How Many Outfits Do Your Kids Have?

Updated on October 08, 2010
M.!. asks from Boulder, CO
48 answers

Every season I always tell myself I am not going to go overboard - and yet I always do! This winter I think I am doing better, but as usual my husband says I did it again (I don't think I did, haha) Anyways, each of my children have 6 pairs of jeans, 8 long sleeve shirts, 3 sweat shirts, 2 pairs of sweats and 7 pj type outfits. I personally do not think that is enough, but again, trying very hard this year not to overbuy, haha

Also, I am a SAHM and have found learned this past year that yes - laundry can be done every week, haha. I have also learned that my kids have their "fav" clothes and will typically end up wearing the same outfits each week anyways. I just didn't know if teachers parents noticed a kid wearing the same "outfits" each week.

Oh ya.. my kids are only 4 and 3. We do go somewhere everyday (preschool, gymnastics, library, etc) and I do feel it is important to get dressed each day.

Thanks!

UPDATE - I do shop at Target (my most favorite store!!) and also do buy seasons ahead to help save on money. Clearance is my all time fav and I am a coupon mom. The post really wasn't about $, but just a general how many outfits. I think I only spent about $100 or so on each kid (b/c I do bargain shop) but was just curious. My husband just jokes with me that the kids closets are always jammed pack and that it seems that they always wear the same thing over and over again. Which is true. Haha. And as far as laundry goes, I only do 1 load of whites a week, 1 load of darks, 1 load of oranges/purples/reds and 1 load of jean. Plus our towels and linens. So, for a family of 4 (soon to be 5 :) ) I don't think 4 loads is all that bad. Usually the loads are not even funn. I do wear my clothes more than once, but I will admit my kids are messy and I know I wouldn't want to wear them again, hahaha. Also, when my kids wore toddler sizes heck ya thrift stores were the best - and they still are for my little girl, but has anyone else noticed that the boy clothes seem very "worn" haha. I think it is just the age of the boys that they start slidding in their jeans, hahaha. I still go about once a month or so to thrift stores to see if it is my lucky day to find some good jeans for my son, but so far not much luck. Just wanted to say thanks again and letting me see where I stand on "how many outfits" other parents have for their kids. Thanks mom! you all rock!

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So What Happened?

Also, just so everyone knows, we have this many jeans b/c my kids play outside everyday (rain, sun, or snow) and my son LOVES to slide through the grass (as I roll my eyes b/c I hate grass stains, hahaha). But anyways, just wanted everyone to know that is why I have a pair of jeans for each day - since he can't wear more than once, haha. My daughter probably could get away with wearing jeans more than once, but she is a messy eater and most things end up in her lap. Thanks for all the great responses to far, keep them coming. :)

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R.M.

answers from Sacramento on

I don't think you went overboard at all. I like for my kids to have two weeks worth of decent outfits plus older clothes that can get stained. They don't haev to be expensive clothes, just something sort of cute and non-stained. They always seem to haev one or two things they don't really like so that irritates me since they ususally come with me to pick clothes out.

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J.K.

answers from Chicago on

I don't think you have gone overboard at all. We have way more than that. I buy everything at rummage/resales though so I feel like I can go overboard. One thing you may consider getting more of are sweat pants. Jeans aren't very warm, and sweatpants are super cheap at Walmart/Target, etc.

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L.B.

answers from Saginaw on

Oh goodness...my boyfriend's daughter (I live with them) has WAY too many clothes. The thing is...we usually don't buy them! My cousin's daughter is one size larger than my BF's daughter, and she usually buys a lot of name brands (GAP, Old Navy, TCP, and more) and hands them down, so we get all of the clothes for super cheap ($5 a grocery bag), or even free! I counted the things hanging in her closet the other day, just for kicks, and she had 175 items hanging...and TONS more in the dresser. I really enjoy her having so many things and it's nice not having to worry about her running out of clean clothes since she does still have quite a few accidents.

