Moms of Boys - Can you answer this for me?

[neesek]

Every fall I buy my ds plenty of new jeans. Every year by February, he has worn a hole in only one knee - and it is always his left knee. :confused: He is down to one pair of jeans, so I need to go out and buy again. Does any other boy do that or is it just mine? Why, why, why is it only the left knee???? More importantly, is there any brand of jeans that does not wear out as easily?

 

Thanks!

[K-FL]

As far as the only one knee, watch him & see if he usually kneels on that one or if it drags on a wall or the like when he's on his bike. As to a brand, I can't help, but maybe if you put one of those iron on patches inside while their new?

[abbeyej]

Sounds like you need to buy him jeans from Sears and use their Kidvantage program.

 

The one knee thing *is* curious! Does he tend to crouch down on one knee when he's inspecting something on the ground? How odd! :)

 

I seem to have an unusual boy -- he has only rarely actually worn out a pair of pants before he has outgrown them.

[Mrs. H.]

I believe both Sears and Old Navy carry jeans with reinforcing on the inside of the knees, so you can't see it on the outside.

 

No help about the one knee thing, as all four of my older children (including my dd) wear out either one or both knees of their jeans before it gets too warm to wear them.

[SparrowsNest]

My ds10 wears out pants on a weekly basis. Then again, he is a very, very active kid who still loves to crawl, wrestle, climb trees, play chase, run and slide on his knees, etc.

 

I broke down and bought Lands End pants with reinforced knees. The thing is, although the knees are not ripped, they are dirty. And our Georgia clay isn't exactly wash-friendly! So the pants still look bad. They were $25, and although they did last longer (say, 2 months vs. a month), I could've bought two pairs of the Wrangler Jeans at WalMart/Target.

 

So I have just given up this battle. Whenever I am at WalMart or Target, I pick up 2 pairs of jeans for ds10 and instruct him to hang them up and examine all other pairs of jeans for holes. I'm hoping we can't have much longer in this stage!

[Musical Belle]

My ds 9 is notorious for going through jeans, and always the left knee first. I have no idea why. :confused1: I am going to try putting iron-on patches on the inside of the knees of his good jeans and see if we can extend their life.

 

He "inherited" some jeans which are a looser cut -- I don't especially like the looks of them, but the knees seem to last longer. Maybe try a pair of relaxed-fit and see how they do?

[WTMindy]

a replacement policy. If you wear a hole through the knee, they replace the same size. I finally bought 3 pairs of those jeans a little on the big side. It has been great because I have taken at least 2 of them in to get a new pair! They aren't expensive either!

[happy2homeschool]

We have the one knee problem too, but I know why. My boys play mini-hockey on their knees. They shoot with their right hand and they get holes in their pants on the right knee only. :)

 

I don't have any advice on jeans though -- Old Navy and Lands End are pretty tough brands.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Ok-we went through seveal pairs then...I just gave up, if he was playing outside, riding bikes, getting dirty in the yard...he wore and I washed the ones with the holes until they were beyond help. I kept the nondamaged jeans for use in public (trips to the library, shopping, the doctor, etc.). Of course once a knee is beyond help it is tempting to go for shorts, all you need is scissors. But I think then I'd be back to only for getting dirty and save the better shorts for public. I really like jeans from Land's End, LL Bean, Gap, Old Navy, Levis. Gymboree also sometimes puts extra thickness in their knees too. Sometimes survival time is not the brand but the "wash." Some of the facy, semi-bleached styles seem to wear out faster than traditional jeans. Also, sometimes carpenter style seem to be heavier than regular.

[Beth in Central TX]

I second the Sear's Kidvantage program. My oldest son generally gets a whole in the right knee of his jeans and sweatpants because that's the knee he kneels on whenever he's working on something on the ground. My middle son gets holes in both knees because he ususally plops to the ground on this knees simultaneously to play. You would think this is painful, but for some reason, he doesn't. For a family of 3 boys, holes in clothes is just a fact of life.

