I know it is only the start of the summer holidays but now really is the best time to buy that school uniform before all the sizes you need for your children have sold out and you are waiting for things to come back into stock. Â Once you’ve bought it you can sit back smugly and enjoy the warm balmy summer days* (* or rainy struggling to find something to do days!).
I wrote a post last year about Lily’s first day at school which I re-visited on her last day a couple of weeks ago. It can be such an emotional time that first day; a real mixture of excitement and nerves and this year I have two starting in two separate classes.  They are currently incredibly excited (not yet nervous) and talk incessantly about who is in their class, who their teacher is going to be and what they are going to wear!
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This leads them onto asking me what my first day was like, who my teacher was and what I wore! I asked my Mum to try and dig out some pictures of my first day at school and any others she could find. I’m afraid the quality isn’t amazing as frankly I’m too old for good quality photos and definitely too old for digital but you can just about make them out! Â The one on the left is my first day at primary school!
Unfortunately for the girls I can’t remember too many stories about my school years. I know we would have walked to school and that my poor Mum had to walk the mile down the huge hill and then back again pushing my brother in his push chair, only to set off again at 2.30 to go back. I know the school wasn’t really to worried about school uniform back then although I know I always wore one, and I seem to recall going out to the shop in the juniors at the request of one of the teachers to buy her chocolate during lesson time! I also vividly remember the cigarette smoke billowing out of the staff room and the caretakers office both of which opened into the gym! Unimaginable now.
So when the girls had finished giggling about pictures of me as a little girl, they set about choosing their own uniform too. The twins have such different ideas about what they want to wear. Â Eve wanted shorts not a skirt or a pinafore so I was delighted when I found these City Shorts in M&S. I also love the polo shirts with the scallop edge, we had these last year for Lily and they are really nice looking and wash brilliantly. A necessity for white shirts!
Isobel wanted pinafores like her big sister and proudly told me she was going to wear her cardigan at all times, whatever the weather!! We’ll see… we usually misplace at least one a week and that’s with one child at school throwing it off when it gets too hot!
Lily, well Lily just loves the summer dresses and I think by October half term I’m going to struggle to get it off her. Â It was a beautiful summer’s day on her first day at school and she really wanted to wear her summer dress then too, but I was a mean Mum and wanted her first day at school picture to be the full uniform! I do love the photo though and I am hoping the weather will oblige this year too!
My kids will grow up with M&S firmly in their school uniform life and if you want to take a look at M&S’s web page they have a section on the history of schoolwear and how it has changed!
Get shopping! I’m pleased mine is done!
NB: Post has been written in collaboration with M&S but all views are my own and all uniform shopping always done at M&S in any event!
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.
Ha ha love you hair in you photos and real 80s pageboy, ah its a big year with the girls staring school, they all look beautiful in their uniforms. You will have so much more time on your hands. But doesn’t it fly? I cant believe you teacher sent you to the shops for chocolate, wow! And love the pic of Lilly looks like she is outside no 10 future prime minister maybe? x
OMG Karen, Lily is a mini you!! Love that you dug out your old school photos. Bless the twins, sounds like they’re very excited about the new school year and joining their big sister at school. I wonder how they’ll settle into their new routine without each other for comfort?
We’re M&S all the way too ; ) xx
What an angel you look in your own photographs! The girls will look very smart in their new clothes and that will give them confidence when they start school.