From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

LotsOfTea

I know you're worrying about whether LG will like the Xmas jumper or not but maybe they'll be on board with choosing a charity shop jumper if it's framed as a positive choice for the environment to rescue "throwaway" clothing from landfill and re-use it.

I say this as someone whose teen son has always had mostly second hand clothes and genuinely doesn't seem to be in any way bothered by it. Even his secondary school blazers have come from local uniform resale groups. On the first day of secondary school most of the kids had been bought brand new uniform. Mine had second hand but honestly by about day 3 you couldn't have told the difference! He also refuses to wear a coat to school and that's one of things I bought new and it'll still be practically new when he outgrows it! Kids!

themadvix

I was going to mention the environmental aspect perhaps appealing to LG too - I remember you said they were quite fired up about plastic waste after discussing it at school? And let's face it - all these Christmas jumpers are made from plastic, not real wool (which is why I don't have one!).

I'm glad you've got it sorted - you've definitely given too much brain space to it and I couldn't agree more that things like this suck the joy out of the season!

Greying_Pilgrim

LotsOfTea - I've been pretty lucky with LG and purchasing stuff from Chazzers - moreso when they were an ickle pickle, but they are OK with second-hand.  As it happens the jumper I got today hasn't been worn - it still has the labels on.  I suspect the local MrL had some left in the stockroom and swished them across to the charity.  

But that is a very interesting point about how things look 3 days in.....  To be fair, I wouldn't mind buying uniform secondhand - particularly the 'badged' stuff, but our school sells their own (ie less likely to find in a chazzer), and there wasn't the sizes I needed each time I looked.  And the daft thing is, all the private/public schools do it - our chum's kiddo went and it's quite the industry, especially when sports gear and equipment is lobbed into the equation too.  As our chum's school, the pupils are expected to look after their stuff too - they get into trouble if they lose things.  

Greying X

greenbee

I went to private school, and the school had it's own second-hand uniform shop! No concerns about it there at all! Most parents are desperate to save money after having coughed up for fees. 

TMV - I have a recycled cotton Christmas jumper, which was the least-Christmassy-while-still-being-Christmassy I could find (red with a vaguely-snowflakey scandi pattern on it). But have no clue where I got it from. And I only wear it for video calls

themadvix

greenbee said:

TMV - I have a recycled cotton Christmas jumper, which was the least-Christmassy-while-still-being-Christmassy I could find (red with a vaguely-snowflakey scandi pattern on it). But have no clue where I got it from. And I only wear it for video calls

I knew there'd be an exception! Suspect cotton ones aren't very common though (especially as they're not usually warm). It's not just about the plastic for me - I'm not inclined to give wardrobe space to something I'll only wear once or twice a year (we'll ignore the wedding dress under the bed in this scenario!).

Staffordia

It's been interesting reading your thoughts on Christmas jumpers, it wasn't a 'thing' in my youth thankfully as I would have hated it. I don't remember matching pyjamas either, it's definitely a marketing ploy dressed up as Christmassy. 

greenbee

themadvix said:

greenbee said:

TMV - I have a recycled cotton Christmas jumper, which was the least-Christmassy-while-still-being-Christmassy I could find (red with a vaguely-snowflakey scandi pattern on it). But have no clue where I got it from. And I only wear it for video calls

I knew there'd be an exception! Suspect cotton ones aren't very common though (especially as they're not usually warm). It's not just about the plastic for me - I'm not inclined to give wardrobe space to something I'll only wear once or twice a year (we'll ignore the wedding dress under the bed in this scenario!).

It is warm and due to the pattern and colour is useful during winter. So I do wear it more often than I would a 'Christmassy' one. 

beanielou

I personally prefer a nice Christmas sweatshirt. My maw and I got matching(!!) Christmas jumpers years ago in a m & s outlet which were fantastic quality & had wool in them. Originally priced at about £55 quid we paid a fiver. Glad to report we have only worn them both at the same time once!  It will be pulled out again at some point in December. 

Greying_Pilgrim

tmv - sorry I missed your post.  Mmmmmm, school's teaching of things is "interesting" - LG will come home having learnt recycling good, plastics bad, dried oranges good, glitter bad etc, but then school will get them making glittery decorations, or make them compete for plastic tat.  Yes, unfortunately the top hasn't had any natural fibre anywhere near it ☹️The thing is, I have contemplated knitting something, using natural yarn, but it's not what is required ☹️I wish the event would be knocked on the head - but we get surveyed as to what we think about things, and nothing changes.

staffordia - it wasn't a 'thing' in my youth either - you for sure didn't want to 'match' with your parents, they were "old", whereas you were young, cool and knew everything 🤣

beanie - I'm glad you get so much pleasure out of your super-dooper great value jumpers - that's fab!  I can see the value in buying items as an adult, and if it gives you and your mam pleasure - then 👍 I bet you're down to pennies per wear now too 😁I'm not sure the same can be said with kiddies jumpers bought for events they've no real investment in.  

So we had Sausage casserole, with mash and broccoli for tea.  The sausage casserole was actually yesterday's soup recycled, with a tin of tommies added, some chopped, mixed peppers and some more herbs added.  I cooked up a box of the L1nda Mc sausages and chopped them up and put them into this 'sauce'.  I had 2 pots of mash in the freezer and finished off a bag of broccoli.  The sausages were lovely.  After frying them, I deglazed the pan with some balsamic vinegar and hot water, and added that into the casserole - plenty of flavour - yum!

I still haven't dug out my receipts - I will.  

Today was a good day.  I've managed to sort something for this darn jumper day, and support charity at the same time.  LG - I think I mentioned it - bought something on holiday, that they couldn't then make work.  This afternoon, they dug it out again, sat quietly and..... made it work 😁

DH has been reviewed by the Doc.  He's not quite right (still), but they have sort of worked out what is wrong and hopefully the treatment will work and he will eventually get right.  Fingers crossed.  

Ta for popping in.  Appreciated.  Greying X

Watty1

Greying_Pilgrim said:

Thank you for all your help.  I really value your input, as I'm sure i get this parenting mularkey wrong much of the time.  And whilst I'm old and wrinkly enough to admit mistakes and try better next time, what I don't want to do is do any lasting damage to LG's self-confidence or self-esteem.  

Greying X

Dearest GP is that not the point of parenting?   How will self help books sell in the future if people adopt this attitude?  what about counselling fees and future careers if this attitude runs rife in parents?
wanders off baffled 

PS You really are doing a fabulous job, that is why LG is so many virtual aunties x