Flaming School Jumpers - careless son and not so honest other parents

Oooh I'd be unhappy to, they've only been back a matter of weeks!

Have you tried the lost property? Eldest SD lost one trainer (no idea how considering she was wearing one of them ?) we checked lost property, it was never found but there were lot's of jumpers.

Out of sheer nosiness, what did the mother say about having your son's jumper?

That is shocking that other parents steal jumpers! I can't believe that they would cut the label out and keep it...I am stunned! Does he have a bag/locker that he can put his jumper in then it can't get accidentally swapped?

Mum has just been through the lost property bins (they have two per cloak room) - bet that was lovely! ?

The other jumper? I saw a 'flash' of label when the girl who nabbed it was leaving the cloakroom (I was in the process of hunting for something else Boy1 had lost) - I asked if I could have a look at it. Her Mum tried to say no, but she'd already handed it over. I turned it inside out, and voila 'Boy1 KJX' label, clear as day. The mum just said "oooh, I didn't see that". I wish I'd been quick enough to make a snippy comment about guessing she hadn't, otherwise she's have cut that one out as well. I just gave a Marge Simpson style growl and left.

We have just 50 kids in Ben's school, he has been back a week after his op and today his fleece has gone. There can't be more than a dozen wearing the same size and like you it's labelled to the hilt. It is a "well off" school in general but it has always been a problem. Last time parents complained the staff did a check and one family had clothes of half the school on? (Clairy you can guess who that was I think?)

I honestly can't believe parents wouldn't know if they child/ren had something that wasn't theirs.

SD actually lost a brand new waterproof coat on her devon trip in year 6. It was bright pink with spots on, how it just vanished is anyones guess.

I had been warned about this by my mate who works in a school. I now get a permanent clothes pen and actually write the name ON the clothes (somewhere it's not noticeable obviously) - even on their dark navy jumpers, you can usually get the black pen to show up if you go over the name often enough. Even shoes and trainers/dappers get the same treatment. We haven't lost anything yet...

I think some just don't care - they either take the attitude that jumpers work their way around and will eventually make their way back to their owner, or they genuinely don't give a toss and will take something even if it isn't theirs.

Blimey, I know things get mixed up but i'm shocked that some parents would go as far as cutting out name tags.

I know kids things get mixed up all the time, especially PE days but if my daughter came home with someone elses jumper i'd send it back the next day.

I shall be going for the belt and braces approach when Boy1 has purchased his new jumper with his saved up pocket money. Sewn on labels, biro / permanent marker on the label and on the inside seam. Although short of searching the other kids I can't see how I can stop it going again.

Now to me, that is the normal and only approach! (I'm a mug, I'll even wash it - Boy1 has something of the Pigpen about him and grots up anything he lays his hands on).

I'm not a parent, and I'm shocked that someone would cut a label out - that's terrible!!

Please don't call social services on me but... is 9 old enough to not be bought a replacement immediately? It's not that I want your poor boy to freeze... but thinking back to when I was at primary, I'm sure if I couldn't find something, I just got sent in without it. Or send him in wearing a non uniform jumper (maybe cheaper and right colour but no logo) and let him take the flack for that for a day or two... Would he be a bit more focused on not forgetting his again when he gets a replacement? Or am I just coming across as a complete witch of a potential mother? ?

I wouldn't send him back in a non-regulation jumper, just because that will make the class and his school look bad... once someone comes in wearing not quite the right thing, all the cheap-arse, jumper-theiving mothers will be sending them in in anything they can half inch from marks'.

i'd be tempted to ask the school to carry out correct labelling checks on jumpers (ostensibly to make sure they're all correctly tagged to prevent this issue) - i think the threat of unexpected naming and shaming would get the little swine to keep their hands to themselves.

i'm such a caring, liberal would-be teacher. ?

Sadly it doesn't surprise me there are 8 children in my daughters class we have lost ties, polo shirts, jumpers, cardigans and even a dress last year - on PE day. All labeled with her name (or her brothers in the case of the jumper). They didn't come back either. its really annoying. I don't know what the aswer is.

