Let me just start by asking WHY on earth people spend any more money than is absolutely necessary on their kids clothing?
My girls go to school 5 days a week for 5 hours a day. Their usual outfit is tights and a t-shirt with flip flops. Their hair is brushed, but not always tied up (despite my best efforts – but seriously, there aren’t enough hours in the day to fight about a pony tail vs Elsa plait!).
When I collect them their shoes are in their bags, their hair is disheveled, their clothes are filthy, sometimes covered in paint, and at least once every couple of weeks their tights have a hole in them.
Nevermind the rough play at school, they take it in turns to have massive growth spurts. At the beginning of this last winter (May) my eldest was wearing age size 4-5. I just bought her some new stuff this past weekend (6 months later) and she’s age size 6-7!
As a consequence of this I point blank refuse to spend any more money than I absolutely have to on their clothing.
My husband was annoyed the other day because we went to Spur (family restaurant) and at least two other girls in there were wearing the same clothes as ours!
Why?
Because It’s value for money to buy from that particular store.
There are only a handful of stores that I buy my kids everyday clothes from. Ackerman, Jet, Pep and Mr Price. (All SA stores, but the equivalent of Tescos, Asda and New Look in the U.K.) Sometimes I will stretch to Woolworths clothes if there is a Special Occassion, and if it’s for a wedding or something extra special then Edgars.
In August I splashed out and got them each a two-pack of tights from Edgars. My husband dressed the kids while I was out quick, by the time I saw them, my youngest put a hole in the knee of the tights … within 15 minutes! I may as well have just thrown the money in the bin! He gets it now!
It’s infuriating, but they are kids. I can’t expect them to sit on the step and watch other kids be kids just so they don’t dirty their clothes. That’s not fair to them either. Besides, they don’t know the difference between one shop and the other. And I’m certainly not about to teach them fashion brand awareness at ages 3 and 5!
My motto when it comes to kids clothes: if it’s functional, practical, affordable and durable it works for me!
Their motto, if it’s got Dora / Tinkerbell / Doc Mcstuffins / Frozen / My Little Pony / Barbie on it, it’s good enough for them!
Over here, and I guess in the US as well, its all about peer pressure. Your time will come!
The other kids have *insert brand name here* so they need it to stay cool. And because you have 2 girls it will be worse! We only had one and so it wasn’t so bad.
Its just how the world works… It was exactly the same when we were in school!
I know. Long may their innocence and naïveté last.
Your kids may not follow the flow. Maybe you could even give them a nudge as they grow older that it doesn’t matter.