I find the cost of the uniform cheap in comparison to buying clothes, as they want to look good and be fashionable like most of the other kids.

It cost us around 250 dollars to get the uniform for my daughter, and I will have to buy a jacket at 80 dollars and shoes for winter later on, but I still prefer uniform anyday.(you only get a subsidy if you are on welfare).

Funny thing today my daughter has mufti day, where she can wear her own clothes, etc, she choose to wear something very sensible, Nice jeans, top and long sleeved knit jacket, hairband, some jewellery, necklace, ring and braclet and earings, and when I asked if she wanted to wear some lip gloss or paint her nails, she said No, Interesting, as she normally likes to wear a little of these things when we go out somewhere special.I was very pleased with her choice of suitable clothing , it was not at all provocative in anyway.(not that she has many of those type of clothing , but half-tops are the fashion here, and many wear them.

I find it so hard to believe that kids can wear what they do at some of the schools in the states(just going by what some young PT people have said) parents just would not stand for it here, I know there are a few schools in NZ who do allow stuff like that, but few and far between.

To me school uniform stops competition, and let's face it the young girls are right into their fashion these day's, which is not all-over a bad thing, and its pretty hard to tell who is rich and who is poor, my daughter has a second hand skirt, and you cannot tell, it looks like brand new. This is the first year she has had uniform, and I for one am very glad.,it also means I can just buy her cool clothes for after school and going out, and not have to worry is it going to wear well etc etc, great burden lifted off my shoulders.

As for getting married young, my niece and her husband were 19 and 20 when they married, and my sister was only 19 too, and my mother 18, me I waited until 24 then 34 lol, personally I hope both my children wait until they are at least 28 or so, I want them to travel the world and have lots of fun before settling down.