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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to dress my sons the same?

246 replies

ExhaustedandScatterBrained · 03/01/2017 09:56

I have 2 sons aged 2 and 1 (14 months age gap) i generally put them in the same clothes. This is purely so i dont have to find 2 different outfits every morning. Its mainly jeans/joggers with a longsleeved top. A friend has told me i shouldn't be dressing them the same as they are individuals. Are they not still individuals when wearing the same clothes lmao Hmm?

So tell me, aibu to do this whilst they are still young enough to not care what clothes they have on?

OP posts:
Coffeeisnecessary · 03/01/2017 10:13

Ironing children's clothes?! Who has the time (and inclination) for that?! Although to be honest I am a slovenly person and don't even iron my own clothes unless absolutely necessary.
Totally agree with shenanigans post- me too!

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 03/01/2017 10:14

They're aged 2 and 1. Who gives a fuck?

I have identical twins and people did buy us two identical outfits on occasion. They wore them, sometimes at the same time. Your friend would be astonished to note that at nearly 8 they have their own personalities!

AngryGinger · 03/01/2017 10:14

I wouldn't worry what your friend thinks, tbh. I don't see how it's easier to dress them the same as opposed to differently but I can't imagine having too much of an opinion about a what my friend's babies were wearing.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 03/01/2017 10:15

Isn't one of the main benefits from having kids of the same sex relatively close together that you can pass the clothes down?

PunjanaTea · 03/01/2017 10:15

I have a similar gap and rarely dress them the same. I find the get lumped together and essentially treated as one far too often so it's nice for there to be something different about them.

Also surely one of the advantages of same sex siblings is the joy of hand-me-downs. Buying clothes for the second child seems like a very unnecessary expense. It's your money though so it's not for me to tell you how to spend it.

Manumission · 03/01/2017 10:15

What was the conversation you were having when she said it? Are you really worked up about it?

Petalbird · 03/01/2017 10:16

Yes think it looks horrible when kids are in the same clothing best just to pick up whatever is on top of the clean pile. And how is it hard to spot 2 different outfits in a soft play surely people with a girl and a boy manage fine?

Bluntness100 · 03/01/2017 10:18

Well,I think it's a bit twee and wouldn't do it, I also don't believe it's easier to get two matching outfits, it's easier just to grab whatever, so if you want to do it, do it you don't have to make up stuff to justify it. They are little and who cares. You can dress them as super heroes if you please.

I'm not sure why you're laughing your ass off though, doesn't seem that funny to me, never mind laughing my ass off level of funny, but guess we are all different. 🙄

ElspethFlashman · 03/01/2017 10:19

The thoughts of having to find two matching outfits at 7am makes me weep.

The thoughts of ironing toddler clothes makes me roar. Literally nobody knows or cares you've done it but yourself as they're snotted on and crumpled within 5 mins anyway.

Reminds me of my cousin who irons her husband's boxers. Why???!

Manumission · 03/01/2017 10:21

Does literally everyone on MN have a tumble dryer or something?

Dampfnudel · 03/01/2017 10:21

I think it's fine, especially when they are little.

In my experience, once they are old enough to care, they are old enough to pick out their own clothes anyway - which I do believe you should allow them to do if they want.

My DC like to dress the same sometimes, differently other times. I just let them get on with it, and have done for years - they were both highly opinionated about what they wanted to wear from the age of about 2, and have remained so ever since.

Like a previous poster, as long as they are warm and appropriately dressed for the day's activities, what does it matter?

BreatheDeep · 03/01/2017 10:21

I wouldn't personally buy matching clothes for them but my newborn just wears my older DS's old clothes at the moment. So not much individuality here either! I really enjoy choosing new clothes for them though so I wouldn't buy the same for both as it reduces how much shopping I get to do Grin

EweAreHere · 03/01/2017 10:24

I wouldn't even dress multiples alike if I had them. I always find that cringe worthy, especially when they're past preschool age.

Original poster
ExhaustedandScatterBrained · 03/01/2017 10:25

Not every little thing matches, hod no thats too much hard work. Today they are wearing the same top and both have blue jeans on. Thats the extent of it, they are both very different personality wise and i don't think what they are wearing has an impact. Sometimes the 2 year old picks his top to wear and then they don't match. To be honest when i buy their clothes because they fall into the same range (e.g 9months-4years) its harder work to buy completely different.

Figure17a, handing clothes down to the younger one wouldn't really work because of the seasons they would be wearing each size right now. I did keep a lot of ds1's baby clothes and use those. I free cycle majority of their clothes because they are too good not to use again once they've outgrown it.

OP posts:
JustanotherMortificado · 03/01/2017 10:25

So you would let your kid go out looking a scruff rather than iron a top?! And as for dressing kids the same that is way more effort.

pizzaparty · 03/01/2017 10:25

I know a woman who has 4 boys, eldest is 10 and the youngest is 3. She dresses them all the exact same every day of the week. Apart from how cheesy it looks I just can't believe the waste! Because they're all dressed the same the outfits don't get handed down to the younger boys, she just goes and buys 4 more identical outfits.

And I'm perplexed at people ironing children's clothes. Joggers and tshirts don't get wrinkled.

Original poster
ExhaustedandScatterBrained · 03/01/2017 10:29

Oh and if one gets wet or filthy, no i don't change the others outfit. It's not everyday either, its generally what is on top in their drawers.

OP posts:
BastardGoDarkly · 03/01/2017 10:30

I don't have a tumble drier, a shake and hang up to dry, and toddler clothes are fit for purpose, well, so are mine.

Op, dress your kids how you want, I doubt you'll get away with matching them much longer, they'll be insisting on being Spider-Man or Elsa for nursery soon, anyone that cares needs a hobby.

peggyundercrackers · 03/01/2017 10:34

I don't like to see siblings all dressed the same, it's kind of creepy and weird.

ElspethFlashman · 03/01/2017 10:38

I do have a tumble drier but never ever use it. Shake out and hang in airing cupboard. If you shake it out properly so you hang it without creases you don't need to iron.

MummyMuppet2x2 · 03/01/2017 10:38

First world problem.
Do as you darn well please-y Grin

1horatio · 03/01/2017 10:39

I'm not a fan of it. But at least they aren't twins... but do what you want to do, it's not like it genuinely matters.

However, why would you iron a baby's clothes?

LunaLoveg00d · 03/01/2017 10:40

YABU as the matchy matchy look is not cute at all. Yuk.

littlepinkmouseofsugar · 03/01/2017 10:40

It can be fun if not all the time and if they get some input when older imo. Two of ours (2 year gap) used to choose to dress in similar colours/the same clothes when they were younger and wanted to look the same from ages 2-6 or so.

dailymaillazyjournos · 03/01/2017 10:45

I honestly don't think it matters one bit at that age as long as the clothes are comfy, appropriate for the weather and suitable for playing in.

DD is lucky if DGD (15 months) is still wearing the same outfit 2 hours later as everything is usually drenched with water or milk or plastered with cereal. If she had 2 DCs she would have to change the other child to match the new outfit?