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E.H.

answers from Kokomo on

That is a reasonable amount. My daughter alwasy gets way more than what is necessary. (much thanks to Grammy and I always doing a lot of our shopping together lol) She has probably the same as your's plus a few outfits that only go with eachother, not separates. Also I save some of the comfortable outfits from last year that don't look as nice anymore, or the pants are a little short or something, and she can wear those on a weekend day if we are not going anywhere. Kind of inbetween pjs and clothes.

IMO once a child is in school(or somehwere they regularly go every day) they probably need, if it can be afforded, enough to wear something different everyday or a couple weeks. Of course other than maybe a couple pairs of jeans or khakis could be worn a little more often than that with different tops.

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E.S.

answers from Asheville on

I'm with Momto2princesses. I have two 28 mo old girls and i know I go overboard. There have been times that they actually never wear some of the clothes I buy! Bad Mommy! I have been reining in my spending and doing better, but know I dont have enough pants and shirts for the winter. (I try to shop clearance the year before as they tend to run a little behind the size for their age) I also have clothes I send over to my mil who keeps them while we work, but I have different clothes I keep at home for trips to town etc. Mil is not so great at keeping them from staining stuff, but she loves them enough for me to get over it :) Mil house is also VERY well heated in the winter so the girls usually wear short sleeved shirts everyday at her house and we just do the coats from the car to the house.
I'm now freaking out because I'm going to have to buy stuff at full price for the cooler weather!
I'm sure I would be worried that I didn't have enough with the amount you have, but you seem to have logical thought behind your choices. Of course, you may do laundry more often than I do, too.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

That isn't going overboard
You can let your hubby know that I have 3 kids to provide for & buy clothes weekly.

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B.A.

answers from Saginaw on

You sound like you have a fair amount, but to me it doesn't sound like you went overboard.

I have two girls so its easy to get carried away. But in my defense I garage sale shop, get hand me downs, and they have generous Grandma's. So, although, I don't count, I am positive i have more outfits per child.

But I'd also like to note I hate doing laundry, so if I can get away with not doing it for a week...I'm happy!

P.S. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about with teachers and parents. I take my daughter in to Kindergarten every day, I couldn't tell you if a kid was wearing something next week. However I do worry the same about my kids. I think its only in our own heads. LOL

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R.B.

answers from New York on

You are not overboard. We have way more than that. Kids like to pick their own clothes and at your kids ages I bet they love to choose. Whatever sometimes you dont have time to do laundry so it is good to have extras. I don't know if your kids are like mine but my daughter can get dirty and need a change of clothes 2 or 3 times a day.

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J.C.

answers from Columbus on

I like for my kids to have a week's worth of outfits, with a shirt or two extra, 10 pairs each of underwear and socks. That way if I get behind on laundry (usually do it 3-4 times/week) I don't need to worry they won't have anything to wear. They each have at least 3 pairs of pajamas. We do hand me downs and this year I was so excited to only NEED to buy (for 3 children) 2 pairs of long johns, 2 pairs of jeans, and 1 long sleeved shirt :)

I shop at consignment shops, and only go to 'real' stores for end of season sales, to save money on clothes. The only thing I insist on buying new is shoes, underwear and socks

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K.O.