[Sue G in PA]

My ds9 goes through jeans like water. I buy a pair and by the week's end, he has a hole in one knee (I never checked to see if it was always the same knee). You're lucky that your son's last until Feb! :) This is what I do: I buy 1-2 pairs of "good" jeans. By that I mean "new", usually from Target, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, TCP, etc. I then tell ds9 that these jeans are NOT to be used to play in. They are for church, going out, etc. but NOT for playing outside, rolling around on the ground, climbing trees, riding bikes, skateboarding, etc. Then, I buy 2-3 pairs at a consignment shop or Good Will to be used as "play jeans". He can wear those wherever and whenever he wants (just not to church :)). It's worked well. I can't stand patching jeans (takes me back to childhood when my mom would patch the heck out of my pants before spending money on new ones!) so buying at Good Will for $1 works for me!

[Whisperlily]

*gasp* You make it until February?

 

One of my sons does this. I wish I'd had my sons in the opposite order, as the next one in line (thus the recipient of hand-me-downs) never wears out his jeans.

 

I stopped buying store-brand or cheap jeans. I have to pay more, but they last at least 3 times as long, so even if the price is 3x... I still come out ahead, and without the extra trips to the store. For a while I bought them at Sears so I could return them for a new pair, but I kept losing the receipt, so I finally gave up.

 

My DS always got holes on the seat of his pants by sliding across the concrete while playing on the sidewalk. He has one knee that always wears out first, and it has to do with which is his dominant leg.

[mcconnellboys]

He's obviously a leftie (for knees, at least, LOL)! You've received good advice. I believe that you can still purchase denim, iron-on knee patches. You put them inside the knees of his jeans and apply with a hot iron. They provide extra support in that area over time and if the outer material does wear through, there will still be another layer of denim underneath.

 

Regena

[Frontier Mom]

I just stock up and hope for warmer weather soon. Mine are growing like weeds anyway so if they don't stain them, they outgrow them.

 

I just go for the bargains and we keep one pair for "dressy" jeans. We have a children's worship at our church so mine wear jeans every Sunday. They keep one pair neat for that.

[Fourmother]

My boys do the same thing. I tell them to wear the holey jeans around the house and save the non-holey ones for going out into public. They really don't care how they look, though. So I have to be careful to do a check before we leave the house. I call this the Ragamuffin Effect.

 

I did buy some expensive pants with reinforced knees once and studied them to see how they were constructed. It appeared to me that the reinforcing was just iron-on interfacing. So I tried applying it to the insides of some pants I made and some that I purchased for my boys. It does a pretty good job of extending the wearable life of boys' pants. Interfacing is fairly inexpensive and easy to apply.

[Colleen]

There's no way my younger guys (under age 10) could make a pair of jeans last from fall until February.:) As for one knee only wearing out, that's pretty standard around here. Just has to do with which knee they 'drag' while playing with Playmobil, etc. For years, I've bought jeans from Sears and just replaced them via the Kidvantage program. It's the one mall-type store I frequent and I just run in, grab the replacement, and do the exchange; usually doesn't take more than ten minutes.

[neesek]

Thank you all for all the great advice! There are some wonderful suggestions here and I am going to try them. I had only sisters and girl cousins growing up, so having a boy is an entirely new experience for me, lol. I guess I should be happy that he is making it as long as he is!

 

Thanks!

[Cornerstone Classical]

I did buy some expensive pants with reinforced knees once and studied them to see how they were constructed. It appeared to me that the reinforcing was just iron-on interfacing. It does a pretty good job of extending the wearable life of boys' pants. Interfacing is fairly inexpensive and easy to apply.

 

Lee (the brand) jeans have this too. It's funny, my ds jeans are getting worn out in a square around the interfacing.....they should just make the whole pair of jeans that way!:lol:

[Whisperlily]

Lee (the brand) jeans have this too. It's funny, my ds jeans are getting worn out in a square around the interfacing.....they should just make the whole pair of jeans that way!:lol:

 

That's why I hate these pants. I would rather have a hole, than a faded/white square on the knees. I know it works for some, but I can't stand the way it looks. ;)

[Peek a Boo]

man, even MY jeans get holes in the knees, and I don't play nearly as hard as they do, lol.

 

yes, holes in knees, become shorts, buy on sale.

 

If I was more organized the kidvantage thing would be the way to go.

[daisychics]

but I have only 4 pairs of jeans and 3 of them have holes on the left knee. :)

My son also gets holes on his jeans. We buy gap jeans because he is so skinny... the gap jeans were the first one I knew about that had the garter thing (like maternity pants). He has two new pairs every year. I love gap jeans for boys.

