13 YO DS refuses to wear pants without drawstrings!

[Anonymous]

Not sure about bigger sizes as my son is 4, but Zara has “jogger” pants each fall in some dressier fabrics for the 2-6yr old set.

Maybe you could invent the teen boy version of Beta Brand dress yoga pants and become a millionaire.

[Anonymous]

Even in the dark ages when I was a kid, we had chinos, khakis and dockers with elastic waistbands that were not uncomfortable like many dress clothes are. When I was in high school and college, I started moving to one size larger for pants and wearing suspenders. I got tons of interesting suspenders and got many nice comments about them. Just some alternatives to make less comfortable clothing easier to wear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a child with "legitimate" special needs, here are my tips:
-Under armor makes golf pants that feel more like sweat pants
- does he have a scout uniform he likes- my son will wear his Cub Scout uniform to special events and is the self-appointed honor guard. This probably works better for younger kids, but if there are military members attending the event it is cute

And for those rude PPs I hope you have no spandex or flexibility in any of your work clothes that you are so harsh.

Um -- I work in a business formal, suit every day environment and no I don't have an spandex or elastic in my work clothing!?

Really? Do you wear women's clothes or men's clothes? A lot of women's business clothes have spandex these days.

Yeah, for some reason that “I was poured into this stretchy suit” look is really popular in some quarters. However, it’s quite possible to find women’s suits and other professional attire without spandex.

There are also spandex-containing women's business clothes that don't look like a person was poured into them. And they're much more comfortable -- because spandex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a problem you have contributed to creating, OP, and now it’s going to be a lot more unpleasant to resolve than if you’d been insisting on appropriate dress all along.

Part of life is being uncomfortable. We wear pants, shoes, ties, nylons, etc because the occasion calls for it, not because they feel good. If you let him wear athletic clothes every waking moment, he will have a more difficult time sucking it up for events that require a higher degree of formality (like his uncle’s wedding). Start small - tell him Tuesdays (or whenever) are days he must dress appropriately for shool. Or start with family dinners at restaurants. But start somewhere and teach him to cope with real clothes before it’s too late and do it at times when there isn’t so much (like a wedding) at stake.

Disclaimer: my kids don’t wear athletic clothes to school. I wouldn’t allow it and never have. They all wear athletic clothes for actual athletics and to relax in at home. But when they go to school or out to dinner, etc, they wear what we call “real clothes.” It works because we started when they were young and never wavered; it was a fight ever so briefly in the upper elementary/lower ms grades for those who went to a school without a dress code, but it passed.

Alternative: find some pants that meet both the parent's requirement (dress pants) and the kid's requirement (drawstring). Win-win.

(I haven't worn nylons in 18 years. One of the great advances of modern society is that it's no longer expected for women to wear nylons.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a problem you have contributed to creating, OP, and now it’s going to be a lot more unpleasant to resolve than if you’d been insisting on appropriate dress all along.

Part of life is being uncomfortable. We wear pants, shoes, ties, nylons, etc because the occasion calls for it, not because they feel good. If you let him wear athletic clothes every waking moment, he will have a more difficult time sucking it up for events that require a higher degree of formality (like his uncle’s wedding). Start small - tell him Tuesdays (or whenever) are days he must dress appropriately for shool. Or start with family dinners at restaurants. But start somewhere and teach him to cope with real clothes before it’s too late and do it at times when there isn’t so much (like a wedding) at stake.

Disclaimer: my kids don’t wear athletic clothes to school. I wouldn’t allow it and never have. They all wear athletic clothes for actual athletics and to relax in at home. But when they go to school or out to dinner, etc, they wear what we call “real clothes.” It works because we started when they were young and never wavered; it was a fight ever so briefly in the upper elementary/lower ms grades for those who went to a school without a dress code, but it passed.

Alternative: find some pants that meet both the parent's requirement (dress pants) and the kid's requirement (drawstring). Win-win.

(I haven't worn nylons in 18 years. One of the great advances of modern society is that it's no longer expected for women to wear nylons.)

We obviously don’t work in the same field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our boys dress casually every day, usually athletic shorts or joggers. However, they know when we say khakis, dress pants, collared shirt, jacket and tie, etc. that there is no discussion because there is a reason. OP you need to let him know under no certain terms there are certain events where he will dress up. Let him help pick the stuff out, but he is wearing it. And yes, if he did not go to the wedding, major consequences. That should not have even been offered as an option.

This is what I would & do say. Unless there are some sensory issues with your child, he's old enough to understand sucking it up for a few hours. I know it's not his favorite, and I know adults who are so similar (my sister's SIL took off her bridesmaid dress BEFORE the cocktail hour started) but such is life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We obviously don’t work in the same field.

In what field is it still expected for women to wear nylons?

[Anonymous]

We have all had power struggles with our kids about the non-athletic clothes during formal occasions. That is just one of those battles worth fighting. It is not appropriate. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We obviously don’t work in the same field.

In what field is it still expected for women to wear nylons?

Maybe PP is a flight attendant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have all had power struggles with our kids about the non-athletic clothes during formal occasions. That is just one of those battles worth fighting. It is not appropriate. Period.

OP, is this new for your son? Did you talk to him about expectations for attending his uncle's wedding?

I have kids who would live in sweats or shorts if they could, and I know it's going to be an issue when we go somewhere that requires nicer clothes. I give us all a solid month to figure out what will fit, what will be reasonably comfortable, and what will be appropriate. I'm willing to take a kid shopping as many places as necessary to find something they like, but they do need to get out of the elastic waist for certain events, so if they're done shopping, they need to commit to wearing something I deem acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We obviously don’t work in the same field.

In what field is it still expected for women to wear nylons?

Litigation/appeals. I know many law offices have relaxed their standards, but that doesn’t mean courts have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a problem you have contributed to creating, OP, and now it’s going to be a lot more unpleasant to resolve than if you’d been insisting on appropriate dress all along.

Part of life is being uncomfortable. We wear pants, shoes, ties, nylons, etc because the occasion calls for it, not because they feel good. If you let him wear athletic clothes every waking moment, he will have a more difficult time sucking it up for events that require a higher degree of formality (like his uncle’s wedding). Start small - tell him Tuesdays (or whenever) are days he must dress appropriately for shool. Or start with family dinners at restaurants. But start somewhere and teach him to cope with real clothes before it’s too late and do it at times when there isn’t so much (like a wedding) at stake.

Disclaimer: my kids don’t wear athletic clothes to school. I wouldn’t allow it and never have. They all wear athletic clothes for actual athletics and to relax in at home. But when they go to school or out to dinner, etc, they wear what we call “real clothes.” It works because we started when they were young and never wavered; it was a fight ever so briefly in the upper elementary/lower ms grades for those who went to a school without a dress code, but it passed.

+1000. What school do your kids go to? Because my son seems to be the *only* one at all of Pyle MS who wears real clothes. I find this trend very bizarre, but then again maybe this is going to be a turning point in the history of fashion.