How much clothes do kids really need?

Question

My kids have full wardrobes - and mostly wear the smae thing over and over! i think with limited space available to them, it might be time for a serious downsize.....but the question is - how much do they really need? I dont want to keep heaps but dont want them left with nothing to wear. Help!

Answer 1

Leave it up to them.  Tell them whatever they don't wear within ____ weeks' time, you are donating to charity.  Then they'll be more involved in the elimination and feel less like they're being "robbed."  ;)

Answer 2

The clothes issue is a HUGE reason why I love that Aussie schools have uniforms. So much less clothes needed, and we can spend money on items for choice instead!

Answer 3

All kids need is 8 shirts, 8 pants[skirts etc], and a whole lotta socks!

they do grow fast, but getting them too many clothes will spoil them and be a giant waste too! Since, as you said, they only wear mostly the same things..

Answer 4

I have 2 kids and help with many. It depends on the kids and your schedules. Some kids go through their "favs" and wear a couple things repeatedly. Normal. Some kids mix and match like fiends. It may be cool today and bad tomorrow. If they have out-grown then it's time to donate it. If they hate it then donate it. Sometimes they are just too lazy to look for something so they grab whats on top or quickest and thats why they wear the same again and again. If you rotate it by switching what's on hangers and whats stuffed in drawers then you may see a huge change. Remember to keep the "fat" pants because most kids pudge a little before they shoot up in height or it's a girls "heavy" time of month.

Start buying less and when they say they need something then ask them why they need it. This may help prevent the over building. Holey clothes are fun but I personally toss them. If they are stained they go as well. If they can't take care of them then they don't need more. They have to help with laundry. If they can't pick them up they don't need more. (hope some of this helps) Basically remember if you only do laundry once a week leave enough clothes to cover it. The weather where you are certainly plays a role in what you choose. I'm in the midwest USA so I have to leave larger amounts to cover temperature changes. We can have 80's and 40's in the same day so they will change (or probably should) at some point through the day. Good luck it's a great question.

Answer 5

When you take them clothes shopping, help them pick out a few things that are acceptable to you and that they like, then get a few copies of them, so they can wear the same thing over and over, but you don't have launder their clothes every day.

Plenty of socks and underwear though.

Answer 6

I have 2 kids (5 & 7) that have WAY too much so it's hard for me to say what a kid really NEEDS. With my kids, they each have one drawer of good shirts, one drawer of pj's, one drawer of skirts and outfits, 2 drawers each kid for jeans and dress pants, one drawer each kid for play jeans & comfy pants to be worn only around home, 1 drawer each for play shirts that they only wear at home, each has closet space for dresses and sweatshirts. 1 drawer each FULL of socks and panties!! If I run out of room I'll put things such as tights and leggings into an under the bed storage container until they are needed. Now is especially tough since the weather is FINALLY getting nicer, but not nice enough to put the long sleeves & jeans away yet. My 5 yr old likes to mix and match her clothes and wears most everything she has. My oldest...I buy a lot for her that she doesn't wear as she likes to wear the same things repeatedly. At least for now I can pass her clothes down to her little sister!

If your kids really don't wear much of the clothing you have for them, I would suggest cutting back to half of what you have. That should give you more space to work with too!!

I hope my babbling helps somewhat!

I think I'm going to go clean out their dressers now....

Answer 7

Well, the first thing you could do to help downsize their wardrobes would be to look at the outfits they wear frequently, and ask them why they like those particular outfits. Then look at the clothes they neglect, and ask why they don't wear them. This will help you get a better idea of what they actually like to wear, and thus you will be able to buy things that they will wear--and nothing else--next time you go clothes shopping. This will cut down on superfluous clothes. As they grow out of the ones they already have, give them to neighbors or charities.

As for some specific numbers of things they should have. . . if we're talking about a girl, here's what I think:

shirts/tops: at least ten

pants/shorts/skirts: at least five (total, not of each)

coats and overwear: no more than two

dresses and formalwear: no more than three

underwear: at least twenty pairs

socks: at least twenty pairs

hats/gloves/scarves: one of each

pajamas and nightgowns: three or four

bathing suits: one or two

shoes: no more than five pairs

In short, it's easy to have too many shirts, but you can NEVER have too many panties and socks, lol. I hope this helps!

Answer 8

Had to laugh at the answer that said they "need" 8 outfits ...

Technically, they "need" two outfits -- one to wear and one to wash.  Everything after that is just vanity or laundry avoidance.

My kids have enough clothing to last them a week because that seems reasonable to me.  You can choose what seems reasonable to you.  But none of it is about "need."

Answer 9

I know what you are saying I think I could open up a childrens clothing store in my house and keep it pretty well stocked.   The younger they are the more they need because as babies you may go through three or four outfits a day with spit up and diaper leaks.  As they get older they need an outfit for each day of the week plus one or two nice outfits for church etc.  Also remember they grow fast and will outgrow what you buy now in a few months so that will be more of an expense.  In the winter they need more than the summer because in the summer a simple tank top and shorts is adequate.  I have tried doing this so many times at our house and wish I could but I thin the closets down and then grandma takes them shopping again, I just gave away clothes for my oldest that still had the tags on them because she had to have them and then never wore them.