Can you imagine a one-year-old refusing to wear an outfit you selected? Well, that’s exactly what our daughter did when she didn’t want to wear what we picked out for her, and her little brother is no different. The constant tug of war has got me wondering if we should just give in and let these little kids pick out their own clothes.
Take this ensemble for example. Princess was about 18-months old when my husband’s co-worker bought it. It may seems like she’s happy to be wearing it, but the drama that took place that morning was exhausting.
I actually remember having this conversation with another parent a while back. I confessed about the ongoing struggle I had with getting Princess dressed in the morning. This particular mom said that she didn’t give her kids the choice. They basically wore whatever she picked out.
Well, that wasn’t the case in our home. If Princess and O don’t like it, they’ll kick, scream and wake up the whole neighborhood until they have their way. While some may call us pushovers, I’d like to refer to it as “picking our battles.”
Let’s face it; if we have to be some place at a certain time, there’s no need fighting with them over clothing. Moreover, I remember when I was a little kid and my mom insisting that wear thermal undergarment tops as regular clothing. I hated it! My classmates made fun of me and said that I was wearing pajamas and they were right. It was like a nightmare come true!
But in my moms defense, she had no idea. Being from the islands she didn’t know the difference. She figured the thermal fabric would keep me warm. In retrospect, it’s actually funny how thermal clothing is now often worn as regular clothes these days. I guess when you think about, my mom was way ahead of the fashion trend.
My mom and her fashion sense aside, I’d rather not put my kids through the torture I went through as a child. But don’t get me wrong. There are hard limits, like when Princess wants to wear shorts sleeves and it’s below zero outside or O wanting to wear his favorite gray sweatshirt in 80+ degree heat. In those instances, having them choose what to wear isn’t up for debate.
However, if O insists on wearing the same shirt a few times in one week, we’ll allow it providing that it’s clean.
If you ask me whether or not parents should allow little kids to pick out their own clothes, I’d have to say yes (within reason). Our kids have developed a sense of style, why not let them explore it?
Recently, my husband decided to take O shopping so that he can pick out his own clothes. At first I thought it was a bit much. But it turned out to be a great decision. O was super excited to pick out his own outfits. The excitement in his face said it all. It’s obvious that it gave him a sense of confidence, proving that when you look good you feel good too.
So what do you think? Should little kids be allowed to pick out their own clothes?