Some days, just getting your child clothed and ready for school is enough of an ordeal, but what they get dressed in is important too. More than just being clean and free of rips, the style of clothing should be appropriate for their age and for the classroom.
From primary school through to high school, here’s what your child should be wearing to school.
Primary school students
It may surprise you how, even though they have just begun going to school, your kids will start to show their preferences for what they want to wear each day. Sure, they might choose a princess or superman costume, which is fine at a very young age, but other days it might be that they don’t want to wear a certain colour.
Durable clothes so that your child can get active on the playground are ideal. Think jeans and corduroy pants paired with sweaters or long-sleeved T-shirts. Running shoes are great the entire school year, but in the warmer months, Crocs are fine too. If your daughter is a girlie-girl who wants to wear dresses, there’s no harm in letting her wear something pretty to school.
Secondary school students
At this age, all teens start to express their sense of style, making things a little trickier when it comes to getting your child to dress appropriately for school. Discourage midriff-baring tops and jeans so distressed and ripped up that they expose a lot of skin or underwear. And speaking of underwear, boys’ jeans shouldn’t be worn to hang so low that everyone can see the brand of boxers they have on, and girls’ jeans shouldn’t be cut with so low a rise that their underwear is exposed.
For girls, skirts should be at least a few inches longer than the tips of their fingers when standing upright. When it comes to graphic T-shirts, let your child express themselves on their own time if you wish, but for school, don’t let them wear anything with something provocative printed on it (meaning, nothing sexual, no swear words and no religious connotations), as they risk being punished with detention or being sent home to change. For shoes, think casual and comfortable, such as running shoes, ballet flats, casual flats (like those from Toms) or Uggs, but by all means make sure they stay away from wearing flip-flops.
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