DS refusal to wear new clothes/shoes without a huge fuss.

[acrabadabra]

DS is 3.10 and gets very upset when presented with a new item even if he has approved it at time of purchase.

He becomes attached to some things in a way which worries me too.

I can usually wriggle him into things after introducing them a few times but it will involve tears and tantrums (from both of us)

He desperately needs new shoes but dreading the trip to the shoe shop.

Does anyone have any strategies i haven't thought of?

My DD is 2.8 and just the same so you are not alone! Have no advice unfortunately apart from patience and assume its just a v awkward phase, but I'm watching with interest!

Ds used to be the same. Luckily he got a lot of hand me downs which he was fine with. New clothes I used to put in his drawer, he'd get used to seeing them in there then would agree to wear them...I think he forgot they were 'new'

We get a few hand me downs but even they are frowned upon. It's not just brand new things but the unfamiliar.

I do tend to just present them a few times before insisting.

On holiday he refused to put anything on and I was so angry we stayed in the holiday cottage while everyone else went out. He eventually gave in at 3pm as I told him he couldn't eat lunch till he was dressed.

I also had to trick him into new pants by putting them inside his trousers. When he needed the loo later he was amazed he was wearing pants at all. I told him they were magic pants. He didn't believe me but was fine with the rest of the pack.

He doesn't have a lot of stuff and I'm sure that's why he's like this. Only one pair of shoes, one coat for eg. Though, when he has a choice, of hoodie for eg, he focuses on one and will not wear the other.

Aaaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!!!!!

My thoughts are with you.. does it need to be such an issue? kids can pick up vibes from you, are his old shoes really that bad if so i'm not sure what to suggest.. big hugs

I let my dd (3.11) dress herself now. I go with her to her room, and I'll say,' it's cold today, so you need to wear long sleeves, and trousers'. I then let her rifle look through her drawers, to see what she wants to wear.

Just giving her some independence, and a choice of what she wants to wear. She does ask 'who got me this top?' Etc.

It is an issue when we need to get to work and preschool. I also don't particularly like seeing him upset. Over something so ridiculous.

Longdistance, I usually do give him a choice. Though not of everything he has. I generally bring 2 each of tops, trousers and pants.

He is a very bright, happy boy but he is not good with change. And can be anxious. I'd like to try and help him overcome it by tackling this small thing. If I can show him that new things aren't scary or bad then I'd hope he'd see other things the same way.

If it's just a normal phase I would just ride it out but no one I know with dc the same age or older have had this problem.