answers from Columbus on

You are tame by the standard of my daughter's closet...LOL. I tend to frequent yard sales and thrift stores (nice ones only) and buy things on sale. My fav thrift store has a once a month sale of half to 75 % off. Best time to go. Then, the rest of our family likes to get her clothes. I already had her stocked for this winter by the middle of summer. Also, if I find name brand items in a little larger size, I buy them if they aren't expensive and have a tote set up for clothes to grow into. Not sure if she will make it through all her clothes but it is nice to have them just in case. I could go several weeks during the summer before doing her laundry...guess I am REALLY bad. :-) Have to say, though, I didn't spend a ton of money which is good.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I have our one son. I went crazy with clothes for him for about the first 4 years. I began reigning back a bit for 5 through 7. He went to a private school and his school wardrobe was uniforms. 6 was a hard year. My boy shot up 4" that year and I ended up buying school clothes for him 3 times that year because he kept out growing them. I got more reasonable for ages 8 and 9, and now for 11/12 yrs old finally everything fits into his closet and dresser. We've moved and he's been in public school since the 3rd grade. He's got a few things that have a few holes. He knows those are for working in the yard or playing with the neighbors dog - not for wearing out any where or for school. Towards the spring I'm going to have to get him dress slacks and shoes and a dress shirt (and a tie) for band performances. I'll be getting a few things for him with the school mascot on them for school spirit wear (a few polo shirts and a jacket). I'm expecting another growth spurt any time now, so I'm holding off buying too much of anything for a bit till he outgrows what he has.

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

I guess if you have the money that is fine.

My 7 year old only has 2 jeans, 2 kahkais, and 2 black pants. 1 sweatshirt, 2 pajamas, and 5 shirts. We limit our clothing and i just do laundry twice a week instead of once. Of course we can't really afford to buy a lot, but it seems like she grows out of clothes so fast, i have no desire to buy too much that she will barely wear. The baby is wearing all the clothes from the 7 year old.

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

That sounds like the perfect amount...wish I had that for myself! :) No one cares if kids wear the same thing everyday...I don't even care if I do. This seems like a good amount that allows you to do laundry once a week.

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K.U.

answers from Detroit on

What you have probably sounds about right - I've found that it helps to have a little more than you think only because at this age they can mess them up so fast and then hopefully you are not having to do laundry every other day. I've also found it helps to get tops and bottoms that you can easily mix and match with each other - oops, you mucked up the top but the pants are still OK, no problem! (And vice versa!)

My daughter is 3 and we both are big fans of the the cotton t-shirt type dress with leggings - I can usually find them pretty cheap at Walmart or similar. Right now she has 5 sets of those, 2 - 3 pairs of jeans, 3 sweaters, 2 hooded sweatshirts, and 5 sets of colder-weather jammies, plus an assortment of t-shirts. One set of jammies can last her 3 or 4 nights, while some outfits she can wear twice before getting washed if they don't get dirty. I think I want to get more but I want to take stock of what she has already so I don't go bonkers. I have not had much luck with thrift stores but consignment stores can be good. I also like finding stuff on sale from Old Navy, Hanna Andersson, The Gap, etc. when it's toward the end of season and getting the next size up for next year.

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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Well I buy practically all my kids clothes second hand or its hand me downs. My oldest gets the clothes from the second hand store. We really save so I buy him extra outfits( all in great new shape) He has about 7 pairs of pants. 2 sweatshirts, 3 tennis shirts, tons of t shirts ( which is what he normally wears.
My middle son receives a HUGE 3 bags of Gymboree clothes two summers ago from a friend. The clothes still fit him..at least for a bit longer. 6 pants tons of cute Gymobree t shirts.
My daughter has about 5 dresses 3 skirts and many shirts.

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S.S.

answers from Cleveland on

Before reading any of the other mom's posts, I hope you don't get any backlash for your post! I do have to admit, I am the same if not worse and my husband is nearly as bad as I am. We do typically shop at Target, sometimes at Walmart or Kmart. We are also bargain shoppers - we have twin girls and buy two of everything. Children's place only if we have good coupons or clearance items. We also shop seasons in advance - at four years old, we know what sizes they'll be the next season, although this might not last for many more years. So, we have purchased enough clothes for Christmas presents after winter was over last year. We really don't need to buy any more outfits (but i'm sure we will lol). I don't see anything wrong with that, in fact, the money we save is astounding - two pink sweaters from Children's Place that were originally $24.50 and we paid $2.99 for each. Since their bday is in February, we buy summer clothes in the fall for birthday presents, and we already have enough clothes for their next bday, and we only paid $2-3 for each item compared to the regular prices. To move on to the amount of clothes - they have more than what you listed. We have 10 dresser drawers full, and a closet of hanging clothes. They do need play clothes for the sitter, and nice clothes for the other time. For the most part, i feel the same way as you do with regards to your rational to dressing the kids. We do teach my kids responsibility, they do help fold all of their laundry and they do assist in putting the clothes away.