That's shocking really! I think any jumpers that have been accidentaly swapped at school we've managed to sort them out eventually. I always write names on the lable now. Also do you have a uniform sale every now and then? I've managed to get all their jumpers with a logo on for £1 each.

Do they have a bag to put the clothes they have chaned out of into and a peg to hang said bag onto? Surely kids wouldn't go through each pthers 'clothes' bags to pinch a jumper?

I remember being at school and having labels and indeliable pen with my name all over my uniform.

Mum was a fiend when it came to labelling! ?

New jumper purchased yesterday (thanks to my mum!)

It has:-

• Stitched in label at the neck.
• Stiched in label in the bottom hem.
• Marker pen name on tag
• Marker pen name inside one cuff
• Marker pen name on one of the inside seams.

Short of nailing it too him - there's not much else I can do!

I have also spoken with the school (again) - I am not happy!

KJX - the more you say about your son's school, the worse it sounds.

I'm appalled that parents deliberately hack off name tags on sweaters!

I'd move him, but he is more Change Averse than any public sector senior manager that I've ever come across. Also, for the County city, there aren't many that schools - he's year 5 so we're over half way!

?

I didn't mean to imply you should move him, that would be really difficult, I'd imagine!

I sympathise. My son's only been at school 5 weeks and already I've caught a parent trying to take my son's fleece red handed. Only he and a friend have this particular fleece as far as I know. One of the other parents (who I saw in a rowdy, loud pub with her little boy at 9pm one night - nice) was a couple of parents in front of me in the queue for pickup. As chance would have I glanced in the door just at the right time to see her pick it up from my son's peg (clearly named, and no where her son's) I just said "oooh think you're getting confused but that's MY son's fleece, thanks"

Just a question KJX - are you saying you think he's lost ot or do you think it's been stolen? If you suspect it's been stolen then isn't it tad harsh that it's replaced from your son's pocket money? Or do I have the wrong end of stick? If it's nicked then all he's done is leave his jumper on his peg, which isn't his fault, (is it?)

I think it's a combination of him being careless and scattering his belongings schoolwide, another kid picking it up assuming it's their own, that kid wearing it home and that kid's parents keeping the jumper instead of giving it back. So not entirely his fault, but after three jumpers in less than five weeks (?when did they go back again?) and instructions to take care of the final jumper we had, I don't think I'm being too mean (and the soft touch that I am - I've taken it from his pocket money savings, but it will end up in his post office account!).

Don't count on it. My son had his new trainers stolen complete with PE bag. He has very narrow feet so has to have fitted (ie not cheap) shoes. I labelled them (stick on label and permanent pen name) and labelled PE bag. Big letters across the front as he is as careless as can be (common trait of 9yo boys?). He took them in one morning, they had gone out of his classroom that afternoon. I then found his PE t-shirt chucked in the hedge down the road from the school so it wasn't taken mistakenly, there was deliberate theft involved. Likeiwse, within the first week of term someone stole his lunchbox. Again had a stick on name label on the outside and his name in permament marker inside so its not as if it can be taken back into school unless parent is very determined and scours the inside to oblivion to get name out.

We also had 3 jumpers go missing last year. I now label his things in the same way as KJX but also write his initials in very large letters on the inside of the back. Told him its so he can easily find his when he's getting changed. It wasn't just happening to my son, it was a common playgorund complaint

I, and many others, got so fed up with it and the lack of doing anything by the head teacher after complaining and complaining we put in a formal complaint to the govenors and informed them that my son would no longer be participating in PE or wearing the correct school uniform if the theft continued as I wasn't prepared to continue funding other peoples childrens uniforms. Funnily enough a letter soon came home about correct labelling and a missing items amnesty was arranged (aforementioned lunchbox then turned up!). All the children now have a labelled bag that remains on the back of their chair for their clothes whilst doing PE so there aren't mix ups and jumpers are kept in classroom in a box and doled out at end of day by the teacher. The ones without names are kept back and children without jumpers then have to take one (hopefully theirs if they can identify it) and a 'letter of shame' (they print the reminders about labelling on bright red paper so there is no mistaking them) which has to be signed and returned the following day so parent has to acknowledge seing it.

Funnily enough since this we haven't managed to come home with anyone elses stuff or had any of his stuff go to someone elses house.