I’m not big on fashion, so I guess it makes sense that I don’t ‘get’ why people would spend the amounts they do on baby clothes. That’s easy for me, I suppose, because my children dress pretty well – seriously, if I got as many compliments on how I look as I get on how they look, I’d probably have a much better fashion-self-image! My children dress well second hand, or affordable, however.
I buy second hand, I buy on sale, and I buy bargain bin stuff, because I like them to be well dressed, but I certainly cant, and don’t want to, spend huge amounts of money on clothes my children are going to outgrow before I’ve paid off the card balance!
One of the bonuses of buying children’s clothing when they’re on sale, or second hand is that you can let children be children.
If they get paint on them, it’s not a drama.
Muddy puddles? No problem!
Eating yummy pasta with two hands and getting fresh tomato sauce e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e? Oh well…
I took the girls to forest school one day, and a child minder had a group of children there, one of whom was crying and screaming in her pram. I asked why she wasn’t allowed out, and the child minder said it was because she was in white trousers: her mother had dressed her in them, and apparently complained terribly if she got home with even slightly dirty clothes. This poor child had to miss out, and wasn’t very happy about it, because her mother was precious about her clothing? Too sad.
Another bonus is that when the girls need clean clothes, I have some. My wardrobe is pretty dismal. If I went through a week without washing my laundry, I wouldn’t have anything clean to wear. I reckon the girls could go about a month before running out of clothes. It makes for a heck of a laundry day, but hey ho!
My kids can play, have fun and get on with learning and living, and I don’t have to be tied to chores.
Sometimes, less is more.
