Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Kids grow, and boy do they grow fast. What might fit perfectly one week, suspiciously seems too short or tight in only a couple of months. Pricey school shoes that fitted in September are now squeezing little toes, even though the assistant promised there’d be plenty of ‘wiggle room’ and even though in some states kids clothing’s is tax-free you can’t afford to buy little Rachel, or Brandon a whole new wardrobe each month.
Buy Gender Neutral Items
This way any current, or future siblings can wear a few hand me downs without anyone saying they’re wearing girls or boys clothes. Aim to buy baby gowns, or onesies in shades of cream, yellow or beige with cute gender-free animals or patterns on, staying away from anything that says ‘daddy’s little girl’ or ‘boys will be boys’ on it which immediately marks it out as a gender specific item. Any winter gear, rainwear, or pajamas can also be worn by different kids if it’s gender-free too.
Get The Next Size Up
There’s no point in buying a T-shirt aimed at 5 / 6 year-olds if your daughter’s already turned five. Before you know it, she’ll be complaining it’s too tight so look carefully at what you’re buying before you buy it. Everyday clothes need to be roughly the right size, although there’s no harm leaving a few months extra in as hems can be easily turned up and sleeves shortened. Party wear, coats or wellies should be bought in the next size up as they’ll be wearing them occasionally or seasonally and items like nightwear should definitely be roomy so they can move around freely while sleeping.
Don’t Fall For Fads
It’s fine to have a few branded items of clothing but if your child’s room or wardrobe is beginning to look like a Disney store it could be a problem. You see children are slightly fickle people, they claim they love something, only to pronounce five minutes later that ‘they’ve gone off that’ and are now into something else. Clothing companies, therefore, capitalize on this sentiment and so will produce as much merchandise as possible, to tie in with favorite kids movies and tv shows. You could buy yet another Queen Elsa cape for her birthday, but with Disney’s new Princess Moana, Frozen’s appeal may start to thaw. Instead, pick out pretty, colorful outfits like a cute mustard pie dress whose appeal will last far longer than a few months.
Look At Laundry Labels
It’s a fact of life even if kids are sitting reading, watching tv or just listening to music they’ll get messy. Children’s clothes are pretty hard wearing and are so are designed to get grubby. Short of buying a whole set of play clothes, a la The Sound Of Music, what can you do to keep certain clothes looking their best? For starters, weather proof any and all outdoor items like boots, shoes, mittens, then practice good clothes maintenance sewing up any rips or tears as soon as possible. Iron what only needs to be ironed and wash stained clothes immediately on a cold, or hot cycle as required.
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