Do you make your littles wear clothes?

[KristinaBreece]

:D

 

Obviously, I don't let my 2 run around stark naked all the time. However, it is a rare event that I can get them (at 2 & 4) to leave on more clothes than underpants & a shirt while we're at home. They prefer to be naked, or in their underwear. I make them dress completely when we're going somewhere or if people (excluding close family, or the kids I sit who are here 5-6 days a week) are going to be here. I just don't see this being a necessary fight right now. DH thinks they need to be dressed, right down to socks and shoes, pretty much all the time. HOWEVER. He's not here to try to enforce that most of the time. As a compromise, I do make sure they have pants/skirts on by the time DH walks in the door. What do you think? Should I be stricter about this at this point?

[fairfarmhand]

if people are going to be around, ds 3 needs pants on. Otherwise unless he wants them it is t shirt and drawers. He is getting to where if someone shows up he actually asks for pants.

 

I have always insisted on some clothes though. No nakedness.

[3lilreds in NC]

Ummmmm..... Schmooey prefers to be naked. Even if I get him dressed, he's quite adept at removing his clothing. When it's just us during they day, if he wants to have a bare hiney, I let him. If there are people here, he has to get dressed, and sometime re-dressed as he tends to strip when he uses the bathroom and HE doesn't care if other people are here when the desire to be naked strikes.

 

Daddy prefers that he wear underwear, so when Dad's home, we put the dunders on. Abbie went through her nudist phase, as well, and eventually outgrew it. I have faith that Schmooey will someday want to wear clothes, too. :D

 

It doesn't bother me and we have bigger fish to fry at this point.

[Ravin]

Not really. The less they wear at home, the less laundry I have to do.

[3lilreds in NC]

Not really. The less they wear at home, the less laundry I have to do.

 

That too. :D

[Firestar Academy]

my children are always naked. always. every time I turn around, their clothes are off. they totally understand the need to have clothes on when poeple are visiting and when we go anywhere.

 

we live on three wooded acres. not quite enough for me. but they are allowed to go outside naked. and swim naked in the summer.

 

I personally feel, it has given them a healthy appreciation for their bodies and they are beautiful. I don't want them to think their bodies are somwthing to be ashamed of and hidden away.

 

our close friends know I have naked children. we joke about how her kids want to be naked at my house, too!

 

 

hey, less laundry for me!!

 

robin in nj

[mamachanse]

Not really. The less they wear at home, the less laundry I have to do.

 

:iagree:

[Rosie_0801]

Well there are rules, of course. Naked people may not run around in the front yard. 3 year olds must be at least wearing underwear if other people have come to visit. People who do not yet have Well Trained Bits may not get around in the house without nappies, though they do have a choice between underwear and a long shirt at the beach.

 

Rosie

[sunshine_librarian]

But don't have much luck. My ds2 is potty training and won't even keep a shirt on these days. My ds3 is a little better, he at least keeps his underwear on and will put a shirt on for meals. I also make them wear clothes when they play outside. I don't know how comfortable I would be with my little ones undressing around the other children though. I've had to really drill it into my dd5 not to take off her clothes when playing dress-up at her friend's house.

On a side-note, I think it really depends on the ages. When my friend found my ds3's boxer briefs in her dd5's bedroom after a birthday party (all the kids had been playing dress-up together), we both had a laugh when she called to let me know how uncomfortable the find had made her dh.

[simka2]

My ds5 spent the entire morning in a t-shirt. That all!!! :D He did get dressed when we went to the store. ;)

[Julie in Austin]

Mine wore nothing but underwear around the house for years.

 

They are all fine now. And we had very little laundry then. ;)

[Karen in CO]

I'll be the odd one this time.

Yes, my kids wear clothes. When they were younger, I put the clothes on them. They put on clean clothes every morning after breakfast (or before depending on what they wore to bed). It isn't a fight, just an orderly way to grow up. I don't walk around in my undies after my first cup of coffee. It is the way I was raised, and it is the way I'm raising my kids.

 

They also wash their faces, comb their hair, brush their teeth and put on sunscreen every morning. It is part of our routine.

[Mommy22alyns]

Mine never really went through the naked phase. When they were very little, sometimes they'd just hang around the house in a diaper (in summer), but by the time they were potty trained they always wore more clothes than just their underwear.