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T.F.

answers from San Francisco on

It sounds like you have a system that works for you which is great. If you needed to save money you could find a consignment or thrift shop to help complete wardrobes. A few years ago my daughter (now 8) needed jeans this time of year but I new she could outgrow them quickly and with the changing inconsistant weather didn't want to by full price. I happened to be near a Salvation Army one day and got 3 pairs for $6. Sure enough they were still in great condition when she outgrew them so I was able to donate them back (it was like renting clothes :-) For the most part though my daughter has had so many clothes handed down to her so this isn't an issue for us. Also, from what I've heard and seen, kids have their favorites so end up wearing the same things over and over if given the choice.

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J.G.

answers from San Antonio on

You are VERY reasonable. My son is 2.5 and has maybe only 3 pairs of jeans (but he doesn't fit them right, so that's why there's only a few). THen he has some kakhi, sweatpants, etc. I have MORE than 8 shirts. I might have 12 or 15, granted, most were hand-me-down from my cousin's kids.

If you want more outfits, get some plain shirts (long sleeve) to go UNDER their t-shirts. I found some plain long sleeve shirts for $4 at Target last week and bought two. Then you'll have all of your kids t-shirts to be able to use in winter.

and as a former teacher, yes I would notice if the kid wore the same shirt every week. But not a big deal. What do I care if they wear the same shirt? As long as the kid didn't stink I didn't care.

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G.R.

answers from Dallas on

I think thats good my kids have 8 pair of jeans.15 shirts(long and short sleeve )because they get dirty so quick,10 pair of socks,5 sweat shirts,5 pair of sweats about 5 pajamas.

my kids are 21 months .

my older son has a just a few less items.

i do laundry twice a week,i spend usually 200 dlls for my twins and 150 for my 7 y/o

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

I do think that would be a lot of clothes for most kids. But your kids are young and I remember my kids were always needing to change for some reason. As they hit grade school, I would not have more than 4 or 5 jeans. Depends on what they will wear. (sweat pants, skirts, shorts) For tops I always have 3 or 4 sweat shirts and plenty of leftover t-shirts from their activities. 4 or 5 long sleeve shirts. I have 4 kids. My youngest I had plenty of hand me downs from siblings and friends. Occasionally grandma buys them clothes. That helps out. 2 pairs of shoes and one pair of boots. One winter coat and one spring coat. I do laundry once a week and keep an eye on it to make sure they have what they need.

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J.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

My boys have play clothes and school clothes. They are 5 (Kindergarten) and nearing 4 (in Dec.). They each have 2 pair of school jeans. My oldest has 3 other pairs as well, so he has 5 pairs of school pants, and the little one has 2 (he's in preschool 2 days a week). I make them change out of the "good" stuff after school to help them last longer. The little one has about 3 pairs of play pants (various kinds) and the older one has a pile of patched jeans (about 5 pairs).

They each have a stack of long sleeves, a stack of short sleeves, and at least 4 pairs of shorts.

I buy new for my 5 year old, and if they are still decent the younger one wears them... he always gets shirts, the pants are usually worn out. He literally wore a hole in one pair of pants (bought used - sweatpants) in an afternoon last week. We have lots of sliding going on around here.

My daughter (22 months) has way too many outifits, but I buy them all used at Once Upon a Child, usually on clearance.

J.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

That's about what I buy for my 8yo son. 4-6 pairs of pants (he usually hasn't outgrown &/or demolished ALL of his old pants yet), and twice as many shirts.

I buy all of his clothes too big, so they last for awhile.

