A first time experience of London back to school stress

When I spent an afternoon at a uniform fitting in spring and tried to order everything from summer socks to knitwear for Big Girl, I felt super organised and happy about being ready for sending her off to school. But somehow this week has been all about getting her ready – again.

I’d left the shoes until now to ensure we bought the right size, but I hadn’t realised there would be few models to choose from since she’s not reached size 27/28. We still managed to find a pair of smart girls school shoes with Velcro fastening and a durable-looking sole from Papouelli, and Big Girl was excited about the choice as they appeared to fit Teddy too. Tick tick.

I then got worried we should have bought some special trainers for her sports kit, but later realised I’d completely misunderstood the brief.

The next day I was at Peter Jones in the midst of what can only be described as back to school madness. The area around the tills in the toy department was transformed with rows of tights, ankle socks and knee high socks in all the colours of the rainbow and excited looking parents on every corner. I picked up some tights for Big Girl to wear if the weather gets too cold, feeling content when it looked like I secured the last pairs in her size.

The only stress now is patiently waiting for the parts of the uniform that I decided to order in a smaller size on Thursday after realising she’s still drowning in some of the clothes. It’s true that she’s probably stretched over summer, but I think few go from three to eight in a few months. Note to self for next time!

Tags: Back to school, Papouelli, Peter Jones, School uniform, Shoes