[Fourmother]

That's why I hate these pants. I would rather have a hole, than a faded/white square on the knees. I know it works for some, but I can't stand the way it looks. ;)

 

Yes, this is so true. Sometimes I feel that my boys are destined to look like ragamuffins no matter what.:banghead:

[Caroline]

but I have only 4 pairs of jeans and 3 of them have holes on the left knee. :)

My son also gets holes on his jeans. We buy gap jeans because he is so skinny... the gap jeans were the first one I knew about that had the garter thing (like maternity pants). He has two new pairs every year. I love gap jeans for boys.

 

I have skinny boys. I have found Levis with the waist cinching thing, too. Just a little cheaper alternative to the Gap ones.

[Whisperlily]

I have skinny boys. I have found Levis with the waist cinching thing, too. Just a little cheaper alternative to the Gap ones.

 

Yes, we buy those too. The Levis with the adjustable tabs. Grandma buys the Gap jeans. ;) I'm seeing the adjustable tabs everywhere now, and I love them!

[Gailmegan]

Another mom of a hole-in-the-left-knee only child. Part of it has to do with which leg they prefer, but part of it is just basic anatomy. None of our bodies are completely semetrical. I'm sure you all have noticed one foot larger than the other, etc. So it makes sense that one leg is slightly onger than the other, so that knee takes a little more weight when kneeling, even on both.

[Alice]

Land's End is great. The jeans and pants have the reinforced knees, they have a "overstocks" section on their website with very good deals, and a good return policy.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Easy cheesy. He drags that knee while pushing cars around. My ds did that for years, but grew out of it (he's 10). I think he stopped when he was about 8.

 

Someone here had a spiffy way to keep the knees of her kids jeans from wearing out. I think it was Brenda, but I can't remember. Anyway, when she got new pants, she'd turn them inside out and sew a piece of fabric into the INSIDE of the knee area. She hemmed the top and bottom of the fabric, and stitched it in, only along the side seams of the pants. You could not see the "patch" from the outside at all. The fabric was loose across the knee. The children had to be careful when they put the pants on that that fabric was in front, and not behind.

 

This loose fabric was free to move inside the pants, reducing the friction between the outside of the pants and the floor. It's sort of like wearing two pairs of socks while hiking to reduce friction on your feet (preventing blisters). The socks slide across each other, leaving your skin intact.

 

I never tried this pre-patching idea because my son had stopped this type of play before I heard about it. But, it definitely seems like a viable option. I think it would work.

[Bokons]

also only wears out his pants on the left knee. I always found that strange too.

 

Colleen

[songbirdie]

We buy the Levi's and Lee brands at Walmart. Gap and Old Navy brands wear out in then knees MUCH faster than Levi's or Lee. The denim in Levi's are made from coarser threads in the weave of the fabric than what Old Navy or Gap uses. My son wears out one knee quicker than the other because it's the knee he uses when he climbs up on the fence or up the tree.

[Laura Corin]

I just patch the knees until the jeans get too short. I need to patch a pair tonight.

 

Laura

[sarahli]

I used to get holes in MY jeans a lot. Now I only buy dark denim for myself, and don't have any more problems. The jeans that are stonewashed are already rubbed thin and wear through much quicker.

[Doodle]

Add my son to the list of left knee only holey jeans! I've tried to apply those iron on patches, but they never stay on. What am I doing wrong? :confused:

[Laura Corin]

I think iron-on things can tend to start to peel, then they are very tempting to little fingers....

 

I kept one pair of jeans that fell apart and cut squares from it to stitch onto holey jeans.

 

Laura

[eaglei]

I agree with Sue G. DS had/has *good* jeans for better occasions, and second-hand from Goodwill, consignment shops, etc. for everyday wear.:)

[jenn-]

That's it, next year I am going to Sears. Nathan blows out his left knee in all of his jeans. He won't wear jeans with holes in them. Right now I am hoping the warming trend starts up and we can switch to shorts soon.

[Scarlett]

Ok-we went through seveal pairs then...I just gave up, if he was playing outside, riding bikes, getting dirty in the yard...he wore and I washed the ones with the holes until they were beyond help. I kept the nondamaged jeans for use in public (trips to the library, shopping, the doctor, etc.).

 

 

This is the way I handle it with my ds9. Same with shoes....One pair of decent clean sneakers so he doesn't look like a rag-a-muffin in public.

 

Now I have to go check all his jeans and see if they are all on the same side!