When Did Kids Clothes Become So Complicated?

As a parent of a baby you get to choose what newborn baby clothes to put them in whether your taste is for cute or funky, designer or cheap baby clothes. And you might expect that even when they reach the toddler stage they will be quite happy with your choice of clothes - after all, whenever you buy your baby cheap toys, they are quite happy to play with even the packaging the toy came in without complaint! But it seems that, at a much younger age than when my children were young, both girls and boys are getting definite ideas on what kid's clothes they want to wear. Even infant boy clothing and infant girl clothing can now cause headaches for unsuspecting parents!

When I think back to my own children my daughter was at least four years old before she started having definite ideas about what she would and wouldn't wear, in fact she flatly refused to wear dresses! On the other hand, my son at the same age was quite happy with whatever clothes I chose for him (except dresses!) although they were always more appealing if they depicted favorite characters such as Thomas The Tank Engine, Superman or Transformers.

Things have certainly been different with our grandson who is now four and a half years old. From about the age of two he has had very firm ideas on what clothes he wants to wear. He has always been keen on cars and vehicles and so buying clothes with pictures of those on them were always greeted with delight. One of his favorite movies was Cars and he loved having tops, socks and underwear with pictures of Lightning McQueen on them.

As he has got older and his game playing has changed so too have his favorite characters. A short time ago he was very into Ben 10 and proudly showed his Ben 10 pajamas and socks as he rushed about pretending to change into one of the figures he had seen on TV. According to his Mum he has now outgrown Ben 10 and he now wants to emulate Super Heroes such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman and save people from the "baddies". Now clothes with these action figures on are cool! How long this phase will last is anyone’s guess!

Another new interest is soccer and he now "supports" his local team Blackburn Rovers and the England national team and proudly sports the England shirt that someone bought for him. He thinks it's great because all his friends wear them too.

But it 's not just his friends who influence what he likes to wear. He also likes to get dressed up for a special occasion in a smart shirt and trousers just like Daddy. I'm not sure my son went through that phase until he was much older as he much preferred being in clothes that allowed him to rough and tumble.

Obviously my experiences are based on the relatively small sample comprising my children and grandchild, plus friends and relatives and what I see in the shops. But what do you think?

Newborn Baby Clothes, That's The Least Of Your Worries

From dressing them in newborn baby clothes to feeding them and all the way through to looking after their every single need, having your own baby brings unique physical and emotional challenges that you can't really appreciate until you have your own child. It is very very different than looking after other people's.

From the age of eleven I have been involved with babies. One of our neighbors had a baby girl and I used to go and play with her, watch her being fed, changed and bathed. As I became a teenager I used to baby-sit for neighbors and friends, a practice I continued until I got married.

Because of my love of babies and children I decided to take it up as a career. I started my working life training to be a pediatric nurse. Unfortunately because of family illness I was not able to finish my training. However, I still continued to take care of other people's babies and became adept at changing diapers, bathing them and giving a bottle. With all this experience you would think I would have been well prepared when I had my own first baby.

I certainly thought I knew enough to cope when I brought my daughter home from the hospital. Boy was I wrong. Yes I was capable of dealing with the practical aspects after all I'd looked after lots of very young babies over the years but what I hadn't factored in was the emotional side of things. It's easy to stay detached and cope when you don't have the responsibility of the baby twenty four seven but totally different when you are the mom and dad.

After giving birth you suddenly realize that this tiny, helpless miracle is wholly dependent on you for everything and you obviously want to make sure that you do things right. The first big hurdle comes with the first feeding time. If you are breastfeeding you have to learn how to do it right to avoid frustration for both you and your baby. But even if you are bottle feeding you have to learn how to make up the formula, and the best way to hold your baby to ensure they don't take in too much air when they are sucking.

Diaper changing is much easier these days especially if you use disposable diapers. When I had my children in the 1970s we used cloth diaper squares and even though I knew the different ways to fold them to fit the baby it somehow seemed a lot different now it was my baby. I was scared I might damage the umbilical stump or prick her with the pin, things I had never worried about before.

The same was true when it came to bathing her for the first time. I was worried I'd let her slide under the water or that I'd drop her when I was lifting her out of the bath. And was I too rough when drying her and was I making sure that she was properly dry so she wouldn't get a rash or chapped skin?

