Dressing kids

jrandall

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 16, 2015
So why am I stressing so much about packing outfits for each day & wanting to somewhat coordinate? I have 3 kids (2 girls & 1 boy). We have PLENTY of clothes already and I did buy things but am not really into the matching outfits. But now that my trip is a week away I'm trying to pack & getting all flustered about which outfit on which day & if they are coordinated. Thinking I may need to get a few more things! Then trying to plan shoes, hair things,back up outfits. I know an hour into the park they will probably need to change because their original outfit got ruined somehow but I still want it all to be perfect! Gone are the days I would just pack 5 outfits for 5 days of vacation. Things are getting so complicated but I can't help myself!! haha! Does anyone else go nuts over thinking these things?
 
I used to until one day when my husband suggested that I take up drinking. I thought he was kidding, but when I sat down at the dinner table there was a beer in my place. I realized then that I really needed to chill out.
haha! Yes, it's weird because I wasn't concerned at all then all of a sudden I get crazy ideas to "plan" things!
 
haha! Yes, it's weird because I wasn't concerned at all then all of a sudden I get crazy ideas to "plan" things!
Not having coordinating outfits won't ruin your vacation, but stressing yourself (and your family) out might.

Think about your happiest memory from childhood. Was your outfit perfectly coordinated? Do you even remember what you were wearing?
 
Oh I know. I don't think anyone will care but me! I used to be really uptight about clothing for special events then having 2 more babies I started to chill out and relax. I think it is that instinct creeping back in with all this planning!
 
I laughed at myself at Easter this year. When my girls were little they were all decked out for Easter with coordinating dresses, tights, shoes, hair accessories, hats and gloves....this year I threw the boys in some jeans that didn't have holes in them and some button ups from the closet and had my girls wear whatever....they barely looked like they had their hair brushed. LOL Difference between 2 and 4 kids I suppose ;)
I did probably overthink our Disney outfits but I only brought one extra outfit for each of us, and I planned on us wearing the same shorts a few times to cut back on luggage. My favorite thing for my girls ended up being sundresses, which was also their favorite.
 
My oldest is 8 and she is loving those flowing sundresses this year so I'm packing a few. I'm thinking those are going to be her favorite to wear! I never would have thought to bring those but she loves them & they do look comfortable!
 


:-) LOL, I am in the middle of this right now, as we leave on the 9th. Having an outfit for each kid to coordinate with that days park (but not with each other--thats too hard, LOL), and a couple extra as back ups--plus matching socks, undies, hair things...add in bathing suits, underwear, Disney pjs.....yeah, its a bit of work that I actually enjoy
 
Ok, one trip I got out all my scrapping stuff to be sure that we had clothes that would look good with the pages I planned to do.....yep over the top but we did look good. I would plan and organize now and then let it go. Get everything washed and all together and lay out everything for one day for everyone at one time...maybe on a large bed. Pack every thing for everyone in one of the huge plastic storage bag and label for each day. There will be some things you will need every day (shoes, jackets), but for the most part you can just grab each bag, each day and you are set to go. Add EVERYTHING.....underwear, hair bows etc. I would not try to worry too much about back up clothes. Stuff is going to happen and its ok. Never carried extra clothes past potty training stage.
 
In 2012, we had shirts I made for each day of a 10 day trip, plus a couple of special outfits for my daughter. In 2013, other than a twirl skirt and tank top with sparkles for my daughter’s BBB makeover, they wore their regular summer clothes, most of which came from Wal-Mart and Children’s Place on clearance. Clothes didn’t make either trip. If it wasn’t Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Pirate’s League, it didn’t really make a difference. I like a balance. In 2014, I had what they needed for BBB and Pirate’s League and a few things I got on Etsy that they could wear later (and still do wear) but for the most part they wore regular clothes. It’s fun to have that stuff; but in 2012, my daughter and I just went nuts going through the design forum and between the transfer paper, the shirts and the ink for the printer, it was nuts. Plus I was ironing for days. Then a tropical storm hit Disney and most of the shirts got ruined. That cured me.
Their summer clothes are always cute and comfortable; so generally unless my daughter has something particular she wants to wear I might try to coordinate colors like here in 2013.



We're to the point now we're just happy if we get there.
 
We are going in November. I'll take my DD's Disney and Marvel T-shirts and then make sure the bottoms (Leggings, skorts and shorts) don't clash colour wise. Throw a nightie or two, a bathing suit, sock & Undies and I'm done. She'll wear the heavy clothes on the flight down as we will be coming from Canada.
 
Lol! I get this. I tried and then my daughter refused to wear anything that wasn't a princess dress. Not much matches those :-) my 8 yo had pretty strong opinions too. So not the fight I chose to fight. All my cute outfits came home clean
 
I have 2 boys. I pack about 5-6 tshirts (usually I pull out the Disney ones if we have them, DS9 doesn't wear them anymore) and athletic shorts (blue, black, red, navy). Socks, undies, pjs, swim suit. Done. We do laundry there (DVC). Unless I know we have a nice dinner/activity planned, I don't pack anything nicer. My kids could care less and I really don't care if we match the park or coordinate.
We go so often that I have it down to a science and can pack us all in about an hour for a week's trip in 2 suitcases.
 
matching or coordinating outfits will not last in the parks unless you bring 4 to 6 per child per day. because no sooner than you get everyone matching and something will get spilled on someone and you have to start all over. plus as kids get older they want to wear what they want. with my grandkids even the 6 year old has to have what he wants to wear which is usually not what is planned for him. if you want matching or themed outfits for meal I would bring nd put on as you are going to that meal. makes a lot less stressful for you and the family
 
When we went in 2011 I made Mickey shirts for all 7 of the family members in bright colors for our first park day. We looked great but my little guy had reflux issues then and spit up on his before we even got out of the door of the hotel room. It was definitely not usable. I was disappointed that he would look mismatched in pictures for his first trip. I put him in a back-up bright yellow Donald Duck shirt and we carried on. We met Donald that day and had the best interaction with him teasingly favoring DS and snubbing the rest of us showing us that he was number 1, not Mickey. It was so cute and fun and I am so glad now that it worked out that way. My advice is match if you want but be prepared for messes and go with the flow.
 
You know you and your kids best! If she wants to wear sundresses, PERFECT is my response :) I went to Claire's before our trip and they had some glittery headbands that I would put in (I braided their hair a few days just because it looked more put together that way, long day in the parks with no brushes can be brutal on kid and adult hair alike ;) ). I really wouldn't overthink it though. I will say we packed extra clothes and used none of them, in fact the day before we left was colder than we expected so we ended up not wearing our outfits for that day and wore what we had on the first day because it was the only warmer clothes we had with (but that was with a February trip).
My girls gladly wore what I set out for them, they actually were less concerned about their outfits at Disney than they ever are at home. I did let them help pack though (which means I held up two outfits and said 'this' or 'this' ;) a few times).
 
I only have (and will only ever have!) one daughter, and our trip is coming up next week. She has no siblings with whom to coordinate, so I just packed the clothes from last summer that still fit. She will only wear dresses, for the most part, so she will probably wear a sundress and sandals every day, which is easy. I did buy her an Elsa t-shirt with attached tutu skirt for our first MK day and a princess t-shirt for another day, but if she doesn't want to wear them, no sweat.

What I'm getting out of this thread is that I'm lazy.
 

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