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L.M.

answers from Terre Haute on

I think I would give my right arm if that were all the clothes my kids had. Fortunately, my daughter gets a lot of hand me downs so she has 4 drawers full of winter clothes as well as her closet, and I am super greatful for the hand-me-downs, They dont come from a sibling so she doesn't resent them yet. LOL. Then I have twin boys fortunately are the same size, so I dont have to buy seperate for them yet, but I have to make sure I have enough for each, and I prefer to have enough that if my laundry doesnt get done on its normal days we always have extra. I prefer 2 weeks worth of clothes for them. But then that sets me up for way too many clothes for my youngest son. He gets the twins hand me downs so he has twice what he needs. Thankfully most people have stopped buying the exact same outfits for them. I am always swimming in clothes. If I could afford to BUY new each year, I would just to keep them to a minimum and to not deal with sorting through totes to see which ones will fit this year. Such a fight to get kids to try on clothes.

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M.K.

answers from Los Angeles on

I buy my 2 year old the target tops and bottoms - which are only $3.50 each, she probably has a pair of pants for each day and a top for each day of the week. she has 3 "going out" dresses and one jacket.

my son who is 8 has around 3 pairs of jeans, probably 10 pairs of shorts and at leat 20 t shirts!, I buy a lot at garage sales and charity shops and probably dont spend more than $100 on clothes for both children a season

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D.P.

answers from Detroit on

I have to hide in shame on this one. I always have good intentions but they never pan out that way. So far my girls have not worn the same outfit twice in school this year and will probably not be doing so for awhile.(I know I should be flogged). I do have to say that most were purchased on sale, some are last years, some are hand me downs and some are upcycled by me from old t shirts. Still the amount is pretty obnoxious.

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T.L.

answers from Columbia on

oooooh my! sorry i must say that i giggled when reading this post... as of right now my 10 month old (for the winter) has about 15 pairs of jeans, 40+ shirts short sleeve shirts, 20+ long sleeve shirts, about 12 jackets and of course sweats and pjs. My daughters closet is always packed.. for every season no matter what. thats why she never wears half of her clothes. Now the only reason she has so much is because I havent had to buy her clothes, my family has about 6 girls which their old stuff has been sent to me. I think you're doing great this winter!

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A.R.

answers from Dallas on

My kids have WAY.too.many clothes

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Teachers / daycare providers only notice / pay attention to what your child is wearing if it is soiled and dirty. But we all know that kids have favorites. I have had to strip a kid out of a tshirt wash and dry it only to have them ask for it again and again and again...... Your kids have plenty of clothing. In my house unless they get dirty jeans can and are worn more than once. You have pretty much enough clothing for almost 2 weeks. No sense in having a lot of clothing that they outgrow and don't wear often. Keep the going green spirit alive and don't take more than you can use and don't waste what you have.

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L.L.

answers from Hartford on

I don't think you are overboard. My son has at least that many clothes and pj's. You are right on track.

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L.R.

answers from Wausau on

Well I am probably one that goes overboard, you don't even want to know how many outfits my 4 month old has...lol but my 3 yr old boy and 5 yr old girl have just about 14 outfits each, and then 5 sweaters, and tons of soxs and underware. and believe me or not 3-4 swimsuits each. They swim almost every day though and sometimes they don't get dryed in time...Call me crazy...lol but like you most of my shopping is consignment, or clearance and I buy ahead don't think I have ever spent more then 100 on each child in the year, and also my daughter I have to admit has been in the same size for 2.5 years and her stuff just keeps acumulating...haha

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

We have about the same amount as you, but they only wear half of it, like you said, they prefer their favorites! As for jeans though, we probably rotate between 2 or 3 pairs for the week, with maybe a pair of khakis and courdoroys for going out.

Really though, I don't go shopping all that much, and when I do, it's usually consignment shops like kid to kid or garage sales... so I end up with toooons of shirts (mostly short sleeved polo style and play tshirts).