And how much harder is it to comfort a crying baby when you are tired and have no idea why she is crying having fed her, changed her, winded her and cuddled her? The more upset and frustrated you get the more that transmits through to this screaming bundle and it seems to become a vicious circle.

I am happy to say that I very soon became as competent caring for my baby as I had been when caring for other peoples children. It was far easier the second time around as you know more what to expect and you realize you are going to make mistakes but they usually turn out okay.

The feeling of wanting to be the perfect parent and get it right all the time never goes away even when your child is grown up and has a family of their own. When I look at my grown up family today and see what they have achieved I realize we did a pretty good job. And buying newborn baby clothes was the easy bit!

More Than Baby Clothes

When I started this blog I not only wanted to focus on baby clothes and kids clothes but on other things to do with children - hence the "more" in the blog title. So here is one of the "more" postings about my experiences in looking after children.

Before I moved to the USA I owned a nursery (preschool) in the UK that took children from the age of 45 months until they started school at five years old. Parents often asked what they needed to do to prepare their child for nursery. Did they need to teach them to read, write, and recognize numbers or count? Important as these achievements are there are other skills children need to acquire before starting in a more educational setting.

Here are some of the most important things you can do to prepare your toddler for the first step to formal learning whether you are in the USA or the UK:

• Talk to your child about what they can expect - make this fun and perhaps play a game of "let's go to preschool". The more fun your child has learning about what they are going to be doing once they start this new venture the easier it will be for them to settle.
  

• Visit the preschool so that they are familiar with where it is, the layout and to meet the staff and other children. After the initial visit with mom and dad I used to invite the child to come for one or two sessions (mom could leave them if they were happy to) so they got a chance to play and join in the activities.

• Make sure your child can listen to and follow simple instructions. This is a very important skill as during the course of the day they are going to have to follow the directions that the teacher gives them not only to help them learn but also for following safety procedures.

• Get your child used to sitting and listening to stories and joining in with songs and nursery rhymes.

• Teach your child to take turns. There are lots of activities where turn taking is important: in a conversation, playing games (as matching pairs, dominoes etc.) and waiting in line.

• Help them to be independent when it comes to personal care such as going to the bathroom, putting on and taking off their coat/sweater and taking off and putting on their shoes.

• Arrange for them to have play dates with children of a similar age so they get used to sharing, playing and socializing with other children.
  

• Make time to talk to and listen to your little one so that they are able to hold a conversation with other children and their teachers. It is also useful to teach them that it is okay to have all kinds of feelings but that there is a right and wrong way to express them.
  

• Be supportive of your child by praising their strengths and letting them develop at their own pace. All children are different and don't learn everything at the same age and there will be things that your child excels at and others that he's not so good at.
  

• Don't oversell the idea of preschool by saying things like "it'll be the best fun ever" or "there's nothing to be afraid of". Take seriously any fears and anxieties they have and reassure them.
  

All these skills can and should be taught in a fun way through play and everyday activities. Remember they will have enough formal lessons when they start full time education. Let them play and be children while they can.

Buying Cheap Baby Clothes And Kids Clothes Is Better Than Sacrificing Family Fun

In today’s economic downturn more and more parents are looking for ways to save money while still being able to enjoy family time with their babies and kids. Buying cheap baby clothes, cutting down on the amount of money spent on toys and clipping coupons to help with the grocery shopping bill are all measures that some families have had to adopt to help with the family budget.

But these cost cutting actions do not mean that you have to miss out on family outings. There are lots of activities you can enjoy together that are cost little or no money to enjoy.

The first thing I would suggest is to join your local library if you are not already a member. Not only will you be able to check out books to read to your child but many libraries have a range of free activities that you can join in.

For instance my local community library offers weekly preschool story sessions, baby story sessions and bedtime story sessions where the kids can go in their pajamas, take their favorite toy or blanket and cuddle up to hear someone else read a story for a change. They also get to socialize with other kids and their parents and learn to sit and listen.

My library also does a monthly family Saturday movie matinee where they show movies based on children's books. This is a great way for all the family to enjoy an inexpensive afternoon at the movies while bringing the characters of a favorite books to life. There is also a scrap booking session and a range of adult programs as well. Your library may well have other activities available so check it out.

