Posts Tagged ‘tips’

Shoes, unlike clothing, can cause long-term problems for children if they do not fit properly.  Shoes that are too short, too narrow or too big for a child’s feet can lead to discomfort, injury, and even serious foot and ankle problems.

Understanding how shoes are constructed can help you make decisions about the styles that are most appropriate for your child.

Photo courtesy of Morgan & Milo

Heel: The heel is the bottom part of the rear of the shoe.  Shoes should be fitted carefully to your child’s heel so that the heel does not slip out of the back of the shoe.  Keep in mind that trendy girls high heels can put unnecessary pressure on the front of your little girl’s feet.

Toe box: The toe box should provide enough space for growth, and should be wide enough to allow toes to wiggle.  But, there should not be so much room that your child’s foot slides around.

Curve: The curve – or instep – of a shoe is designed like the typical shape of a foot and helps distinguish the right from the left.  Look for shoes that fit as closely as possible to the shape of your child’s feet.  Some children’s shoes, particularly shoes for very young children, do not have a curve since children’s foot arches do not form until a child is 2 to 3 years old and may not completely develop until they are about 6 years old.

Insole: The insole is the bottom inside of a shoe where the cushion is.  Additional insole padding can be added if one of your child’s feet is smaller than the other, so that both shoes fit properly.

Outsole: The outsole is the bottom outside of a shoe that absorbs shock.  The outsole may be made of very light material for pre-walk shoes, but could also be made of leather, rubber, or other materials.

Vamp: The vamp is the top part of the shoe where laces, buckles, or Velcro are used to help tighten a shoe to a foot.  Which type of enclosure you choose may depend on your child’s age.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the material from which a shoe is made can also affect fit and comfort.  Softer materials are recommended to help decrease the amount of pressure placed on your child’s feet. Stiff materials can cause blisters.

Given that, soft, pliable shoes with plenty of room, such as sneakers, are ideal shoe for children.

Reference:  http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00143

So, what do you do when your little girl walks out of room dressed in purple tights, sandals, a yellow polka dot skirt, and a paint-stained t-shirt that is on backwards?

Do you:

1. Ask her to change?
2. Let it go this time, but lay her clothing out for her yourself from now on?
3. Support her unique fashion sense and ability to dress herself?

Between the ages of 3 and 4, kids begin choosing their own clothes and dressing themselves…and their clothing choices will reflect a style all their own, possibly one that makes you laugh or even frustrates you occasionally.  No matter what, congratulate your child on their ability to dress themselves.  Don’t worry: their sense of style will evolve over time.

In the meantime, try these ideas for encouraging their growing sense of self:

• Look for clothing that your children can put on by themselves. In a previous post, I provided an age-by-age guide for helping your toddler dress themselves with recommendations for clothing that supports your child’s developing motor skills.
• Make sure that clothing is easily accessible to your child, such as in the lowest drawer of a dresser.
• Stock your child’s drawers with clothing that is clean, the correct size, easy for them to put on, and appropriate for the season.
• Involve your child in shopping for their clothing – they are  likely to want to wear things that they picked out themselves.
• If you are concerned about their color coordination, make sure your child’s clothing is in similar or complementary colors so that their outfits are less likely to clash.

Getting dressed by themselves is a big deal for kids, and by being supportive – rather than critical, you are encouraging them to keep trying and to be themselves.

For more information on toddler development milestones, visit:

• The Mayo Clinic’s Child development chart: Preschool milestones
• KidsGrowth Toddler Developmental Milestones: What to Expect….. and when to be concerned!

Black Friday is upon us and I’m sure that holiday gifts are on a lot of your minds. Clothing is not usually suggested as a kids gift idea because it can be a tricky gift to buy.  But, when you account for children’s growth and tastes, clothing can be both a fun and practical gift.

Here are some tips I’ve come across that help ensure that the children’s clothing gift you buy – particularly for someone else’s child – is the perfect fit or, at least, that the exchange process is easy.

Get the Scoop: Let the child’s current measurements, tastes, and clothing needs guide your purchase.  The outfit that you think is adorable or useful may not be viewed in the same way by the recipient or their parents.  Parents are typically very willing to offer suggestions.

Buy by Measurements, not Size: Use the child’s measurements – rather than the child’s age – to find clothing that will fit.  Sizes are not consistent across brands and may not fit as expected.  Height and weight are the most common measurements used.  As children get older, you may also need to know their waist, hip,  inseam, chest, and arm length measurements; again, it depends on the brand.

Balance Sizes and Seasons: Consider buying clothing that is one size larger than what the child’s current measurements indicate, particularly if you are shopping early.  Children grow quickly and may be larger by the time they receive your gift.  A caution about buying seasonal clothing: the size you buy needs to be fairly accurate in order to make sure that clothing items fit when they are appropriate to the weather.

Check Return Policies: Make sure that the store you buy from has a return policy that is clear and has a time limit that allows the gift to be returned after the date it is given.  And, if you are shopping online, check to see if the return process is easy and affordable (such as free shipping) before you check out.

