While many schools in the United States allow students to wear what they like (at least within reason) each day, an increasing number of educational institutions are enforcing or encouraging the use of uniforms. 

If you need to help your child get ready for a new school that means uniforms are on the agenda, there are some tips you can follow to make the process a little easier.

Choose Some Mix-and-Match Items

While it may be tempting to stock up on a lot of clothes for your children, and they may encourage you to do so, it’s often better to minimize expense and morning decision-making by instead focusing on buying a limited selection of mix-and-match items. 

You really only need enough pieces to get your kids through one week of school at a time, perhaps with one extra outfit in case of emergencies on hand to cover unforeseen circumstances. This way, you can simply do a load of laundry each weekend, and your child will be ready to go again for the week ahead, leading to fewer overstuffed drawers and closets. 

Select Pieces with Some Room for Kids to Grow Into

Next, don’t bother paying for school uniform clothing that fits your child perfectly now or that’s even a little too tight on them. Keep in mind how quickly children grow, and save yourself some time, money, and hassle by buying up one or two sizes that they can grow into over the year and perhaps next year, too. Most school uniform items look fine if they’re a bit looser and longer than normal, and are comfortable for kids to wear, too. 

Pick Out Darker Colors Where Possible

Since many school students tend to get quite dirty during the class days, whether by dropping food or drinks on themselves, playing during the breaks, or having science experiment disasters or other accidents, it helps to pick out clothing in darker colors where possible. These items won’t show the marks so much and won’t need to be thrown out as early as lighter ones, which can be difficult to get stains out of. 

Let Your Child Show Their Personality in Some Way

While having a school uniform can help to reduce issues around bullying and children wanting to wear expensive branded gear to try and fit in, it can mean that kids don’t feel like they have a chance to express themselves much in their looks throughout the school week. You can help them combat this by enabling them to show their personality through their accessories. 

For instance, they might be encouraged to pick out fun socks, hair ties, belts, sweaters, watches, or jewelry, or they might enjoy selecting a school bag, lunch box, binder covers, etc., in a way that lets them be themselves. 

Consider Sensory Issues and Other Adaptive Needs

Many children these days hate wearing scratchy clothing or pieces with tags that annoy them or otherwise overwhelm their senses or don’t suit other adaptive needs. As a result, when you search for teen girl uniforms or school clothes for boys, be on the lookout for brands and items that consider such factors. You should be able to find clothing with fewer zippers, buttons, tags, and the like, made from soft-on-the-skin materials, as well as pieces that are adjustable for different physical needs or that are easier to undo or do up as needed. 

These are just some of the top tips for buying and using school uniforms you can keep in mind. In addition, it often helps to shop for school uniforms online to save money and make it easy for your child to try items on in the comfort of their home. 

Be sure to check return and shipping policies, though. Plus, hold off on purchasing specific items, such as expensive jackets or swimwear, etc., until the time of year when they’re needed, in case your child grows too much in the meantime. Label all items clearly with your youngster’s name so that they’re more likely to be returned to you if they get lost. Lastly, follow all cleaning and maintenance guidelines so that clothes wear well over the months ahead. 

If you follow all these tips, you should find that setting up your kids with school uniforms is less stressful and doesn’t cost you as much.