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

I do my best to make sure that my kiddo (3) has enough outfits that I can go 1 - 2 weeks without doing laundry if we get busy. (especially in the fall/winter, we do a lot more on the weekends, like ren fest, fall stuff, holidays, visiting family out of town, etc.) and I dont like to be caught off guard with her having nothing to wear.

To that end, I scout sales and garage sales. I also love Target, they have these super great pants my daughter loves for 4 dollars each, so I dont feel bad buying her a few pairs. And garage sales are great, you can get clothes for a quarter and some of it barely looks worn. There are also great consignment sales around here called Just Between Friends, which they have 1 in the spring and 1 in the fall.

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S.T.

answers from Jamestown on

You did not overbuy I think you might not have enough of some things personally. I agree with you and would tell your husband to just lighten up.

I would buy a few more jeans and long sleeve shirts. My kid has more than six pairs of jeans because laundry in my house always gets backed up because I am a student and a SAHM. It's better to have plenty than not enough. And what about socks and underwear? I would go with three packs each. Socks always come up missing in my house and I am also a step parent as well.

Good Luck!

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L.U.

answers from Seattle on

oh geez....my kids have a TON of clothes. Lots of stuff has been handed down, birthday gifts (they have 4 uncles and grandparents, just on MY side), great deals, second hand store stuff. Their drawers are stuffed and their closets are full. I have two boys, 8 and 5, so I know what you mean about "worn". I just find that if we are out and about and I see a pair of Levi's for $8 I can't help myself!!
I am not going to say how many of everything they have, but they are dressed!!

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K.N.

answers from Cleveland on

Actually a weeks worth of school clothes that can be mixed and matched, and then some stuff that they can ruin and play in is plenty. Jammies, depends on how often you do the wash, I do a load a day, so 3 pair is plenty, however they have more, and some people let kids rewear jammies, so that's just a personal preference. Same with jeans though, a week or so of pants is great, but jeans are jeans, even more so when talking about boys, one pair isn't much different than the other, so a couple of nice pairs is all you really need.

I will however admit, my son (9) has 5 pairs of pants, and 5 pairs of jeans, a drawer full of sweat/jammie pants and a closet full of tops and hoodies.
my daughter (7) has enough clothing for 6 kids, but she enjoys getting clothing as a gift where the boys hate it, so they only get what they need, when they need it.

My oldest (11) needs pants and has been getting by with 2 pair of jeans, but he's at that age where anytime I buy something he outgrows it a month later, and I'm at my wits end.

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

That sounds like what my boys wardrobe has in it. We mix it up and have khaki and navy pants also and a few pairs of jeans. Don't worry about what others thing or say, you are your own person and just worry about taking care of your family and being the best mommy you can be.

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H.T.

answers from San Francisco on

Well I run a retail children's store...so I have bought RIDICULOUS amounts of clothes for my 41/2 old! I just went back to work after 2 yrs and went a little crazy.... She just started her second year of (pre) school, and really did need *some* clothes...but she only goes 3 days a week, and I'm honestly not sure if she will even be able to wear the same outfit more than once or twice! (esp. since I just pulled out even more winter clothes from last year that she can still wear)
So I swear, I'm so done buying her clothes....until spring at least.... But here's a bit of justification- I have a 2yr old, who wears almost all hand-me-downs from big sis!! So I rarely buy for the younger one, and see it as a bit of an investment when buying for my oldest, :)

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V.B.

answers from Houston on

My daughter's closet is completely packed! She is almost 5 and has stopped growing as fast, so she still fits in some stuff from last year. I also found some stuff on clearance last year that was the next bigger size AND we got a ton of hand me downs from a friend. So, I hardly have to buy her anything for this season. Honestly, we have so much for her. My son, on the other hand, I have to buy more for because we don't know anyone to give him hand me downs and he is 2, so he's still growing faster. I probably bought him about 6-8 pairs of pants altogether (and he still has a couple of pairs that fit him from last year) and maybe 12 shirts (?...I'm guessing. I didn't go upstairs and count) for the Fall season. I got a ton of stuff on clearance for him too and had an extra 25% off at Carter's so it was fun to get him some really cute stuff and pay next to nothing for it! I got him a few shirts at WalMart for $1 each! I just love a good deal. Anyway, I'm sure they both have more than they need, but I hate laundry and don't always do it every week, so I like to have a few extras in case I'm a little behind. You're so right about them having their favorites though! They really do wear the same thing all of the time.....it's really quite funny. :-)