Provide a Receipt: Always ask for a gift or fit receipt so that the gift can be exchanged at full value or returned for a full refund.  When a receipt is not available, most stores will only exchange the item for other merchandise, and only at the price that the item is currently available for; post-holiday sales often mean that the item will be exchanged for less than what you originally paid for the item.

Buy Local – to the Recipient: While clothing from your local children’s boutique may be fun, unique, and supportive of your local economy, it will likely be donated to someone else’s child if it does not fit the child you bought it for and it can’t be returned. When you are not sure about a child’s measurements and tastes, and do not live in the same city as them, consider buying clothing online or from a chain store that is also available in the town where the child lives.

Happy shopping!

The other day I asked a bunch of moms what their biggest problem was when buying clothes to fit their children. Boy, did I get an earful. Many of them had the following issues in common. Tips on how to deal with them are offered below.

Fit

While every child’s measurements are unique to them, most kids follow a particular growth pattern that is used as the basis of clothing design. If your child goes through a growth spurt or grows more quickly in one direction than another, then you very likely will run into fit problems from floods to baggy pants and clothes that just don’t fit right. Common problems include:

• Girth and length mismatches. Many parents will comment that pant legs are either too long or too short for their child’s waist size, while other claim that the waist is too loose or too tight for the length. In the end, these parents are all facing a similar problem – length and girth are not growing proportionally. The fix? If your child is slim and has long legs, look for slim sizing, adjustable waist pants, or longer-fit clothing; Gymboree, for example, offers baby sizes that have a longer inseam than their newborn sizes do. If your child has shorter legs than average or their waist is larger than average, buy clothing to fit their waist and adjust the hem, look for husky or plus sizing if available
• Long or short arms. Arm length is a problem for coats, fitted shirts, and other tops with long sleeves that should extend just beyond your child’s wrist. The fix? For longer arms, purchase tops with short sleeves or consider adding a cuff in a contrasting color to extend the length of long sleeves that aren’t long enough. For shorter arms, look for sleeves that can be rolled or pushed up comfortably, or which can easily be altered to be shorter.
• Labels don’t match age. This happens frequently. Sizes vary by brand and usually differ from standards. As well, kids grow at different rates, so that they are often bigger or smaller than the average child of their same age. The fix? In most situations, you will need to ignore the recommended age on the label and go strictly by size chart measurements. Have your child try clothing on if possible.
• Outfits and clothing sets don’t work. Kids will often wear different sizes on top and bottom if they have any of the issues discussed above. Your child may have super long legs, but be perfectly average in terms of their arm and chest measurements. If you buy an outfit to fit their upper body, it will run short in the legs. If you buy the outfit to fit their leg length, the outfit may be very loose everywhere else. The fix? Buy separates.

Design

Another common set of problems has to do with the styles that are available. A friend of mine, who has never sewn before, resorted to making pants for his baby to wear to a wedding this coming week when he couldn’t find any dressy clothes for little boys. He is not alone in his angst. Many parents are frustrated that they can’t find the styles that they want.

• Limited options for boys. There seem to be a lot of clothing options for girls these days, but parents looking for little boys clothes sometimes run into a wall. Sure, you can find a lot of cute everyday clothes, but dressy, classic, and contemporary options are harder to find. As one mother put it:

It’s hard to find conservative, nice looking little boys clothing that is free of stupid dinosaurs, trucks or cartoon characters.

• Too-adult options for girls. Too-tight, low-cut clothing for little girls is a frequent complaint . Many parents want their daughters to dress like little girls and not wear outfits that suggest anything more.
• Inappropriate designs. Finally, while dinosaurs or trucks may not be favorites, skulls and video game characters seem to be even less popular with moms. They are looking for designs that are age-appropriate, reflect their values, and which are fun and creative.

I don’t have fixes for these problems, but hope that clothing brands will come up with some innovative ways to help parents out. Or, if you are one of those parents who takes entrepreneurial action, maybe you will start up your own clothing labels to fix the problem.

What have you done to address these problems with your own children?

I frequently write about how clothing should fit children’s unique body shapes. But, today I was reminded that it should also fit their personality and your budget.

Here are some tips for buying BTS clothes that do just that:

• Shop for quality – if it lasts, it’s worth the money. Look for clothes made of higher-quality fabrics, that have reinforced seams, include design features that allow your child to grow, and that will endure your child’s rough and tumble play days and the wash.
• If you have smaller children, you might want to buy classic styles for their older siblings that can be handed down without looking dated.
• Buy items that can be mixed and matched easily. More and more brands – like the Gap – are offering clothing in styles and colors that complement each other, making it easy to buy fewer items which can be worn in a multitude of combinations.
• Having a few key items in basic or neutral colors is also a good option. Jeans, shoes, a nice jacket, and other basics should be the most durable items in your shopping basket. Add accessories and fun shirts to add color or change things up.
• Ask your child for their opinion – their choice of colors, characters, styles is as important to their feeling comfortable in their clothing as fit is.
• If a clothing item fits well, is within your budget, and your child loves it, buy the same item in a different color.

What are your BTS shopping tips?