To wonder if middle class children appear more ‘scruffy'

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I Live in the UK and I am middle class.

Went to a Childs party today for an old school friends DD (they are incredibly middle class) and her group of mum friends (who are equally as middle class) but I couldn’t help but notice that all of the children looked... scruffy, for want of a better word.

None of them had brushed their hair, they were all in mismatched clothes with muck on their faces. Didn’t look bathed..

I feel awful saying it, but I notice this also with the MC children at the DC school, has anyone else noticed it? I’m just curious as to why this seems to be a thing?

Is it more of a privilege thing? Working class don't have much money so are weary of being judged as lazy by not doing children's hair? Is it that they also make an effort to dress children nicely so that they don't look like ‘the poor kid’ is it that if your middle class you don’t have that fear?

Absolutely happy to be told IABU and judgemental but I am genuinely curious on the subject.

Please only reply if you live in the UK and are middle class.

Thanks Hattie.

I am going to reply anyway

I am going to reply anyway even if I don’t live in the UK.....

i have thought about this topic a lot....and I think times have just changed. Just look up really old pics of kids over the years and you’ll see the drastic decline of what people where. Kinda like nobody really dressss up to fly anymore.....not as many people get dolled up for Easter or Christmas...as a if I was decked out head to toe in dress wear for all holdidays....most families now where jeans.

having 6 school aged kids and watching they and their peers wear is crazy. They all look like the cut up some jeans....grabbed a big shirt out of the laundry pile and threw on some dirty white vans and put their hair in a messy bun. Haha

I've noticed it too but tbh I

I've noticed it too but tbh I'm middle class and we are exactly like the people I described most of the time.

Same is true here in the States

I'm in the luxury fashion industry, so I really pay attention to these things. I live and work in an affluent neighborhood of a big city and the kids go to school looking like they are going to physical education class. I think the parents are letting the kids pick out their own clothes long before they should be able to.... And I think that people are just not taking as much pride in how they look and their kids are a reflection of that. It is especially bad out in the suburbs where I grew up, which is very middle class. It's basically just a lot of overweight people walking around in sweats, so I'm not surprised by how the kids look.

I only have one

I only have one thing to say here. LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS. That is all.

LOL

*yahoo* I agree.

Leggings, yoga pants, ripped

Leggings, yoga pants, ripped up jeans....that seems to be the MO in NYC.

If you don't mind me asking

If you don't mind me asking why should children not be able to pick some of their clothes?

For the same reason children

For the same reason children require oversight in many areas... Of course a 6-year-old is going to choose something that looks like a costume or possibly doesn't match or possibly looks unkempt or possibly isn't appropriate for the occasion; we're talking about kids. I think it took me until about 11 until my mom started letting me pick out what I wore to school... and that was after a lot of guidance from her, and she also had a career in fashion. I'm just offering this as one theory in answer to your question as to why middle class children aren't more put together. I honestly think the parents are giving them too much leeway too early.

But why does it matter if

But why does it matter if what a 6 year old is wearing looks like a costume or doesn't match??

I am British, middle class,

I am British, middle class, and no, I don't think middle class British kids look more scruffy, on the whole, than other kids. There is this stupid fashion for ripped jeans at the moment - what is that about? the holes get bigger with every wash - so maybe that's why they look dirty!

Having said that, when I first moved in with my DH, many years ago now, his daughters who were then 5 and 7, appeared every other weekend, in very expensive designer clothes, however, these clothes were all dirty and crumpled. I think NPD BM just bought new ones instead of using the washing machine - she could afford to because of the obscene amount of CS my DH paid her. I don't think the dirty clothes were a conscious fashion choice or anything - NPD BM is just lazy.

Hello,

Thank you for your response.

As I said I am middle class in the UK.

I don't buy my children or myself expensive designer clothes either. I let my 6 year old twin daughters go out with us in their Disney princess dresses. Do you think that this is unreasonable? I ask because people on her have said that it makes me lazy and I have had comments from people myself when I'm out and my daughter's are wearing them!!