[Liz CA]

I'll be the odd one this time.

Yes, my kids wear clothes. When they were younger, I put the clothes on them. They put on clean clothes every morning after breakfast (or before depending on what they wore to bed). It isn't a fight, just an orderly way to grow up. I don't walk around in my undies after my first cup of coffee. It is the way I was raised, and it is the way I'm raising my kids.

 

They also wash their faces, comb their hair, brush their teeth and put on sunscreen every morning. It is part of our routine.

 

Same here. It honestly never occurred to me not to dress him and he did not take his clothes off without asking. Usually he wanted to take a shirt off in the summer but he always asked. At the height of summer, he did run around in diapers only in our backyard but by evening it cooled down and he wore clothes again.

[Wabi Sabi]

My kids are currently past the stage, but when they were toddlers they were often naked. Didn't bother me one bit and I really think it contributed to both of them being early potty trainers (ds was out of diapers by 27 months, dd was done with diapers a month before her 2nd birthday) despite no real effort on my part.

 

Now they don't tend to get naked anymore, but as a family we don't get dressed until we need to leave the house. We spend most of our time at home in sweatpants, pajamas and other comfy clothes. If we don't need to go anywhere then there's a good chance that no one will get dressed or take a shower. Today we all got up and got dressed because we needed to be somewhere, but as soon as we got home the jeans and khakis were tossed aside for more comfortable sweatpants/yoga pants. Works for us! :)

[Cortana]

Does wearing dress up costumes count as wearing clothes? :D Cause that is what the 2yo prefers to wear more than anything else.

 

If we go somewhere or have company, all 3 kids have to be dressed. When it's just us at home, half the time the kids don't even change out of their jammies simply cause we get the day going and I completely forget to have them change clothes.

[justamouse]

Yup, nekkid as they day they were born. I mean, they put clothes on eventually, and when company came but they all spend a lot of time naked.

[sewingmama]

I'll be the odd one this time.

Yes, my kids wear clothes. When they were younger, I put the clothes on them. They put on clean clothes every morning after breakfast (or before depending on what they wore to bed). It isn't a fight, just an orderly way to grow up. I don't walk around in my undies after my first cup of coffee. It is the way I was raised, and it is the way I'm raising my kids.

 

They also wash their faces, comb their hair, brush their teeth and put on sunscreen every morning. It is part of our routine.

 

So how do you get them to keep them on :001_huh:

 

I fully dress all three of mine every morning as well as doing their hair and all but by lunchtime they are all down to their undies and maybe a tshirt. Both the olders strip naked when they go to the bathroom and never bother redressing. They also spend a lot of time playing dress ups so they strip off for that as well. I usually leave the baby's pants off after I change him before I put him down for a nap - seems more comfortable. I would have to redress my kids 20 times a day to keep them clothed -not going to happen. :D

 

I do fully dress or redress them to go play out in the yard but if they are in the house I let them be once they have stripped off - I do tell them to put a shirt on when we eat.

 

My DH walks around practically naked all the time at home too - I really wish I could get HIM to put some clothes on - maybe then I'd have a better chance with the kids :D

 

In case you're all wondering - I am fully dressed all day every day LOL - I hate spending the day in my pj's but I'm the only one in my family who feels that way apparently.:glare:

[Sahamamama]

DH thinks they need to be dressed, right down to socks and shoes, pretty much all the time.

 

:iagree:I agree with him, except for the shoes. Shoes come off when we come in the door, and then we wash our hands.

 

I hate to sound so harsh, but this is my pet peeve. I had three babies in less than two years, and they were (and are) always bathed and dressed, every day, right down to socks, tops, pants or dresses, and a warm sweater in the winter so we can keep the heat down. I do not believe in letting children run around half-clad, or staying in pajamas half the day. :tongue_smilie:

 

I do want to say, though, that my friend's children were "strippers" and it was due to Asperger's and some other sensory disorder. The children couldn't tolerate the feel of clothing on their skin.

 

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Sahamamama

[Karen in CO]

Does wearing dress up costumes count as wearing clothes? :D Cause that is what the 2yo prefers to wear more than anything else.

 

.

