/cardigans/coats were bought from specialist uniform shop.

ZTD

Snaggles wrote: »

I do like him having a school uniform, but the thing that annoys me is the fact that you can only buy the sweatshirts with his school badge on from one shop, and they are nearly £15 each, whereas an identical jumper without the badge is £1.50 in Asda!

The OFT is clamping down on that.

Jacks_xxx

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

My daughters school have changed their PE kit but luckily only new children have to buy it! I breathed a sigh of relief on that one!

But the new head wants to bring in a uniform for the sixth form which is not too popular with the kids. I can't decide if that will save me money or not (will she need less leisure clothes if she has a uniform?) but maybe she will be buying her own clothes at that age?[/quote]

You'll be lucky hon! And even if she is buying herself some things she'll still expect you to buy her "basics" is she's anything like my lot! :rolleyes:

I do like the kids to wear a uniform I suppose. It's better than comng up with new outfits every week for them to wow their fashionista school friends with.

Although my 12 yo daughter likes fitted shirts, with 3/4 length sleeves and slouchy wide leg school trousers - so we don't escape fashion altogether. She's 5'9" with a 33" inside leg so most "school" ranges wouldn't fit her any way. (Thank goodness for eBay and Dottie P's!)
I'm beginning to see why we've never got any money though! :eek:

My eldest is almost 19 and he's supposed to buy his own - but all that means is that he hasn't had any new clothing since I stopped buying them! Bless. :rotfl:

RE Shoe polish: I did a mystery shop in Clarkes and one of the questions was about being offered shoe polish (She didn't - but I said she did cos I'm an old softie!)

Love Jacks xxx

TurnaroundSue

My son refuses to wear a coat as well - but managed to get on for £3.49 (should have been £40) so not too bothered if he doesn't wear it. Will keep the tags on and maybe sell it on e-bay next year if he doesn't :rotfl: :rotfl:

DD said she wasn't going to wear her school shoes 'so don't bother buying me any' - so I didn't!!

Need to go to school tomorrow to pick up her uniform (£15 for 2 polo shirts) - Told me she would wear last year's coat (yes, she does wear one!!) and classrooms are too warm for jumpers so didn't buy her one of those either

So therefore I have spent

Son:

2 x trousers = £10
Polo shirts still from last year = £0.00
New shoes = £20
Jacket = £3.49

Total £33.49

Daughter:

1 x trousers = £8.00
2 x polo shirts = £15
1 x trainers = £17.50

Total £40.50

Grand total = £73.99

Mind you still seems a lot of money for only a few bits - would dread to think what it would have cost to kit them out in all their refinery :eek:

TurnaroundSue

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

Although my 12 yo daughter likes fitted shirts, with 3/4 length sleeves and slouchy wide leg school trousers - so we don't escape fashion altogether. She's 5'9" with a 33" inside leg so most "school" ranges wouldn't fit her any way. (Thank goodness for eBay and Dottie P's!)
I'm beginning to see why we've never got any money though! :eek:

Wow, i'd kill to have legs that long and she's still only 12 - hope she realises how lucky she is?

From:

Some very short stumpy person with little legs (ha!ha!) :rotfl:

ZTD

TAG wrote: »

HairyHandofDartmoor - The bit that amazes me is that DS is rarely ill dispite dressing as though it's 25 degrees outside in the middle of winter.

That's because the cold kills off all the nasties. No hoodies available in "bacteria size"...

It's also the reason why your parents never got colds before the age of central heating.

ZTD

craftingqueen wrote: »

All clarkes assistants have to push polish/cream, their are more interested in how much polish and cream is sold than shoes.

That's because shoes are hard to make - and hence expensive to make. Cream can literally be pumped out by the gallon and sold for outrageous prices.

chocaholic110

ZTD wrote: »

That's because the cold kills off all the nasties. No hoodies available in "bacteria size"...

It's also the reason why your parents never got colds before the age of central heating.

This is what I say at school. My class is freezing but i have always had the best attendance (the children not just me!!). The class below me is like a sauna and their attendance is dire!
We'll see if this remains true this year when the worst attended class moves into my room!!

Jacks_xxx

TurnaroundSue wrote: »

Wow, i'd kill to have legs that long and she's still only 12 - hope she realises how lucky she is?

From:

Some very short stumpy person with little legs (ha!ha!) :rotfl:

I know. I'm jealous too -particularly when she leans down and pats me on the head! :rolleyes:

I've obviously been feeding her far to well all these years!

Love Jacks xxx

Snaggles

ZTD wrote: »

The OFT is clamping down on that.

I had heard sonething about that - good, I hope they do!

The thing is, the school Ryan goes to is in a not-very-well-off area, in the middle of a council estate, where a large proportion of people are on a very low income. It's crazy to expect them to pay those sorts of prices for a couple of poxy jumpers. It's a great school apart from that though, some amazing results and the kids are really happy there, so I don't want to criticise it too much.