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

I have tons more than that for the girl but the boy is less, I do laundry more than you I guess. He is still working on not having accidents and we really need to have more clothes for him, I just haven't seen anything worth parting ways with my money yet.

She has dresses, skirts, tops, capris, shorts, jeans, jumpers, pillowcase dresses and tops to go under in case they untie.

Her winter clothes, some left over from last year, some new from the clearance rack in a size too big last year, clothes handed down from friends, coats, all that are in tubs under her bed and they don't come out until the cooler weather is all day long, prob. later in October. Right now she can still wear Summer clothes or lightFall tops with long sleeves that won't be too hot in the afternoons.

For dance class she wears the required dance class leo but in her tumbling and gymnastics classes she is a little diva and has a whole wardrobe of different styles of leos and 2 pc. tops and briefs. I buy very little, truthfully hardly any new. Most comes from consignment stores, garage sales, or friends whose girls are just a size or 2 above. She is going into a 6 and I have clothes clear up to size 10 in storage waiting for her to grow into.

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B.J.

answers from Rochester on

I had to reply to this!!! My kids have WAY to many cloths and I bet only spent 30$ on each of them!!! I think its so funny that everyone comments on money and clothing. I buy my kids winter stuff in the spring and the summer stuff in the fall. I save up money so I go crazy when the sales come. I can buy a shirt for $1 or so and jeans I can find garage sales for 50 cents or so! I try to only get new stuff for my older child as he is in first grade and I don't want him to be made fun of, but if I look hard enough I can buy brand new jeans for $5 or so. They are even the cargo that he likes! I buy big and then put in my closet until it fits the kids! I buy my hubby cloths to so if he complains I threaten to stop buying for him!!! I work full time and am prego so I love the kids to have lots so I can do laundry only when needed :)

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K.P.

answers from New York on

That seems a little over-the-top to me. With four people in your household, it seems like you would be doing laundry throughout the week... no need for a fresh pair of jeans every day! People don't notice when kids where the same outfits every day. My son is only two, but he has more clothes than he will ever wear- gifts from family who love buying him things. Typically, he's in jean or sweats and a t-shirt. He has his favorites and we do laundry mid-week to make sure they are clean!

I will say this... our preschool provider specifically sent home a letter at the start of the school year requesting that we NOT send our children in "nice" clothes every day b/c they just get messy!

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

My kids have a bunch of clothes! My youngest is 16 months so can go through more than 1 outfit a day due to accidents and such. The boys are 9&6 and make a mess. We also have to have clothes for a gambit of weather. Last week we started with 115 degrees on Monday and ended with 60s and rain on Friday. The day to night temp spread was 40-50 degrees at least. I also have to admit..I get sort of bored seeing the same outfits all the time so I pick things up here and there, and of course there are the outifts you have to buy when there is an accident and you find you forgot to put a clean change of clothes in the diaper bag after using the last one LOL
In other words..tons of clothes ;) LOL

M.D.

answers from Dallas on

I can't afford that much... I have a 15 year old girl who does have a lot of shirts, she's finally at an age where she isn't growing anymore. She only has 2-3 jeans, she wears them out pretty fast. My 13 year old son is on a growing spurt right now, he only has one pair of pants that fit, that's for game day, he has like 3 pair of shorts he wears, it's still HOT in Texas. He has about 5 shirts he wears. I'll be buying some new jeans soon but only 2 pairs. He had total of 3 pairs of jeans last year, out grew them now. My youngest wears my nephew's hand-me-downs. I haven't had to buy clothes for him. I bought one outfit last year. I'm very lucky to have my sister, however, I think my son is about to pass her's who is two years older. Well, it was great while it lasted. I live on a tight budget, pay check to pay check and that's really not enough, so if I can get any extra it does go to the kids for clothes.
I do laundry mainly on the weekends about 10 loads, however, I've been trying to spread it out over the week so I'm not tied to the washer and dryer on my days off.

