The Annual School Uniform Saga 

It’s that time of year yet again when the annual school uniform saga begins. Your patience is wearing thin after entertaining your little darlings day and night for six weeks solid. The wine has replaced the milks place in the fridge and even the kids seem keen to go back to school if not to see their friends then to have a break from their rather frazzled and frustrated parents.

You’ve spent up over the summer providing endless entertainment for your little cherubs and now your wallet is about to wail once again. It’s time to blow any remaining bank balance on the next size up in pants, shirts, skirts, socks, shoes, coats, trainers, pumps, tshirts, shorts, pinafore dresses and whatever else is on the sodding list.

Never mind paying for it all, there’s also the hassle of dragging your child/ children around endless shops asking them to stand straight as you check that their new uniform will fit correctly.

Clarks wait like crocodiles in the high street to snap up your money on shoes which your child doesn’t particularly like and somehow seem to cost more than your weekly food shop.

If you make it home without having sworn or scowled at some point during the pillage of your purse then you have my full respect.

Following your many purchases there is now a rather large pile of clothes and accessories, all of which now need labelling with those stupid sticky name labels.

If you’re anything like me, you will find yourself resorting to a sharpie pen three weeks later when the damn labels fall out, leaving you searching for a size 30 sweater in the lost property box.

I swear to god trying to find missing, unlabeled uniform is like trying to find a missing Lego piece in a soft play centre. Not only humiliating as you search under the teachers watchful eye but also near damn impossible.

All this effort and expense hardly seems worth it when come October your child will have stained at least two polo shirts with raspberry juice, paint or some other random permanent colourants and no doubt ripped a hole in the knees of a pair or two of their pants playing footy, zombie tig or whatever other game is the latest playground fad.

We have been fairly lucky this year as my Mum has kindly donated to the cause which helped cover the cost somewhat given that we have a little lady to suit and boot along with J.

I’ve managed to tick most of the boxes on the list all apart from a track suit for J to do outdoor sports and some grey tights for E. I will pick up the missing items next time I’m at Asda (my current choice of high street fashion) along with the groceries no doubt.

I have to say I’ll miss J when he goes back to school but oh my is he ready to return! As for E, it’s a whole new ball game for our little lady with starting nursery there’s a whole new routine for us both to adjust to along with the heart ache I’ll face as I watch her take the next steps. Ah September, the bringer of routine, Indian summers and of course, school.