No, I think it's fine to let

No, I think it's fine to let them go out in their Disney dresses if they want.

Yes it is.

Also would you let middle class children pick most of their clothes themselves?

It doesn't bother me that

It doesn't bother me that many British kids dress like homeless people.

What does is, the entitled and rude attitude so many teens, tweens and even toddlers have.

Seriously, WTF?!

Disgusting attitude, no manners and they look like something that rolled out of the washing basket...

I don't blame the kids when they probably have plonkers for parents.

Are you saying that middle

Are you saying that middle class UK parents are bad parents??

I confused by what people are

I confused by what people are calling "middle class" in both the US and the UK and why such a sweeping generalization is being made about how they dress.

I'm confused by why this

I'm confused by why this poster joined a stepparent site to post about clothes.

Yes, there's that, too.

I believe that this is just

I believe that this is just another indication of the decline of our society. For much of history clothing and hygiene (as it was) were indicators of social status. Dressing the part and dressing for success were contributors to upward mobility. Over time this has changed to the point that adopting the dress, mannerisms and appearance of poor hygiene is a goal for many who the gnash their teeth about not getting opportunities at advancement while complaining that how the dress, speak and look should not limit their opportunities.

Interstingly my SS's SpermIdiot is one of these people. His parents are firmly middle class yet the DipShitiot adopts the trappings of a hood rat. When we finally ended up in court to defend the attempt of the SpermClan to take custody of then 2yo SS from my wife the SleemIdiot showed up in court in a zoot suit with rubber banded golf ball sized puffs of hair all over his head.

The look on the Judges face was classic when he called the hearing to order. We spent all day in court with the parade of witnesses and presentation of evidence of all kinds of allegations.

At the end of the day the Judge let all of the excluded witnesses return to the court room the. For the 15mins prior to issuing his ruling he climbed the SpermIdiots ass for coming to court in his rediculous hair and clown suit. The Judge basically let the SpermIdiot know that if he wanted to be taken seriously he had to present himself seriously.

In my career I have been confronted a number of times for dressing inappropriately for my role as a plant maintenance and reliability leader. I dress in slacks and a collared shirt every day. I also spend time in the field on a daily basis. So, I keep coveralls and PPE hanging on the back of my office door and change before I head into the plant environment. As a Director I dress as a VP. I have had a few of my bosses get irritated with me for not wearing jeans and safety boots all day every day.

I dress for my clients and change for my internal responsibilities.

We never let SS leave the house if he was not dressed to our expectations. He could wear what he wanted to school (within reason) but had to be presentable if he was going into public with us.

Military school resolved this issue permanently. Uniforms end the slumming fashion look.

X

????

Full same.

This has got to be one of the

This has got to be one of the craziest threads I've read on ST.

And yes, allowing your kid to roam around in a Disney princess dress just because is NUTS. Those darn dresses are hot, itchy,cumbersome...

Why is it crazy to allow them

Why is it crazy to allow them to wear Disney princess dresses??

About 15 years ago, there was

About 15 years ago, there was a new chemical determined to be food safe that was added to many ready-made foods as a fat or sugar substitute, can't remember which. Basically, it helped bind food together better that regular fat/sugar, and was cheap as sh*t. It also helped keep foods moldable without breaking, and allowed topping to stick easier.

Eventually someone realized that it could also be added to fabric dyes to help prevent fabric from fraying as badly. It had the same effect on fibers, but also made them more prone to wrinkles, which is why wrinkle release fabric softeners became extra popular.

So does it surprise anyone that all these mothers over the years who ate all these products and fed it to their kids now have kids who are more attracted to dirt, and their hair folds weirdly? And that stains stick to their teeth? And their clothes are all wrinkled?

IT'S THE CHEMICALS! THE GOVERNMENT DID IT!

*blinks repeatedly and puts on tin foil hat*