Do you let your kids...

[kacaju]

I am one who really didn't care. My girls are 16, 13 and 9. The 9 year old still needs a little help with matching (she loves plaid) but honestly, when they were little as long as it was clean they could wear what they wanted. Of course certain times (church, going out with the family) yes I would make sure they were dressed nice. But seriously, if I was out during the week running errands they could wear pretty much what they wanted.
If they were dressed *clown like* who cares? If I found you looking at us I would have likely said in a loud voice *Susie, Mommy is so proud that you were able to get dressed ALL BY YOURSELF today*

My girls loved Wizard of Oz, I made them Dorothy costumes for Halloween one year, they wore those dresses ALL the time. We even had the red ruby shoes from Target. The old ladies in the grocery stores LOVED seeing my girls dressed up.

I never saw the harm in it. On the other hand my SIL refused to let my niece wear dresses most of the time. I have no idea why, other then she was afraid the other kids would see dniece underwear at Pre School. I tried many times to suggest she buy legging to let her wear under the dress but SIL would not let her. This poor kid had to wait until she came home (and had to ask if they were going back out, just so she could put a dress on)

I thought that was really sad... but, to each their own.

 

[tonilea]

I feel like how my family looks is a direct reflection on my. DH would wear wrinkled shirts out of the ironing basket and not care, but it drives me nuts! Though he is significantly better about this now (we are about to celebrate 21 years - it took a while! lol )

DS is only five, so most of the time he doesn't have much of an opinion. He just goes with the flow.

Later, I can see his clothing choices might be a problem and I think I will stick to clean, age appropriate, and no "gangster style" clothing. We will have to see. Hopefully, I have a few years to work out all the details.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Do you let your kids... wear whatever they want?

I always tried to work with them on finding things they liked to wear, but I did insist that they were reasonable, lol.

I don't mean do you force them to wear dresses if they hate them or jeans if they are uncomfortable.

No, I wouldn't do that.

I mean do you at least insist that their clothes match and look neat?

Yes

They're almost 12 and they're doing a good job picking out clothes on their own now. DS's clothes are pretty straighforward. DD just needs a little help with matching what goes together as far as styles go (eg sweatpants w/ dressy shirt would be out), but w/ colors and patterns, etc, she's pretty good.

 

[cruisnfamily]

I was asking because I know someone who's child literally looks like Ringling Brothers threw up on them every single day. Now I don't care what anyone does but the Mom lets her dress this way because she just can't say no to her. Let me just say that the not saying no thing carries over into everything else as well.
I was curious what others do because IMO teaching children to dress properly (no ripped clothes, no butts hanging out, looking neat and matching etc.) teaches them to take pride in themselves. Now I am not saying a child cannot express themselves and of course if on occassion they really want to wear something that the parent may not love that is one thing. But every single day? I just find it odd. None of my business of course, but I do find it odd.

How old is the child?

 

[ReneeA]

DS wears whatever I pick out for him normally. Lately, he's been picking out his own clothing in the mornings (he just turned 8 last week). He favors jeans and long sleeve tees - that's fine for school most days, so I'm fine with it.

DD6 is a different story. She likes to pick out her own clothes and does okay with it most of the time. She's that child that insists on going shopping with me and will not wear what she does not like. She does try to wear some colors and prints that don't match at times, but I try to be in her room with her when she's putting her outfit together so I can lead her down the matching path. She has much different taste in clothing than I do, so we aren't ever going to see 100% eye-to-eye on it. Pink sequined tops with low rider jeans aren't at the top of my list, but they make her happy so I just go with it. I just make sure that everything that should be covered is - we do lots and lots of layering with long tanks under all her shirts.

 

[Sorsha]

I am extremely picky about how my kids look when they leave the house. It is a reflection on me and my family, and I will not have them wandering around in clothes that don't match, or don't go together, or are seasonally inappropriate. Example: at the library yesterday, a mother and her daughter, 8 years old or so: The mother was dressed very fashionably, in clothes that looked as though they were well made, and better-than-Walmart-quality. The daughter was wearing a dressy velveteen jumper in bright pink, over a red and green plaid button up shirt, with navy blue sweatpants underneath to complete the outfit... with sporty socks and black patent dress shoes.

I pick all of DD6's clothing. She can help me choose, and as long as she what she wants to wear matches, I will usually go along with it. All of her clothes are hung as outfits (she owns mostly Gymboree) and we do NOT mix and match unless it can be done within the same Gymbo line, or unless it really and truely matches. She usually doesn't care, and would rather I pick.

DD9 is allowed to choose her own clothes, but with my approval. She knows that things absolutely must match. Some things are hung as outfits, some are not. DD9 is VERY picky about her clothes, and I usually don't have to worry about her choices. However, her pickiness makes it almost hard to shop for her; no turtlenecks, no tight jeans, no jeans with adjustable waists, nothing scratchy, no zippers in shirts, etc. Clothes have to FEEL just right.

DD15 is completely in charge of choosing her own clothes, but I reserve the right to say NO WAY and send her back to change if things are wildly inappropriate. After being "trained" for 15 years, she is pretty good about choosing things that match and are appropriate. She is a tomboy, and hates dresses and nylons, so she doesn't have to wear them unless its a semi-formal or formal occasion. She loves funky socks and fun accessories.

So yeah, I guess I am a mean mommy when it comes to their clothes.

 

[nmmom95]

DS11 and DS6 wear uniforms to school, but I pretty much tell them what to wear when we go out. I do give them a choice of outfit A or B, but I make sure they match. DS11 would wear his Flyers jersey everywhere if I let him!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

On the weekend I couldn't care less what they chose to wear. Bring on the florals and the stripes!!! On school days (or if we have someplace nice to be) I nudge them toward outfits that look decent. They always have to wear something that is appropriate for the weather and I always reserve veto power.

This about sums up my home as well. DD is 9. Uniforms during the week and the appropriate sports gear for sports but otherwise, I let her have carte blanche on the weekends. And yes, those fabulous teal boots from Justice match everything mom!

 

[2girlsmom]

DD's (9 and 11) are allowed to wear what they want but I have veto power, both at the store and in the morning. Generally to save time I will pull out a couple of shirt/jeans or outfit options, and then they will decide which they want, if they don't want anything I picked then they can put those away and get something else, as long as it matches generally and is weather appropriate. Now when they were little they would have issues with matching things, but its been a couple years at least since they tried to pair things that clashed. However, they both have fairly bohemian taste in clothing, at the stores we have sometimes had to discuss whether a silky pink green orange and purple paisley skirt and a red t shirt would really be a cool outfit etc. Usually I can talk them down from the edge, lol. As long as it is within the parameters, they can pick what they want, ie they could get both the skirt and the shirt but not to wear together... to use with different outfits perhaps.

 

[love2disney]

DS6 and I do this every season. At the start of it we both clean up his closet. Put in weather appropriate clothes. With boys its easy. He has 5 school pants [ a combination of jeans, khakis] and then he has 10 school t shirts. That is what he can choose from for school. evening he has 3 karate outfits which he can choose what to wear.

Then all the party wear, too nice for school wear is another part of the closet and we usually confer when he wants to choose what he wears for a friends party. Any family party, office party I choose for him and he usually agrees.

We have a weather station in my kitchen so anything below 50 means spring jacket and anything below 40 is winter jacket. He checks the temperature and That is not negotiable. He has asthma so I wont budge on jackets.