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A.G.

answers from South Bend on

I think that is about the right amount, personally. This is the first year we have ever bought clothes for our kids (love seconds from friends), but my oldest, 9yo boy, doesn't have any more. Like you said, there comes a point when boys are really h*** o* their clothes. lol Last year, I weeded out the clothes in all their closets (3 kids) and left them about that much. I just couldn't take all those clothes anymore when they only wore their favorites! So, we just passed them along to others. ;)

One thing to consider when thinking about the number of clothes: Do you take vacations/trips often? If so, make sure you have enough to pack, unless you do laundry when on vacation. Currently, I have a family of 5 (soon to be 6) and I do 1 load of laundry everyday, so I don't have so much at the end of the week. That keeps their "favorites" clean quite often, too.

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F.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

I say buy whatever makes you happy. I've recently started shopping for my daughter and found that I buy toooo much if I shop off the sales racks. So, I stay away!!!!!!! She needs certain types of clothing to go to development play & learn classes and I make sure she has what she needs. And, some things are just too cute to bypass.

Again, buy what you feel is needed, and shop within your budget. :o)

K.C.

answers from Orlando on

My daughter has waaaay more, but I have maybe bought her 10 outfits her entire life. She is just the first grandchild, niece, friends baby girl, etc. So people are constantly bringing clothes to our house! I AM NOT COMPLAINING! WE LOVE IT! :)

My husband complains all the time, but when we are out and people constantly come up to tell us how adorable our daughter is...he loves it. She is also 19 months and knows how to unvelcro and untie bibs so they don't usually last long and she very much loves to feed herself with forks and spoons (I let her, I know it's messy but she's learning so much!) so she usually needs changed after most meals. We go through 1-4 outfits a day.

Like many other people mentioned thrift stores are awesome for getting new (to your kids) items, but they are also great to take the older stuff that needs cleared out. There is also a great website Threadup.com where they send you boxes to pack with clothes for a particular size/season and you can trade your box with someone else of a different size/season and all you pay is the shipping. They give you the boxes and the place to post about your box. This might help your husband out because you are getting rid of the same amount you are getting!

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P.R.

answers from Cincinnati on

If the list that you gave in the start is accurate, I think that is just about right. Maybe not quite enough depending on how many times each day they change. I know when we were kids we had old clothes that was probably on the small side that we wore as "play clothes." And then we had the nicer, newer stuff for school or going out in public or whatever. But, I could see needing two outfits a day.

In our house we have extra pj's. If we're hanging out at home that may be what my son wears. I know that when we are in the house, I want him in something clean and that doesn't have the whole outdoors on it. I don't want the outside grime transferred to my carpets or furniture. Same for the food, so if there is food all over the clothes, he gets changed out of that, too. Also, I use the gerber type cotton pjs as an extra layer under clothes in winter when we go out of the house. So, in my case we have about twice the pjs you mentioned (maybe 3x if you count the stuff that he is growing out of) but only about a 7 pairs of pants/sweats. In your case, where you want them in street clothes till they go to bed at night, maybe you do need more street clothes.

If the update is accurate, then seems like you have more than you originally stated if the closets are too full?

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L.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

There's a great 2nd hand store close by that is just one street away from a very upscale neighborhood & they have GREAT stuff. So I end up with more than what you have! Except for the pjs.We get about 2 pr for the season.

I do it more for me because I like to see the neat stuff I found and they are very inexpensive. Wish I could find the same goldmine for my size.

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