Hi-Ho! Back to School We Go!

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23263, 4 February 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

Hi-Ho! Back to School We Go!

Says NIKI of PARIS (Copyright)

the summer session is a good opportunity to send little folk to school for the first time, have been interviewing teachers and conning every likely prospectus before making their choice. The first day at school is a big adventure for little i*;ople, and they are inclined to be a little self-conscious and shy. So it is a mother's duty to help them lace t the ordeal, // not only by A - —— taking them to and from y~ —X \ school for a ——-AJ ;'"Y. or two > but by seeing that her infant is suitably, clad for comfort and smartness in a way that will not arouse comment among over-critical little schoolmates. Rules to Follow At many primary schools ami kindergartens there is no regulation uniform, but certain rules must he followed in the matter of dress. For instance, the neater and more simple the little girls' and hovs' clothes, the easier they are to launder and the more immaculate tho child will appear. Fussiness is a feature to avoid in'school-going clothes. Little girls need never now be put into those straight up-and-down overall types of drosses usually associated with the garments supplied to orphanages of the last decade! For them there are all sorts of styles of frocks that are no worry to wash and that, if supplied with a row of buttons or a plastic fastener right down the front, may be laid out flat and are but the work' of a minute to iron. It is still the dirndl that is the little girl's favourite frock style. You will find she is determined to have a defined waistline, likes the full, simply gathered skirt because it allows plenty of room for running about, and is happy to wear a neatly, fitted bodice and .moclii

VES, kiddies, it's you we're talking about, for right at this moment and for the past week or two, mothers everywhere have been planning for your school 'requirements this year. .Therfit-aro - (some .wlio,-- realising ' that

Clothes for Little Folk Must Wash and Wear

fled puffed sleeves because they are on "mummy's" drosses. , . . ' Invariably the'small child dislikes wearing a "pinny," even if it is iust iu the class-room for clay modelling or playing about with paints. So disguise the idea if you can in some ingenious way. I've sketched a frock bound to please the fussiest little miss, because she will never guess its really practical purpose. The actual frock is sleeveless, lias a low V neckline, and is of a lively print that shows ".II the famous little gnomes of "Snow \\ hite and the Seven Dwarfs." fhe separate blouse is of cotton, crisp and white, and this means the two pieces'may be washed independently when only one is dirty. In shool-room or nursery it is always advisable to have somo knitted wooliies on hand. A cuddly, cosy cardigan that the youngster may pop on it the day turns' chilly will prevent you endless' bother and anxiety in having later to look after a little patient with a cold or sore throat.

Marking is just as important on the clothes and possessions of day scholars as for children hoarding at school. Gloves, hats, belts and school bags have a weird way of straying when "mummy" is not around to keep an eye on them.

The thing that amazes most mothers when assembling clothes lor the boarding-school-bound child, is the vast number of some garments required and the small number of others necessary according to the compulsory list in the prospectus. But 1 think you can rely on it- that these lists are generally scientifically and practically evolved to fit in with a laundry schedule and to prevent any youngster bringing more luggage than the school wardrobe and cupboard space can accommodate. Also if you follow the list explicitly your child will have reason to bless you tor not making her life difficult. There is nothing more trying (especially in one's first term) than clothes that are sot quite right.