With the new school year dawning, parents are flocking to the stores to start ticking off the monumental list their children have to get prepared for September. A study commissioned by Sports Direct revealed this annual routine can set parents back nearly £500, not to mention the toll taken by the time and preparation.
The research found on average, parents spend around £155.95 per child to get them ready for school. With roughly 3.7 million families in the UK have one or more children, and 1.2 million with three or more, meaning over a million households will be paying a staggering £467 before the school year begins.
It also revealed that most parents are a bit more prepared than they might think, heading out for the first round of essentials more than two weeks before schools begin. Usually first on the shopping list are outer jackets or coats, followed by trousers or shorts, dresses or skirts, jumpers or cardigans, blazers or smart jackets, PE kits, and school backpacks.
School shoes, trainers, shirts and socks are usually the last to be added to the basket. While it’s commonly believed the earlier this shopping is over with, the more prepared and put-together the children will be in time for school, however, one expert explained why heading to the stores early in summer holidays may be a detrimental decision.
Lacey Roebuck, commercial manager at Sports Direct, explained: “If you want your items to get their wear, we would advise leaving it later, as close to their first day as possible, especially if your children are still young. By purchasing items in the days leading up, such as school shoes, you ensure a better fit that will last longer throughout the year, avoiding the need for early replacements due to growth spurts.”
To prolong the lifespan of your child’s uniform even further, Lacey shared her top tips to make the clothing more durable, starting with reinforcements. She suggested getting fusible interfacing for a simple patch that’s easy to install on your child’s uniform and doesn’t break the bank. She recommended: “Gather all of their items of clothing before the term starts and cut out square pieces of iron-on fusible interfacing and attach them to the inside of areas such as knees, elbows, or hems.”
Fabric protector spray was also highly recommended by the expert to keep stains at bay, spraying the items before the kids get to wear them and then topping it up every few washes. Lastly, Lacey suggested an amendment to the age-old ‘one size bigger’ trick.
Most parents are more inclined to buy clothes in a larger size than what their child currently wears to account for growth but the expert explained how to make this go even further. She shared: “Buy the item in a size above their usual size, and install metal poppers near the hem, so you can easily adjust the length of the item as they grow. This works best on items such as trousers or shorts and dresses or skirts where the length can be altered.”