Another suggestion is to visit a Toy Library if you have one in your area. Most toy libraries run sessions where your child and their caregiver (mom, dad, grandma or nanny) can go to play and then borrow toys to take home. Again it is a great place to help your child to learn the skills needed for later life such as interacting with other children and adults, learning to share and most important how to communicate with other children. Most toy libraries do charge a fee but I'm sure for those most in need there are some arrangements.

It is also worth checking out the bulletin boards in your local library, church, post office and grocery store for other activities that you can do with your little ones that are free or cost very little money.

Or if you are lucky enough to live near a park or a wooded area why not go on a nature walk and pack a picnic. Seeing how many different birds and animals you can see and hear is a great way to encourage your kids to use their eyes and ears and really take note of their surroundings.

You don't even need to go to the park, even in your own yard you'll be amazed at how many different sights, sounds and smells you will discover - for instance in the Fall try listening to see if you can hear a leaf drop from the tree.

Far too often in our busy lives we forget the simple pleasures in life like spending time talking to and listening to our children. Babies learn language and develop their brain from having interaction with mom and dad through conversation and play. Kids love to spend time doing things with their parents and you are the best ones to teach them about the world around them.

So even if you have to tighten your belt by buying cheap baby clothes and kid’s clothes and cutting down on trips to the movies or pizza restaurant there are plenty of other activities you can enjoy as a family. Who knows, you may all find that it's actually more enjoyable than sitting in front of the TV or computer and that as a family you learn the art of talking to each other again!

When Newborn Baby Clothes Are Too Big - How To Find Preemie Clothes

Finding newborn baby clothes has never been easier. From stores such as Target and Wal-Mart to designer stores like Ralph Lauren and Saks there are plenty to choose from to suit your budget. But how easy is it to find are baby clothes for the preemie baby or low birth weight baby?

I have a friend in the UK who had a preemie in the 1980s and the only store she could find premature baby clothes was in London about fifty miles away from where she lived. She visited the store and bought some clothes but they were very expensive and the choice was very limited. Fortunately she had friends and relatives who could knit and sew and they made some clothes for her son and she also bought some baby doll clothes.

With the advance in medical techniques, early babies in the industrialized countries have a greater survival rate than they did even twenty or thirty years ago. And with more and more IVF treatment there are probably more multiple births and these babies tend to have a lower birth weight. So you would expect that finding newborn baby clothes small enough for these precious little miracles would be much easier.

While some of the high street stores do carry a small range of premature baby clothes these are few and far between and it is still the case that for a greater choice you will need to go to a specialist baby store. Probably the best place to look is on the internet. There are far more outlets on line and they do not just sell preemie baby clothes but also diapers and other things you will need for your precious bundle.

Now that there are more and more realistic baby girl dolls and baby boy dolls there is a far greater selection of doll clothes that you can buy but be sure to make sure these are nice and soft without harsh seams to prevent damaging baby's delicate skin. Another alternative is to make your own clothes. Again the internet is a great source for patterns a lot of which are free.

Premature babies sleep a lot more than full term babies so for everyday wear newborn gowns or tee shirts are ideal clothes as they are comfortable and make diaper changing easy. You will obviously want a few cute outfits for those precious photos. Babies grow very quickly so in no time you will be buying cute newborn baby clothes to bring your bundle of joy home in.

Changing Baby Clothes And Changing Advice

Just like trends in baby clothes have changed over the years, so has the advice and products available to pregnant women. Even compared with thirty years ago, when I had my children, there is so much more known about what you should and should not do during your pregnancy. For instance, pregnant women were advised not to smoke when I had my children, but there was not the same advice about not drinking. Fortunately I was sick with just a few sips of alcohol from early in my first trimester so I cut it out totally until I stopped breastfeeding.

A healthy diet is obviously a must and the same was true during my pregnancies but we were not as aware of things to be avoided as today’s new moms are. Obviously far more research has been done on foods not to eat such as soft cheeses like feta, brie and goat’s cheese because of the risk of listeria or not eating under cooked or raw eggs because of the risk of salmonella or even fish such as tuna, swordfish and grouper because of the high mercury content.

