I'm I too strict about my children's dress?

My mother says that I am. I require the kids ages 4,6 and 8 (all boys) to get dressed when they wake up even if it is not a school day. On Saturdays we are all a little lazy until noon, but I require them to get dressed by noon. I never let them just lay around all day without getting dressed.They are expeced to wear a desent shirt, a pair of shorts or pants free of holes, casual or athletic shoes and clean socks. I make them keep their shoes on during the day, but they can take them off after dinner if we are in for the night.They have to dress up on Sundays and if we go out someplace nice. Dressup means a botton down shirt, dress pants, dress shoes and socks. They also dress up on the holidays. A tie is required some of he time, but they can take it off later in the day most of the time.





I think dress is important and tells people allot about yourself and your family. I just want the kids to have good dress habits and not to just lay around all day in the jammies

I%26#039;m I too strict about my children%26#039;s dress?
I do not think you are strict at all. I think more parents need to set guidelines for their kids dress. My kids have to shower and brush their teeth daily. They are also checked before they walk out the door for school or when going out. I too do not like them to lay around half dressed all day, get out and do something! Dressing up is good too as many jobs require it. I would say my kids dress up at least 5 times a month for something.





I do not know why people are attacking you. I see kids all the time dress like yours. I mean you let them wear shorts, you let them wear tennis shoes and I%26#039;m sure you let them wear jeans. As for the shoes in the house lots of parents including I do that. It makes leaving the house so much easier. I mean it seems silly to have to take them off and put them on 20 times a day. Just leave them on! You even said you let them take them off at night. I guess these people just sit around all day eating in their bathrobs while their kids run around with snot on their nose with the feet all dirty.
Reply:I agree that it is important for your kids to get dressed rather than running around in their pjs all day. Personally, though, unless we were going out around adults, I wouldn%26#039;t mind my kids wearing clothes that are a little more %26#039;worn%26#039;. They are just going to wear them out anyway, so why not get the most wear out of them? I don%26#039;t mean dirty and stained and full of holes, but a little tattered isn%26#039;t too bad for playing. Also, I prefer that shoes aren%26#039;t worn inside of our house, so when weather permits, I prefer shoes that can be easily slipped on and off, like sandals or flip flops. Making them get dressed on Saturdays, as well as dressed up for church on Sundays isn%26#039;t bad either. You are helping them learn that their clothes need to be appropriate for where they are going.





Thanks for the interesting question.
Reply:In a word: YES.





They are children who, at this stage, have no real idea that what you are asking is stifling %26amp; not allowing them to be individuals. When they realise, they WILL rebel.





I don%26#039;t agree with lying around in pyjamas all day either but seriously...no flip flops or sandals unless it%26#039;s a special occasion?? Is that in place of lollies %26amp; treats??!





And children being forced to wear a tie when they are as young as 4 %26amp; 6 is cruel IMO. Ease up a little or they will MAKE you ease up a LOT.
Reply:I think u are too strict, the way u say require them? U should ask them to dress as soon as they have had breakfast not as soon as they wake, it dont make much of a difference to u but to them it ll feel like constant naggin, and why the emphasis on what they wear ok if they are goin somewhere nice but if they are out playin i dont see the problem
Reply:I always get my children dressed before breakfast as it makes the day go easier than trying to battle with them after breakfast.





We have a strict rule for shoes outside at all times (due to snakes) but inside its no shoes if they want. My hubby never wears bare feet though as his parents never let him, whereas I am always bare foot in the house.





At home my children wear play clothes as then it doesn%26#039;t matter if they get dirty. When we go out they dress up, no tie though as we aren%26#039;t a tie sort of family.





I think every now and then a jammy day is great, but not all the time :)
Reply:WTF? Do you want them to grow up to be control freaks? What era are you living in? We%26#039;re in the 21st century!!! I think its ok that you don%26#039;t make them lazy by making them get dressed, but seriously making them wear all that shirt and tie? Have you seen what other teens wear? There are plenty of good kids who turned out just fine and they could wear whatever they wanted. I think you should listen to your mother, I mean you turned out right and you didn%26#039;t have to wear all that stuff? Why do you make them keep their shoes on, let them wear sandals!! Live and let live!!
Reply:I agree that dress is important and tells a lot about you, but i think it is needed that you loosen up just a bit on how you let your children dress- just let them relax sometimes.
Reply:Just a little--while it teaches them how to dress later on in life, it is a bit over the fence. I%26#039;d let them take their shoes off in the house--it%26#039;s better on your carpeting; and I%26#039;d let them wear polo shirts, rather than button down all the time--and lose the ties outright.





Keeping them out of their pajamas all day is good--my folks did that with the three of us, and we didn%26#039;t end up warped. (Well...maybe I did just a bit...! :-) ) The only time we were allowed to be in pj%26#039;s all day is if we were sick.
Reply:It isn%26#039;t too good for their feet to be wearing closed shoes all the time; going barefoot or at least allowing the feet to breathe in flipflops or sandals is very healthy, for people of all ages but especially for growing children. Please take a look at the site below and decide what%26#039;s more important, appearances or foot health...
Reply:dang..let them be kids SOMetimes its fine to look nice when you go someplace, especially someplace nice or dressy. but the around the house rules sound a little strict to me.
Reply:I think you%26#039;re a little too obsessive compulsive about that. I mean they%26#039;re boys they%26#039;re supposed to be getting into things, putting holes in their pants, etc..... I mean wearing nice clothes maybe once or twice a year for something nice. Also, once they%26#039;re older they will learn about styles and what they like to wear and what they don%26#039;t like to wear. So, eventually you%26#039;re going to have to relinquish control over your power trip over the clothes. Do you still lay out their underwear for your six and eight year old? Come on lay off of them for a bit let them develop their own style instead of forcing your style down their throats. Your mother is right you%26#039;re not strict though you%26#039;re controlling their aspects of life. They have to learn to dress themselves.
Reply:I think you are to strict. dang calm it down a bit on the kids they are very young and i don%26#039;t see why you would make them dress up when they are not going to leave the house for the day and keep their shoes on the whole day until dinner.But that%26#039;s just what i think
Reply:Yes I think you are too much. Just wait until they are teen agers! I think you should rethink what%26#039;s important.





They are only 4 , 6, and 8 years old they might be used to it now but in a few years it will be a whole new story. Talk to parents of teens clothing is not such an important subject to be this demanding and controling over. I just feel they like all kids will rebel and if you are this strict about when they can wear flip flops you are going to go into culture shock!
Reply:Being that you had to ask this tells me that you think that you are too strict. Yup, I%26#039;d say that you%26#039;re strict.


Sandals or flip flops only on %26quot;special occasions%26quot; such as bbq or swimming? How about during the summer when just going out and about?


Why shoes in the house?





I%26#039;m guessing that this is a fake question, LOL, because no real parents really make their kids abide by such rules of dressing. Thanks for the giggle.
Reply:Sounds too strict to me. I totally understand what you mean by dress and apperance itself sends a message out to people about you and your family. I totally agree but then your children wouldn%26#039;t really be portraying who they really are if they are coaxed into wearing certain things. Make sure they have decent looking clothing but let them make the choice of what they want to wear when they want to wear it. The only time I am strict with my children are the holidays for church, and picture days for school that is it. Any other day they can wear what they want to wear as long as it is weather appropriate.




beauty