New clothes

[rmc20021]

I have two dcb's arrive this morning...they both have on brand new, never before worn clothes. I've told the parents repeatedly the kids ARE going to get dirty. Why do they send their kids in new clothes and expect them to stay clean?

A couple weeks ago one dcm arrived as dcb was running and falling down onto the ground with the other kids...she grabbed him by the hand and told him THAT game was not for him. Because he was getting dirty!!!

I'm not going to keep these kids sheltered and not let them play. What else can I do? One of these boys wore new clothes yesterday and I just let him play as any other day...he scooted on his bottom on the sidewalk chalk covered cement, he ran in my semi-muddy back yard (there's a lot of clay so the drainage isn't the best), he climbed and ran and slid and fell. I'm sure his mom wasn't pleased with his dirty clothes...but sends him right back again in new ones.

PLAY CLOTHES!!!! FOR PLAY....

[MamaBearCanada]

I don't worry too much about keeping their clothes clean. Although I wouldn't let them play in a mud puddle unless I'd warned the parents we would be doing something that messy. I warn parents they will get grass stains, sand, dirt, chalk etc on the clothes. My DCPS are glad the kids are happy & active.

I do let my own daughter wear new clothes to play & this is why:

They grow out of clothes so fast & she has sooo many (very indulgent grandparents) so she may as well look nice no matter what she's doing I keep a few things for special - church, parties and I have a few things more worn for really messy play. Otherwise she can wear new things and she knows she doesn't need to worry about them getting dirty.

[coolconfidentme]

I have it in my handbook that kids will get dirty. When a parent makes a comment about it I reply, "Kids! Who would ever think they might get dirty? I guess that's why it's in the handbook." (followed by a chuckle)

Some choose to keep a spare set of clothes here if they go someplace afterwards.

[Kaddidle Care]

This brings to mind a time long ago when we were having a picnic at a local park. We had a flash rainstorm - it dumped buckets of water and a portion of the park became quite flooded at the end of a grassy field.

The kids started running, sliding through the grass and splashed into the huge puddle. It was a nature made slip~n~slide! ::

One of the mothers held her boy back because she didn't want him to get dirty. I still feel sorry for him. Yeah, they got dirty but they had so much fun and an experience that will last a lifetime.

If you're not letting them get a little dirty you're not letting them be a child. IMHO

If you have it in your handbook and you've warned them - oh well. Not your problem.

[craftymissbeth]

Yeah totally not your problem... you've made it clear the kids are going to get dirty and that's that.


Did the parents actually tell you that those new clothes can't get dirty? I know that there are times I buy brand new clothes for DS specifically for playing outside and getting dirty. Putting that into words doesn't really make sense, though ::

[RosieMommy]

I love when I pick up my daughter and she's dirty. To me, that's a sign that she had a great day. Clothes will wash.

[countrymom]

maybe I'm odd, but we don't have play clothes in my house, we never did. They outgrow them and I pay money for them so why would I save them. I refuse to change my kids a million times a day because they were dirty and i was going to the grocery store. Now if they were muddy ok (oh wait, last week ydd covered in mud went to her sisters dance recital at the highschool, she was muddy because she went fishing in the ditch, I didn't notice because she quietly sat in the van) really I don't care what they send their kids in

[tenderhearts]

That is so irritating. I had a mom the exact same way a few years ago. I always send home a letter and put in memos, please wear clothes that can get dirty. This one particular mom didn't come right out and say anything but you could tell it bothered her when he would get dirty, she should know that her son was very active and wasn't going to stay clean. She would just make comments like, oh geez he's dirty, (and this was dirt that was brush offable), or say, oh he's dirty and I have to go to the store, guess I need to take him home to change. Really??? he's 4 he's dusty, hands and face clean. I would always say, yea that happens when we play outside, that's why I always say, clothes that can get dirty, and she would say, yea I know. Very annoying. Thankfully now, ALL my parents philosophy is, the dirtier they are means the more fun they had.

[melilley]

I love when I pick up my daughter and she's dirty. To me, that's a sign that she had a great day. Clothes will wash.

Me too!

[rmc20021]

I've warned them, and I totally get that sometimes you just don't have 'old' clothes lying around for play. When I first got my granddaughter I went out and bought her all new clothes which she wore to daycare every day...but they were the cheap Walmart clothes for 'play'...these 2 kids are coming in name brand clothes...and BOTH are subsidized care. Go firgure!!!!

[EchoMom]

My DS is often playing, eating, or getting dirty in brand new clothes. It doesn't bother me because I know it was bound to happen. Some of my DCKs come in brand new clothes and come home filthy too.

However, when I've mentioned play clothes to some of them, I've realized they have the same situation I do. If the child is an oldest/first child, they might not HAVE any play clothes yet. Play clothes were new once and then became play clothes.

No one here has complained.

[Leigh]

I have been this mom. My kid ALWAYS wore nice clothes to daycare-he didn't have anything else. I wasn't going to dress in him clothes I didn't like. If his designer outfit got dirty, the washing machine could fix it. I had maybe 6 outfits EVER that never came clean for him.

Don't worry about it. If mom cared about whether his clothes got dirty, she wouldn't send him in new clothes. ALL clothes are brand new at one time or another.

[Blackcat31]

Maybe they are new play clothes?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I'd just assume that they don't mind them getting dirty. Maybe they invest in large quantities of Oxyclean. ::

But, really. I wouldn't give any thought to it at all. If they send them in it, then obviously they're fine with it in my mind.

[BBDC]

Even my babies are allowed to crawl on the ground so I make sure everyone is known we play outside and get dirty! My dc baby is 14 months old and doesnt walk yet so he is crawling on the ground and playing with the water table and just having fun and getting dirty! Its just how kids play! I feel like if they arent dirty they are not playing hard enough !