We were also not made aware of the all the extra vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain mom's health as well as that of her unborn baby. Yes we knew to eat food rich in iron to prevent anemia and because it was vital to baby's growth but we were not as aware of the importance of folic acid as moms-to-be are today. Nowadays in addition to your diet there are nutritional supplements available to ensure that your body gets the vital ingredients so that you have a healthy pregnancy. There are lots of places to get information (online, books and your doctor) on what vitamins and minerals are important for you and your baby during pregnancy.

It is not just dietary advice that has changed over the years, so too have the number of products available to make pregnancy more comfortable. Maternity clothes no longer consist of just smock tops and dresses to hide your "bump" but are now modern and trendy and designed to proudly emphasize your growing stomach to the world.

But it is the availability of things like pregnancy pillows and support belts that I think I would have found a great help. The pillows look so comfortable and anything that aids restful sleep and helps relieve back ache by supporting your bump thus enabling you to find a comfortable position gets my vote. And the belts takes the pressure off your back when standing or walking.

In some ways I envy today’s moms because there is far more information available for them to help ensure they have a healthy baby and all the conveniences the twenty first century has to offer to make life easier for them both before the baby is born and afterwards. But just like millions of other women over the years we managed with the knowledge we had at the time and I am just thankful that my husband and I were blessed with two healthy children.

Baby Boys Clothes, Baby Girls Clothes And Getting The Best Value For Money

For most moms, baby boys clothes (or baby girl clothes!) for that newborn baby are seldom a problem. The excitement during the months leading up to the birth of your child usually means that you have time to plan and get things ready. At the same time, friends and family are almost as excited as you are - so they either buy sentimental gifts, new clothes or look through their baby's wardrobe and find baby clothes to hand on to you.

When the first few weeks have passed by, though, and your newborn baby is suddenly a lot bigger, you find that keeping up with his or her growth is a constant battle. And replacing really good and hardly-worn clothing is expensive.

So how can you minimize the costs and get the best value for money when you do need to buy new baby boys clothes or baby girls clothes? Here are some thoughts for you to keep in mind when the time comes:

• First and maybe the most obvious: An excellent way to save money is to shop for baby clothes during big sales events at the stores because you can pick up some good bargains. Another good place to look is on the clearance rails which many retailers have, particularly when they are restocking for a new season.
  

• Always buy a larger size than your baby actually needs because babies grow so fast. Clothes that fit perfectly now are almost certainly going to be too small in a few weeks. Buying baby clothes in a larger size will extend the amount of time they will be wearable so that you will need to buy less often.
  

• Strange though it may sound, give some thought to the time of year before you do actually buy. If you are "buying ahead" as recommended above, think about the clothes labels that give size in terms of a baby's age, such as 9 or 12 months. Then consider what the weather or temperature will be like by the time your baby will be that many months old. This will help you to buy clothes that not only fit, but will also be suitable for the time of year.
  

• If you have ever struggled to get a wriggling or crying baby dressed, I am sure that you can recall the difficulty of using baby clothes with back openings or ones that go over the head and you probably agree that these are not a good idea. They also wear and tear quicker. Front opening outfits with either poppers or Velcro fastenings save you and your baby a lot of stress.
  

• Accept new and even used clothes (as long as the used clothes are in good condition, of course). If one of your relatives has older children, they may want to give you the baby clothes that they have finished with. These may even include new clothes that their baby didn't wear. This is a great way to save money, especially if they're things you were planning to buy yourself.
  

• Take a look at recovering some of the money you've spent on baby boys clothes or baby girls clothes when your child has grown too big for them. You could try to sell them at a yard sale, on eBay or maybe even a thrift shop. Sure, you're not going to get a huge amount of cash this way but at least you'll get something back.
  

• Not directly related to saving money, but something that can help to extend the life of your baby's clothes, is making sure that you have more than enough outfits. No matter how careful you are your baby is going to spill food down his clothes or dribble or be sick on them. If you have enough changes of clothes to deal with these messy accidents and you can avoid washing them constantly, they will last longer.

These are just some of the ways you can save money when shopping, whether it's for baby boys clothes or baby girl clothes. No doubt there are many more, so before you set out on the next baby clothes shopping spree, take another look at these ideas and make sure your finances are given a help!