The struggles of independent kids right? I feel ya, I FEEL ya! My first daughter was pretty easy and was happy with the clothes I picked out, but as she got older, she began to develop her own taste and this is where the struggle began.
It seems as you have more kids you get a little lazier about caring what they wear and this is definitely where I went wrong having multiple kids! ha
My girls seemed to be a little more picky than my boy, but sheesh, there aren't too many options for boys so polos and tees it was + pick your favorite color.
The girls on the other hand quit liking dresses, pink, and the way clothes fit. So, we had to make a compromise to get out the door on time each day + I picked up a few tricks along the way:
1. GIVE THEM OPTIONS:
If my kids are still in control of what they are wearing by having the ability to select an option curated by me, it's a win-win situation! I'm happy with what they are wearing and they are happy they got to choose.
So, pick a few outfits from their closet that you love and let them pick out which one they want to wear.
2. LAY IT OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE:
I don't know if you were ever like I was, but I love to pick my clothes the night before. It takes all of the closet digging out of my morning and saves me time.
When you do this with your kids, they go to bed already knowing what they plan to wear in the morning and there's no question about it + you can get out the door on time.
3. DON'T HAVE TOO MANY OPTIONS:
Last year I decided it was really time to simplify the kids' closets. They had too many clothes and were constantly telling me they didn't know what to wear or that they didn't have anything to wear.
When they have too many options hanging, they get overwhelmed and like me, my kids shut down.
They now have about five or six shirts each and a few pairs of shorts for summer + pants for winter. I stick with the solids because that's what they love and life is good!
4. MAKE A DEAL OR MAKE IT A RACE:
If your kids are anything like mine, they tend to get distracted and take WAY longer than necessary to do anything really, but especially get dressed. When they wake up some mornings, they don't emerge from their room for at least ten minutes! Now if you only have 30 minutes total to catch a bus, you just lost 1/3 of your time.
So, I made a deal with the older girls and turned it into a race with my younger two.
For my older two, they love to read so when they are all ready for school well before the bus is due to arrive, they get free time to read.
This has not only kept them from trying to read while eating cereal, but they are quickly realizing how to use their time more efficiently.
For the younger two we set a timer and make it a race. Whoever gets dressed and ready first gets to pick a book for me to read.
Doing this keeps my younger kids from really thinking about what they are wearing... you know, just in case they thought they wanted to change their mind!
Now, they get up + get dressed quick in the outfit we set out the night before no questions asked!
5. LET YOUR CHILD HELP YOU SHOP:
Kids are full of personality and along with that comes preferences. I have one daughter that loves to wear sporty clothes and another that loves her simple tee and jeans. I have a boy that loves basic tees + my four year old loves all things pretty!
When you let them help pick out the clothing they want to wear there is less risk of buying it and having it never get worn. I don' t know about you, but I hate it when my kids do this!
I'll buy them something and ask if they like it and they say yes, then months go by and they don't touch it + tell you later they never liked it.
The new thing in our house is if the pick it, they must wear it. Kids grow out of things so fast that I'd rather get the use out of the items than have them go to waste. They all have very different styles so not a lot gets passed from sibling to sibling.
Dressing kids is tricky sometimes, but I hope these tips help! They have sure helped me over the years and there's nothing I love more than when we have to get rid of something because it has been worn so much!
