Labelling of uniforms

[jaabaar]

Hi

Do you use first name and surname or first name and initial of surname or just first name on cloth tags?

No other child has same first name in her class.

Thanks and sorry for trivial question.....

[Trumpton]

With 3 children I used ......D Smith B. First child had D Smith, second had Smith and third child had Smith B. Just folded the tags to fit the name I wanted.

[HouseofEliot]

Mine had full name and surname. If they leave their jumper on the field there may be 15 'Freds' in the school.

[my2bundles]

As above, I would go with full name. My son is the only one with his name in his year group but there are many with the same name in the school. hey spend alot of time outside the classroom so if you only put first name staff wont know you it belongs to.

[AuntieStella]

Use full name, or initial and surname.

If the item is lost in a playground, no-one will know which classroom to return it to.

Even if you put a 'secret' mark on (if thieving is a problem) make sure you put a large and clear label in an obvious place too so items lost in slightly random places are easy to identify and return.

[MrsHathaway]

What they said: firstname surname.

[VeryThelma]

I got stikins sticky labels they are brilliant don't come off anything water bottles to pants!

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

First name and surname. She might not always be in the same class, or someone new might start with the same name. Make the uniform as identifiable as possible (secret mark is a good idea) - so
a)it stands the best possible chance of getting back to you
b) there is no argument when someone accuses your DD of "stealing" her DDs clothes.

[Purpleroxy]

Whole first name and surname. My kids have short names though so was quite easy anyway. If your dc leaves jumper in playground, it will be in with the jumper pile from the rest of the school so both names essential IMO. Depending on size of school.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Iron ons which weld to fabric in really obvious place - both names in full

[MrsHathaway]

I should add ... I was recently part of a lost property cull at school. Roughly speaking, 50% of items had no name label at all, 10% manufactured labels, 20% legible laundry pen and 20% faded or "do you think I'm psychic?" markings. Fortunately one of the helpers is a PTA/BoG regular and is therefore psychic.

Essentially, you need your labelling to be obvious to strangers. In due course they might be leaving coats or jumpers in museums, buses, swimming pools, etc, and not just in their own classrooms.

[chutneypig]

Just surname. I have twins so they share most clothing. If it's not obvious, they have different size plimsolls for example, I add the initial.

[erin99]

First name and surname. DD started as the only child in her school with her first name, but now has same firstname and virtually same surname as another child.

Trumpton's suggestion is the most efficient but I hated being 'Smith Erin' and people were always asking why my nametapes were backwards. Nametapes are about £3 for 50 on ebay these days. Get a set for each child, and use different colour for each so they are easy to tell apart when you're sorting the washing.

[EvilTwins]

I had a friend as a child whose mum was able to use the same labels for her and her sisters. One was Claire, one was Catherine Louise and knew was Laura so the mum had labels with C L Smith and did stitched one sister's with C Smith showing one with C L Smith showing and one with L Smith showing. I always though it was very clever.

*not their real names

[EvilTwins]

one was Laura. Not sure what went wrong there.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

We use iron ons with full name and my mobile phone number, everything finds it way back!

[MidniteScribbler]

Full name - first and surname. Most lost items are lost in the playground, not the classroom, so will end up at the office where there could be either twenty children with the surname Jones, or twenty children with the same first name.

[ChocolateWombat]

I ordered sticky labels for shoes etc. I put child's name and my mob no, in case they were lost outside of school or ended up at another child's home. You were allowed X characters,which were plenty for first name, surname and mobile no.

[eurycantha]

I look after twin girls and I do the same as Churney and just put their surname in all their clothes,Their brother has his first and surname on his,they are the only children with their surname in the school.

[eurycantha]

They have their full names on their shoes and plimsoles.so they don't wear the wrong pair,

[Stevie77]

What sort of a secret mark would you use and where? Never thought of that!

[cungryhatterpillar]

secret mark on shoes is bright nail polish on inside of tongue.
secret mark on coats or jumpers is a small red thread embroidered onto back of neck.
For expensive items (only coats and certain bits of sports kit for us) I put another name tape in along a seam at the bottom of the item.

[Fuzzymum1]

Evil - my mum did something similar - my middle initial is my sister's first initial so she had

*Elizabeth M. Smith leaving it full for me and folded under the Elizabeth for my sister.

*not real names

[Stevie77]

Thanks cungryhatterpillar, great tip!