 

Yes, it always does. My youngest was the same way. She still loves to go out in princess dresses and her Ren. fest dresses.

[KristinaBreece]

:iagree:I agree with him, except for the shoes. Shoes come off when we come in the door, and then we wash our hands.

 

I hate to sound so harsh, but this is my pet peeve. I had three babies in less than two years, and they were (and are) always bathed and dressed, every day, right down to socks, tops, pants or dresses, and a warm sweater in the winter so we can keep the heat down. I do not believe in letting children run around half-clad, or staying in pajamas half the day. :tongue_smilie:

 

I do want to say, though, that my friend's children were "strippers" and it was due to Asperger's and some other sensory disorder. The children couldn't tolerate the feel of clothing on their skin.

 

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

 

I actually expected this to be the overwhelming majority. I think most people expect that people be dressed basically all the time.:001_smile:

 

I just won't spend all day redressing two children. There are bigger issues to deal with every day. My 2-year-old would view that as a game, and if I turn it into a big deal, it will be a big deal for them. Right now, our lives are happier & more productive if I don't force them into pants while we're at home alone.

[Whereneverever]

I'll be the odd one this time.

Yes, my kids wear clothes. When they were younger, I put the clothes on them. They put on clean clothes every morning after breakfast (or before depending on what they wore to bed). It isn't a fight, just an orderly way to grow up. I don't walk around in my undies after my first cup of coffee. It is the way I was raised, and it is the way I'm raising my kids.

 

They also wash their faces, comb their hair, brush their teeth and put on sunscreen every morning. It is part of our routine.

:iagree:

Minus the sunscreen. My kids are always dressed! DD2 is known to change here outfit throughout the day, but we don't leave our bedrooms until we are dressed.

[Impish]

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

Wolf calls Tazzie 'Capt Underpants'.

 

I don't see a kid being dressed or not in the privacy of their own home meaning sloppy mothering.

[AK_Mom4]

Wolf calls Tazzie 'Capt Underpants'.

 

I don't see a kid being dressed or not in the privacy of their own home meaning sloppy mothering.

 

:iagree:

 

I think it depends on the temperature in your house. When my olders were little, I declared that anyone over the age of 5 has to wear pants/shorts in the common areas of the house. because I was tired of looking at underwear. We called it the "Underwear Free Zone", which made my kids giggle. Both my dds always wore a t-shirt as well.

 

But socks? No way! Heck, even I don't wear socks

[Wabi Sabi]

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

 

You call it sloppy, I call it relaxed and practical for our lifestyle. I guess I'm okay with raising children who sprawl on the floor in their pajamas building with Legos at 10 am while I, clad in underwear, enjoy my second cup of coffee in an unmade bed reading the newspaper. :tongue_smilie:

[JeneralMom]

I am far from sloppy in my life and in my parenting, however, I respect my children as individual beings, 3 out of 4 of whom enjoy being naked or nearly naked. I find it absolutely essential during the potty training stage, and all of mine have potty trained early. By age 5 I do remind them that at least putting on underwear would be ideal.

[LibraryLover]

We're past all that. (LOL)

 

But I can honestly say that I did not care. Did not care. Not one little bit.

 

And...my MIL & my mother loved the little bums. :)

Edited April 22, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Murmer]

Another mama of a nekkid kiddo...she does have sensory issues but even with those under control her preference is nothing on her body. We do have a rule about standing in front of the window she must have her bits covered or beneath the window sill. Also if someone is over or we are leaving she must be totally clothed. Mind you that usually means going commando because panties are just overrated in our house to her. So we let her go...my son usually runs around in a onesie...because we need to make the diaper not accessible but he seems like we won't have all the nekkid issues with him.

We do start the day dressed we just don't always end the day that way.

[Puma Mom]

I say do what works for you.

 

My middle one never liked clothes. We joke that the 'must be dressed for school' rule was created for him. He didn't go outside naked, and he was always dressed when other people were over but besides that..... He got modest before I had to lay down the law. However, I strongly suspect he dispenses with clothes when he's home alone for more than a few hours.

 

OTOH, I don't think my oldest is ever naked. We know it's summer when we can see his arms.

[Plucky]

When they were little underwear or diaper was enough around the house. When we left we all wore clothes.

