Clothing Triage

I got rid of some of my children’s clothes recently.   Or, rather, I didn’t get rid of them as much as I took them out of circulation.   I took clothes that fit well, weren’t stained or torn and my children would have looked quite nice wearing and put them in the back closet.  This is as good as getting rid of them when it comes to fast-growing small humans.  

I did this because my children were overwhelmed with the amount of options they had in their drawers to choose from.   They had so many options they frequently would go to the same choices again and again.   They didn’t know how to rotate through a wardrobe and the large amount of items wasn’t exciting to them, it was confusing.

So I took all the things that were showing some wear or had stains on them and pulled them.  I removed any items that didn’t fit well and some that did fit well, but just didn’t suit my children’s lifestyle (meaning too fancy.)  I then made a choice of what I liked the best—what they looked the best in more accurately—and kept those things.   I added in some things they weren’t choosing because they weren’t familiar with them and then closed the now much less-full drawers.

Ever since that day, my children have had a lot of fun picking out clothes.   They know just what to do and they seem to like making matches with the options they do have.   They look great in everything they come downstairs in and I love seeing what they select each morning.

The other clothes will get shared with our neighbors and I’ll smile as I see them get worn again.   I have to remind myself again and again that less is more in so many things with children.

The Big Boy Update:  My children had been served dinner the other day and did not want to come in from playing outside to eat.   My son eventually came in to find his dinner cold.   He wasn’t happy about it but my husband explained how he had been called.   My daughter came in a few minutes later.   She didn’t particularly care the food was cold but my son helpfully informed her, “when the food is ready, it’s hot.  Otherwise you get to eat it when it’s cold.”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter got in trouble for using bathroom words.   She got in trouble for using them far too many times and as a result, she got her meal removed (she was mostly done) and sent to her room directly after bath time.   She was distraught.   She went on being distraught for half of the movie Star Wars.   I haven’t heard her wail for that long that I can remember.   She would open the door to the room, peek out, see me in the hallway, shut the door and recommence with the crying and moaning.   She was upset.    When she finally calmed down I let her come out and eat carrots and join watching the movie.   We had hoped the lesson would be a good one and I think she will most certainly remember it.