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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there's nothing wrong with character shoes and clothes for children?!

93 replies

Teeandee · 29/12/2018 15:43

Yesterday I saw an aggressive Facebook status from a fellow mum criticising others for buying their children paw patrol / spiderman shoes and clothes from cartoons that they like.

She was ranting away about how she'd not be seen dead putting her little boy in such things and labelled other mums "bums" for doing it. She's a single parent but never worked a day in her life so frankly i don't know how she can afford that attitude.

Shes insistent that her 15 month old only wears designer trainers and top brand clothes.

Aibu to think she's a bit of an idiot and not see the problem with character clothes/shoes as children grow so quickly it's ridiculous spending £60-70 on a pair of shoes they'll grow out of in a month or two.

Thoughts?

OP posts:
Grumpbum123 · 29/12/2018 16:28

I dislike character clothing but my children love them their likes trump mine over something as trivial as clothes

Nothisispatrick · 29/12/2018 16:31

I don’t like character clothing but dd is only a baby so I’ll probably give in when she has characters she likes when she’s older. I also don’t buy designer stuff.

TellerTuesday4EVA · 29/12/2018 16:52

I've seen a similar post on Facebook talking about Spider-Man trainers or similar.

DD has a range of clothing & shoes... her absolute favourite shoes are a pair of paw patrol crocs from B&M.

Can assure you I'm not a bum, we don't even claim child benefit.

Are they my favourite choice of footwear for her, definitely not. Are they her favourite, yes & that's why she wears them.

I couldn't give a shiny shit if someone pays £3 or £300 for their kids shoes tbh

TheNewYear · 29/12/2018 16:58

Why is it mums who get criticised for dressing their children in character clothes? DH dresses our DC just as often as I do and often buys them clothes.

Yabbers · 29/12/2018 23:15

Why is the fact she is claiming benefits relevant?

Santaclarita · 29/12/2018 23:25

I wear Disney t shirts and I'm almost 30. Sod her and her snobbery/stupidity.

angelikacpickles · 29/12/2018 23:32

I don't like character clothes, but it's not like the only options are character clothes or designer clothes. You can go to Primark or a supermarket and buy all sorts of clothes that don't have characters on them.

Original poster
Teeandee · 29/12/2018 23:37

@Yabbers because when I was reliant on benefits there was no way I could afford to spend so much on designer trainers and expensive labels. It would've been impossible to have any quality of life If the vast majority of my small budget was splashed on designer items.

I have no idea how it's possible to adopt the attitude that everything has to be designer when you aren't financially well off.

OP posts:
Original poster
Teeandee · 29/12/2018 23:44

Single parent would receive £70 weekly in cb and ctc, and income support £140 fortnightly (taking housing benefit out of the equation)

I don't understand how somebody in that situation (which I've been in) can realistically and regularly afford to spend a fortune on designer branded clothes for the child.

£60-70 on trainers, multiple pairs, new tracksuit sets from JD sports which are expensive and have to be bought separately.

I don't understand how it's possible.

OP posts:
DameSquashalot · 29/12/2018 23:50

I agree with *Snotonmyshirt"

I really hate character clothing, but DD likes it, so she wares it. I know ity seen as being very un MC, but after wearing school uniform all week, I want DD to wear clothes that she likes. There are so many years between us so we are never going to have the same taste.

DameSquashalot · 29/12/2018 23:51

wears

anniehm · 30/12/2018 00:12

I didn't like them (still don't get why you want to advertise Ralph Lauren or Gap!) but we didn't do designer either. On going to high school my daughter came home crying because she had said her favourite brand was George and they all laughed at her ... she had no idea it wasn't a "proper" clothes shop

TooMuchInfoOnTheInternet · 30/12/2018 00:15

I think character clothes are naff but I choose to pick my battles and so my children wear them.

The youngest 2 wear a lot of hand me downs anyway so they're not dressed to my taste in many occasions but free clothes are free clothes.

If I had my way they'd dress out of the Boden catalogue but as we cannot afford that they dress in whatever I can afford/ appeals/ is handed down.

Just ignore your friend. It's not worth the mental energy engaging .

posthistoricmonsters · 30/12/2018 00:23

I like some character stuff. Totally depends what it is. I hate Paw Patrol. That was not so much a thing when my kids were that age. My youngest has been Frozen mad for over six years but despite how young she is, she's preferring "grown up" clothes that make her pretty (really wish I knew where the hell she gets fed this bullshit).