[jenangelcat]

My oldest was a nudist until she was around 3.5. Her sister started wearing clothes at 2.5. The nudity thing really helps with potty training. They were both out of diapers by age 2.

[laundrycrisis]

I have always gotten mine dressed, every day. Not socks and shoes though. They are barefoot in the house. But clothing is not optional, meaning shirts and pants or shorts. Pajamas are only for sleeping and not worn past breakfast. I even get them dressed when they are sick. And they don't mind - they want to get out of their jammies in the morning.

 

But here is the kicker - they wear sweatpants or soft cotton shorts year-round, with T-shirts. That is their "uniform". It is rare for them to wear any other kind of pants. DS1 has only just begun to wear some loose cargo-type pants, but they are pull on with a soft elastic waist. They both own only two polo-type shirts and one button down shirt for the rare occasion when they need to look a little nicer. The rest are T-shirts and sweatshirts. So they are dressed every day, but their clothes are as comfortable as jammies. When we show up somewhere with them in nicer pants and shirts with a button or two, the people who know us just about fall over. :lol: I am strict about clothes being worn, but extremely casual about the choice of clothing.

[kamom]

My oldest was a nudist until she was around 3.5. Her sister started wearing clothes at 2.5. The nudity thing really helps with potty training. They were both out of diapers by age 2.

 

Mine were both trained about that age and we are a cloth wearing family. It might be cute in a 2 yr old, but dh worked for a guy, construction at their house, who had a app. 6 yr old who didn't want to wear clothes. NOT funny then.:001_huh::glare:

 

We all wear clothes around here, including the 13 month old.:001_smile:

[tabrizia]

I've got a toddler nudist colony here. I am fine with it, all of mine wear undies or diapers, and other then that it is up to them. Which means that DS1 sometimes wears a shirt, and rarely wears pants at home. DD will wear a dress until she strips to put on a tutu and then rarely puts anything back on. DS2 well he is an infant so he is in sleep and plays most of the time, but I am sure he'll be in just diapers come summer, since we keep our house warm in the summer.

 

I really don't care, they wear clothes when we have guests that aren't family and they wear clothes when we go out. Other then that, I really don't care, they will start wearing clothes when it hits a point where it seems important to me or them, and their current ages we aren't there yet.

[lllll]

...

[texasmama]

At those ages, all I required was underwear at home. Everything else was optional.:001_smile: If we went out or if people came by, the kids wore pants and tops, as well.

Edited April 23, 2011 by texasmama

[duckens]

Rules in our home:

 

(Our children are aged 4 and infant).

 

1) You can be naked if no company is expected.

 

2) You must wear clothing if company is present or expected; or you must stay in your bedroom.

 

3) If you undress yourself, your clothes must be put on your bed so you can find them if you need them (in the event of unexpected company, or if you get cold, etc).

 

4) No nudity outside the house, other than the occasional toddler in the yard in just a diaper.

 

5) Any babydolls that want to leave the house must have clothes. (This is from the normal phase of kids to undress their dolls at a certain toddler age. It also sets a standard for kids to know they will need clothing to leave the house in the future.)

[kitten18]

We're past all that. (LOL)

 

But I can honestly say that I did not care. Did not care. Not one little bit.

 

And...my MIL & my mother loved the little bums. :)

:iagree:

[Ellie]

Yes, of course. And they were dressed nicely enough that all I had to do was put their cute little shoes on them and they were ready to go anywhere.

[Garga]

The eldest used to run around naked until he was about 4.

 

After that, he had to wear underwear.

 

Now that they're 8 and 6, they have to wear pants or shorts. They prefer pajama bottoms. They hate wearing regular clothes.

[bbsweetpea]

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

 

WOW! I never have been told I am a sloppy mother. Thanks! I always see myself as super strict and on top of everything. My kids are convinced I can see through walls. :001_smile:

 

Honestly though ... I am not comfortable in "clothes" and pretty much dress in night dresses or very loose shorts/sweatpants and T-shirts when at home. When I leave you will NEVER see me in sweatpants. Even if I am going to play at the park I am fully dressed (even if just a dress with shorts underneath).

