Young children often like to express their curiosity and creativity by picking out their own clothing. Many parents worry that their children should look presentable in front of teachers and classmates, but this actually a part of their growth process and plays an essential role in discovering their own personality. While it’s important to work with children and remind them when there are rules to follow, this is a place to let them explore and have some control over what they do. The more choices you can offer at an early age, the less resistant your child will be in the future when faced with following guidelines.
Shoes and Boots
Many children go through phases where they only want to wear a certain pair of shoes, sneakers or boots every day. This is perfectly normal and in fact, some children insist on wearing mismatched shoes. Be patient with your child and know that they will grow out of this phase. What’s helpful is to perhaps purchase several pairs of the “favorites” so you have some backups for health and cleanliness reasons. It’s best to swap them out when your child is sleeping or out of the house, so they don’t realize you have extra’s of their “favorite” footwear. Sooner or later they will tire of that particular choice, but in the meantime just make sure they aren’t outgrowing them!
Costumes
Ask any early childhood educator and they will confirm that certain children go through phases when only a costume or princess dress will do. While most parents and childhood centers offer “dress-up” corners, sometimes children want to wear that favorite costume several days in a row. As long as the teacher welcomes it, there is no harm in having Batman or a princess in class!
When the Outfit Doesn’t Match the Weather
For some reason, many children resist wearing a coat or other weather appropriate wardrobe items. Certainly very young children are not able to make a decision on what is right to wear for the temperature, but as children get older they will start to make choices that you as a parent may not agree with. It’s ok if a child wants to wear shorts on a chilly day or no coat when it’s windy, since sooner or later they will learn what to wear to be comfortable on any given day.
It’s always rewarding as a parent to see your child develop their own sense of style. As they get older, they will enjoy looking back at some of their wardrobe choices and will often say “I can’t believe you let me wear that!”
