DS always wants to wear football kit/socks mainly

[Jamie25]

8 year old DS always wants to wear his football kit/s anywhere we go. After school he changes and we offer him his regular clothes, like a T shirt and jeans, but he always insists on wearing his football kit. When we push for regular clothes he insists on wearing his football socks beneath his clothing because they ‘fit his feet good’ I find this unusual. Does anybody have a similar problem? Genuinely it’s weird to me but I might be naive? I know this sounds like your regular ‘weirdo’ post, but this is genuinely a problem we’re facing. It’s not a big issue sure, but we wish he would just wear regular clothing. He’s on the pathway with CAHMS for a diagnosis but it would be nice to find somebody to relate to.

I don't think it's anything you need to break or worry about. My DS is the same, it's not an issue.

My 10 year old nephew has several different football kits and that is all he wears, shorts too and it is cold here My son is 7 and has started asking to do this too He puts a long sleeved tshirt underneath and has to wear joggers as opposed to the shorts though. I reckon my son will grow out of it eventually.

Sounds like you're the one that's obsessed.

Hees wearing shorts,. t-shirt and socks...

After school he changes and we offer him his regular clothes, like a T shirt and jeans, but he always insists on wearing his football kit.
Is he asking to change or are you pushing it? Would he be happy saying in his uniform? I never changed out of mine and DC don't unless they have another activity that requires different clothes.

Not that it matters him wearing football stuff all the time, it really doesn't and it's really not unusual. But if you don't want to encourage him to change out of uniform then you could see if he's as happy in that as football stuff.

My son (9) doesn't wear football kits, he's not that into football, in my experience he is unusual amongst his friends for wearing 'normal' clothes, most of the rest live in football kit. Truly don't worry about it! He's happy!

It sounds totally normal, leave him to it. They usually grow out of these phases.
My eldest DD went through a stage of only wearing pink and only dresses or skirts.
My 9 year old currently only wears black leggings, no other colour or style of trousers.
Doesn't really matter.
There's more important things to argue with them about

OP, he is only 8. Probably in my dreams I'd be sending him through the shower after footie or school or at bedtime. Kit off and in the wash. If there's a problem, more than one kit and several pairs of socks. Maybe don't 'beg' him but send him to have a shower and put kit out to be washed if he's been playing footie in it.

Dc of both sexes lived in football kits around that age.

DS7 lives in a football kit. I can’t see what the problem is? He doesn’t wear it in inappropriate situations like a fancy wedding!

I think some adults wear some awful clothes but they are free to do as they wish, as is DS (outside of school).

It's normal in my experience. Other than when he's at school or in his PJs, DS (11) always has some item of football clothing on. I don't bother buying him jeans or other t-shirts anymore. Trackies/shorts and football tops will always be his first choice! He loves the socks over the knee thing too, but will wear ankle socks sometimes.
To be fair, he's always comfortable and never has to worry about what he's going to wear (unlike girls ime). My only complaint is the kits are so expensive!
I'd say this is not something to worry about. Your son is happy, so leave him be. Pick your battles and all that!

Oh I used to only wear football socks and never even played football 😂
I can’t even remember how it started, but my mother bought me a bunch of cheap generic football socks so I could wear them every day and nobody made an issue out of it. I do remember they were so comfy! I can’t remember what led me stop wearing them though…

Could wanting to wear the socks be about pressure touch?

My ND son is obsessed with football, loves pressure touch and was delighted when he got real kits with the socks that squeeze his legs.

Doesn't mean that OP DS is ND, just that a lot of people find pressure reassuring, might be a factor?

Why don’t you buy a cheap kit for him to use as pyjamas? At least then it will be clean?

Thanks, I haven’t actually brought it up to him much, I don’t want him to feel like he can’t express himself. However as you said, the kits are expensive. I’ve bought him a few extra pairs of football socks, as he expressed he likes the tightness on his legs and foot (could be a sensory thing) but the things are expensive! The ones he likes are £8 a pair! Not a battle I’m going to pick, I’m just trying to understand from other parents, it’s a very niche thing to enjoy, but I’ll support him as much as I can.

When he wears his kit it has to be full and matching, otherwise it’s just the socks under his clothes. I feel like it could be a sensory thing for him as well as comfort.

I know that came off a bit excessive to say ‘obsessed’, I’ll rephrase it to more interested than most kids. Sorry for that.

One of my sons pretty much spent 3 years dressed as a power ranger. If the power ranger clothes were in the wash he was batman or Robin. He then moved on to football kits, then trousers that hung somewhere around the bottom of his arse and now normal jeans , joggers and occasional smart pair of trousers for weddings and funerals

I suppose kids just glue to whatever their curious minds like.

its not niche though at all, is it, as you can see from all the posters saying their child is the same! I would look into finding some spare football kits though, if you aren't too bothered about it being genuine you'll get cheaper ones online

My 12 year old wouldn't take his off if i let him. He even wears the jacket for the team he plays for to school. I don't mind. It's quality material, fits him well and dries quickly and doesn't need ironing so win win!

As long as he doesn’t know it’s not genuine it’s fine lol, and yeah maybe it’s quite common, I just haven’t heard of it before this thread, I’ve obviously heard of boys who constantly wear football kits. But football socks? Just seemed different to me and wondered if anybody else has something similar when it comes to a specific interest in clothing.

I think it sounds pretty standard for a lad that age tbh. Why do you need to stop it? Why fight a battle over it?? It’s not doing any harm.

unless he’s a West Brom fan in which case burn all the kit immediately 😂

DS is the same - has several football kits and wears them exclusively. He doesn't even have jeans anymore - hasn't worn them for a couple of years. The main problem I've had is when it gets cold. He's willing to put on a tracksuit top usually but reluctant to wear trousers. In years past I've bought him skins to go underneath as a workaround.