 

My kids must have something on their rear (underwear/diaper/pull-up) but otherwise I don't really care at home. ODD usually wears a dress and has always been one to keep something on. Son has sensory issues so he usually just has rear coverings and maybe a T-shirt. Youngest likes to just wear her undies. She is newly potty trained and it is so much easier for her to not have to mess with a bunch of clothes. She will wear a t-shirt sometimes but that is it.

 

If we are leaving the house then of course it is full clothing. I don't allow them to go around the yard without clothes on or go without clothes on if anyone other than grandparents are here.

 

I will say that living in central TX and NOT wanting to pay $400 air conditioning bills may contribute to how we dress. We keep the house at about 80 and honestly are in swimsuits 80% of the time from May to October. If we lived in Colorado we probably would wear several layers of clothes. :lol:

[blondeviolin]

I was in the always-dressed category until my youngest turned 16 mos and started removing her clothes, demanding to use the potty and would run away if I tried to replace the clothes. Where I am in life? Not worth the battle. She's nearly potty-trained (wears a diaper at night) and is nearing 21 mos. We require her to be dressed around anyone other than immediate family. We refer to her as our little nudist, and to be honest, it doesn't bug me anymore. Less clothes to wash, less clothes to change, less diapers to change, etc. Those are all bonuses to me.

[akmommy]

Not really. The less they wear at home, the less laundry I have to do.

 

That was my theory when I had toddlers in the house. None of mine liked wearing clothes at that age and I didnt see the point of dressing and redressing them 50times a day. I did put clothes on them when we had company (well except my best friend, she was single, always over, and didn't mind).

 

ETA: they did wear clothing when we left the left the house even to play in the yard in summer because we lived on a corner and the whole yard could be seen from the road. Also they all developed a sense of modesty well before their 5th birthday.

Edited April 23, 2011 by akmommy

[Michelle My Bell]

:iagree:I agree with him, except for the shoes. Shoes come off when we come in the door, and then we wash our hands.

 

I hate to sound so harsh, but this is my pet peeve. I had three babies in less than two years, and they were (and are) always bathed and dressed, every day, right down to socks, tops, pants or dresses, and a warm sweater in the winter so we can keep the heat down. I do not believe in letting children run around half-clad, or staying in pajamas half the day. :tongue_smilie:

 

I do want to say, though, that my friend's children were "strippers" and it was due to Asperger's and some other sensory disorder. The children couldn't tolerate the feel of clothing on their skin.

 

That, to me, is different from sloppy, run-around-naked-if-you-please mothering. I disagree with that.

 

It never occurred to me to let my children run around without their clothes. My little boy even wears his shirt at all times. hmm....

[amy g.]

Let's just say I've got a Ph.D in sloppy motherhood.

[wapiti]

It's been a phase for all my kids at one time or another. Yep, I've got another phase coming our way shortly (ds turns 3 next month and we'll be potty training this summer, the cold turkey method - naked from the waist down for about a week - sometimes this precipitates a naked phase ;))

 

Between ds2 and dd1, there aren't enough shirts for all the water they play in all day anyway. If there's water, they'll find it. Bathroom sink, kitchen sink, master bathtub... ds 4 showed ds2 how to turn on the hose :glare:.

 

I definitely fall into the sloppy, slacker mom category.

 

Let's just say I've got a Ph.D in sloppy motherhood.

 

:lol: Me too!

[wapiti]

.

Edited April 23, 2011 by wapiti

[Koerarmoca]

My older 3 (12, 9 & 5) are always dressed in either clothes or nightgowns. My 2 yr old its a battle. I can usually win her over by saying "pretty dress" and pulling out a dress from behind my back. I don't require that they wear shoes of course but they have to have on socks or slippers. I like to model modesty and being somewhat well kept even if we are not leaving the home. This also means I dress from head to toe. We do sometimes have pajama days though ;) I'd rather have more laundry then spend an hour looking for someones lost socks so we can leave the house on a whim. My 9yr old and 2 yr old always end up in undies in the middle of the night they just wake and undress but my 9 year old does understands that she needs to at least put her robe/slippers on before she comes out to use the restroom.

[wapiti]

.

Edited April 23, 2011 by wapiti

[Shawna in Texas]

I certainly can't expect my kids to wear clothes if I can't even find my pants half the time.