I have various Grinch items, I've got a Nightmare Before Christmas hoodie from Disneyland, various geeky t shirts as well as some cool pinafore style dresses. I have cats on my best shoes.

Anything super nice we have was saved up for or bought as gifts for us because for years I've been on benefits -single disabled parent of kids with special needs. Now that we've moved in with my working partner, it'll be different but we still don't have the money spare for big names. Not that we are interested anyway.

I knew SPWB like her, who have good sums of maintenance paid or shoplift and sell the items on to fund designer shit. I did neither and often lived on hand me downs or Primani clothes for the kids and myself.

She sounds delightful. A real winner of a friend. I'd ditch Her.

FuckingYuleLog · 30/12/2018 00:33

I’m not a huge fan of the look of character clothes but my kids adored wearing them so I let them choose a few bits. Children aren’t accessories and I think they should be allowed to express themselves a bit so long as clothing is weather appropriate.
I personally think designer clothes on young children look just as tacky as character clothes though and I doubt the child has expressed any preference for wearing them. My dc didn’t have designer stuff until they were old enough to care.

FuckingYuleLog · 30/12/2018 00:38

As for how she can afford it she obviously either saving in other areas, getting financial help from a relative, buying second hand or in a massive amount of debt. Her choice. But what she is saying about parents who choose differently isn’t nice.

Picklypickles · 30/12/2018 00:55

My mum was pretty controlling about what I wore when I was younger, I didn't get a lot of say! So I let my children pick most of their own clothes, they have plenty of character clothing they like spiderman and my little pony etc. The clothes are for them not me and personally I think they look cute, I'm not a fan of young children looking like miniature adults.

GunpowderGelatine · 30/12/2018 00:57

I couldn't care less if other people put their kids in character clothing but I never do for the simple reason that the clothing is premium priced but shitty quality - they can get away with it because of the branding it seems!

Yabbers · 30/12/2018 08:16

because when I was reliant on benefits there was no way I could afford to spend so much on designer trainers and expensive labels.

That’s not the title of the post though? Did you really mean “how can someone one benefits buy designer gear”, in which case, why not just ask her. Or are you suggesting she is on the take and should be getting benefits?

Maybe she is just better at budgeting than you are. Maybe she has tons of credit card debt. Maybe she has someone who helps her out. Although, you know her so well I expect you’ll have answers to all of these and leave us in no doubt that she is cheating the system.

If those are her standards, and she can provide the clothing, why should she lower herself to something she doesn’t like, just because she claims benefit? She chooses her priority and for her it’s designer clothing. Who are you to tell her how to spend her money?

geekone · 30/12/2018 08:20

I have loads of star wars T-shirts I love them misses point of thread entirely

TakeMe2Insanity · 30/12/2018 08:20

I’m not a fan of character clothing but there are days when dc refuses to get dressed and they can help encourage him to get dressed. Pick your battles. Realistically as her daughte has been denied them she’ll probably love them when she is older.

Marlboroandmalbec34 · 30/12/2018 08:22

Smile her baby will soon be a toddler who demands to wear wellies in summer and Spider-Man outfits

user1486250399 · 30/12/2018 08:28

My DD loves paw patrol and would wear anything paw patrol related which saves a lot of morning rows!
She went out the other day in a full on Simba costume.

Even if this wasn't the case, I don't understand how anyone could even have an opinion on anyone else's kids' clothes. I mean -get a hobby.
YANBU

Somewhereovertherainbow13 · 30/12/2018 08:32

My children have had character trainers and then branded trainers so no judgement from me however the branded trainers probably only cost £10 more and to be honest latest a lot longer. Again I know it’s not the point of the thread but sometimes it’s worth paying out more

Mummadeeze · 30/12/2018 08:48

I love Disney clothes for adults and children and don’t think they look tacky at all. Minnie Mouse on a t-shirt can look retro cool in my opinion. My daughter has had Minecraft clothes in the past. I am girly so not my taste but she liked them so I was happy for her to wear them. I don’t agree that character equals naff. I think wearing clubby, skimpy or more sexy-ish type of clothes that are too grown up on young kids looks much more naff.