Are you buying school uniform?

​I feel your pain!! This isn't the kind of shopping I enjoy if I'm honest. It was a little easier when they were young in my opinion to just collect it all together by easy age related sizing, chuck it in supermarket trolley, job done. Shoes were always tricky to try on and get the right size. I started off at Clarks having their feet properly measured and that's it you are drawn into the magic feet measuring machine, never to trust your own instincts ever again or trust the kids to tell you whether their shoes fit or not. The machine is always right!. It was also a lot cheaper when they were smaller too. The prices inflate with every growth spurt and it hurts my purse.

​I feel it screaming a squeezing out the last coins like financial constipation. My lads are big huge teenagers now, one at college so he can wear his 'normal' clothes as I call them. My youngest is now in the last year of secondary and I'm in that position of being a bit stingy and making it all last as long as possible. I stopped buying completely new stuff every September because it seemed a bit daft. There is that notion that with a new start to a new school year our kids need to be pristine and in all new clothes, even underwear and socks. Personally if it still fits it's still being worn until it's restricting any breathing or shoes are causing major accidents.

​I'm only kidding, I have always made sure my kids are wearing the right uniform and look smart. I like school uniform, there's no fuss about everyone keeping up with fashion, it's uniform - all the same. Some of it is a bit pricey though especially when it comes to jumpers with motifs, I've had to take in the odd sharp breath and nearly hyperventilated when I've paid at the till of some super duper proper school uniform shop.

I am on the look out for mens trousers and shirts now though, Asda only go up to 17-18 years in trousers and they don't fit. I'm thinking are they small or have they shrank in the dryer? Oh heck it's a mine field isn't it? We need it to be convenient like everything else. Non iron, tumble dry friendly and enough to keep one going all week. We want wear, wash, dry with a super fast turnaround. Don't even get me started on P.E kit as well. I must have bought dozens of pairs of football boots to be only worn two or three times. I never bred natural playing footballers so they don't get used any other time. I'm hoping this will be my last splurge in the uniform department now, end of an era.

It is stressful, the shops run out of sizes, kids have to go along shopping when they would rather be at home. There's shouting and moaning, grunts from the teenagers but when it's all over, they go to school on the first day and us as parents feel we have won an Oscar or been awarded a lifetime achievement award. Sit down have a brew and congratulate oneself - you made it. What about pens and pencils, rulers, pencils cases, compass and protractor? did you get those as well? Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhh it's never ending. I may just miss the rush and do it when everyone else has done their own. A bit like doing Christmas shopping in the new year. I like to be different and never have liked following the masses, well not as I've got older.

So good luck to all those conquering the shops, malls and the sensible ones who manage everything online. Good luck to retail staff who will be asked numerous times - have you got any more of these in stock? The ones who will have to run up and down stairs just to keep the good British public happy and school kids content. You will get through it and it will be all worth it as we all indulge in that massive Facebook 'first day at school' post. So proud!!!

Thanks for reading today, please join me again tomorrow for my Verse for Thursday. Take care for now.......