Do you let your kids wear whatever they want to birthday parties? Tutus and costumes etc...

[Anonymous]

Mom of a 3.5 year old here. If you want to show up to my DD's birthday party in a costume, knock your socks off. I know damn well that trying to argue them out of an outfit is damn near impossible around this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to differ a little here. I think if a kidi is having a party that is not a costume party, and one guest shows up in a full Iron Man costume, that is going to make them the center of attention and is maybe not kind to the birthday child. I would discourage it for that reason. But, that said, if you have a child that is extremely rigid, and won't go out unless he's in his Iron Man costume, I would be understanding.

I don't think a tutu, or something like that, falls into the same category as a full costume. Same with kids that want to wear PJs to a party. NBD.

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mom of a 3.5 year old here. If you want to show up to my DD's birthday party in a costume, knock your socks off. I know damn well that trying to argue them out of an outfit is damn near impossible around this age.

A thousand times YES!! Frankly, if I try to take her panda, sunglasses, super hero cape or tutu away for any reason other than safety, then we will have WAY more problems than possibly appearing 'overdressed.'

Most of the time she shows up places in her hand-picked 'outfit', realizes she would rather play with her friends unencumbered and leaves me standing there with a pile of accessories. I don't mind. I like that she's so creative.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a lazy parent. Fewer rules was easier for us. So other than special events like Halloween or pajama day at preschool. the rule was that costumes and pj’s were for inside our house or out yard.

Replying to my own post to add that if you brought your kid to my house or my yard in a costume, or let my kid put on a costume at your house, I'd be fine with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still pick out my kids' clothes for them. So they wouldn't ever think to just ... put on a costume?

Wait have you had a 2 or 3 year old in your house yet? Both my kids at age 2 started to have massive opinions about what they'd wear!

Oh yes. My kids are 6 and 7.5. I just am really shallow and superficial when it comes to clothes. When the oldest started to care, I created a "clothing fairy" who came while she was sleeping and laid out her clothes for the next day. I still do this. My 7 yr old knows it's me, though I've never admitted it, and will sometime say "I hope the clothing fairy puts out my aqua dress for tomorrow because Elsa and I agreed to both wear aqua," or something. And if her request is reasonable (clean, weather appropriate, situationally appropriate) then I'll do it.

But I will totally keep doing this as long as I can. So far, neither kid cares what they wear for the most part. When I travel for work I have to tell DH to do it and I lay out each day's outfit in a drawer so it's easy for him.

Yes, I fully recognize how ridiculous this is. I will continue on despite that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still pick out my kids' clothes for them. So they wouldn't ever think to just ... put on a costume?

Wait have you had a 2 or 3 year old in your house yet? Both my kids at age 2 started to have massive opinions about what they'd wear!

Oh yes. My kids are 6 and 7.5. I just am really shallow and superficial when it comes to clothes. When the oldest started to care, I created a "clothing fairy" who came while she was sleeping and laid out her clothes for the next day. I still do this. My 7 yr old knows it's me, though I've never admitted it, and will sometime say "I hope the clothing fairy puts out my aqua dress for tomorrow because Elsa and I agreed to both wear aqua," or something. And if her request is reasonable (clean, weather appropriate, situationally appropriate) then I'll do it.

But I will totally keep doing this as long as I can. So far, neither kid cares what they wear for the most part. When I travel for work I have to tell DH to do it and I lay out each day's outfit in a drawer so it's easy for him.

Yes, I fully recognize how ridiculous this is. I will continue on despite that.

NP. I'll add to this that my 2.5 year old has very few clothes that she doesn't love, because she seemingly loves almost everything--ie this shirt is awesome because it has [animal] on it (that's half the t-shirts). This shirt is awesome because it is rainbow striped, this one because it is blue (or purple). This dress is fancy (literally all of them, because she thinks dresses=fancy). And on and on. She requests specific things from time to time, but accepts it if we say that is dirty we can't wear it today, how about this. My 4 year old niece is similar. Some kids are easy about clothes, and hard/opinionated about other things instead.

[Anonymous]

This was a battle I decided not to fight. My daughter showed up at a princess party with a Batgirl costume and to non-dress-up parties in princess costumes (she was never the only one). She wasn't allowed to wear costumes to preschool, but the rest of the time it just wasn't worth the fight. That stage only lasts a little while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to differ a little here. I think if a kidi is having a party that is not a costume party, and one guest shows up in a full Iron Man costume, that is going to make them the center of attention and is maybe not kind to the birthday child. I would discourage it for that reason. But, that said, if you have a child that is extremely rigid, and won't go out unless he's in his Iron Man costume, I would be understanding.

I don't think a tutu, or something like that, falls into the same category as a full costume. Same with kids that want to wear PJs to a party. NBD.

Agree. It may distract from the birthday child and cause tension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was a battle I decided not to fight. My daughter showed up at a princess party with a Batgirl costume and to non-dress-up parties in princess costumes (she was never the only one). She wasn't allowed to wear costumes to preschool, but the rest of the time it just wasn't worth the fight. That stage only lasts a little while.

+1
WTF cares about “attention”? Sounds like some of the other moms are projecting ! I remember in preschool, during Holiday songs, one mom was triggered by someone else’s child wearing a cute Santa dress. Get a life woman.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but she wears what she wants.

Most days it’s leggings and a t shirt, but as of late she wants dresses, and on occasion, a tutu.

This is toddler / preschooler fashion sense, and I’m not about to talk her out of it. In my mind, what other occasion is there to wear a tutu, other than a birthday party? This is especially as she’s 2.5. As a professional, I’d love to wear a tutu now and again, but I just can’t find the appropriate setting.

I’m confused by this post a little. Can we not let children be children, without setting all kinds of rules on them?

I get it. Family funeral? Yep... nice clothes and pinned down hair.

Birthday party for a peer? Let you remember freak flag fly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still pick out my kids' clothes for them. So they wouldn't ever think to just ... put on a costume?

Wait have you had a 2 or 3 year old in your house yet? Both my kids at age 2 started to have massive opinions about what they'd wear!

New poster. My sons are 3 and 4 and they have zero opinions on what they wear. They have favorite shirts, but no demands or fussing. I dress them every day and they’ll ask what’s on the shirt but they don’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to differ a little here. I think if a kidi is having a party that is not a costume party, and one guest shows up in a full Iron Man costume, that is going to make them the center of attention and is maybe not kind to the birthday child. I would discourage it for that reason. But, that said, if you have a child that is extremely rigid, and won't go out unless he's in his Iron Man costume, I would be understanding.

I don't think a tutu, or something like that, falls into the same category as a full costume. Same with kids that want to wear PJs to a party. NBD.

This. Don't let your kid wear the Elsa dress and make all the other little girls jealous when it's not a princess party.

+1. This. My daughter would be upset if someone is wearing Elsa’s dress abs she’s not. Even worse if she’s the birthday girl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still pick out my kids' clothes for them. So they wouldn't ever think to just ... put on a costume?

Wait have you had a 2 or 3 year old in your house yet? Both my kids at age 2 started to have massive opinions about what they'd wear!

Oh yes. My kids are 6 and 7.5. I just am really shallow and superficial when it comes to clothes. When the oldest started to care, I created a "clothing fairy" who came while she was sleeping and laid out her clothes for the next day. I still do this. My 7 yr old knows it's me, though I've never admitted it, and will sometime say "I hope the clothing fairy puts out my aqua dress for tomorrow because Elsa and I agreed to both wear aqua," or something. And if her request is reasonable (clean, weather appropriate, situationally appropriate) then I'll do it.

But I will totally keep doing this as long as I can. So far, neither kid cares what they wear for the most part. When I travel for work I have to tell DH to do it and I lay out each day's outfit in a drawer so it's easy for him.

Yes, I fully recognize how ridiculous this is. I will continue on despite that.

I do the same. My dd is 4. Clothing is laid out the week before and she had to wear it. I put it in the bathroom the night before and because we get dressed there there aren’t any other options in the bathroom. My second is still little so we’ll see if he lets me do this too. My first is incredibly stubborn too. (Wonder where she gets it from?! I often repeat in my head that my will is stronger than hers)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to differ a little here. I think if a kidi is having a party that is not a costume party, and one guest shows up in a full Iron Man costume, that is going to make them the center of attention and is maybe not kind to the birthday child. I would discourage it for that reason. But, that said, if you have a child that is extremely rigid, and won't go out unless he's in his Iron Man costume, I would be understanding.

I don't think a tutu, or something like that, falls into the same category as a full costume. Same with kids that want to wear PJs to a party. NBD.

This. Don't let your kid wear the Elsa dress and make all the other little girls jealous when it's not a princess party.

+1. This. My daughter would be upset if someone is wearing Elsa’s dress abs she’s not. Even worse if she’s the birthday girl.

Yeah I just wouldn’t want to ruin the birthday girls party. I know how much they all like dressing up at 3/4 so I wouldn’t want to upset the birthday girl. And apart from what other parents are saying, I see kids dressed in cute clothes at play dates and birthday parties. And we’ve been to 9 3 year old parties so far this year!