Refusing to wear new items of clothing

[outsetisland]

Ds is 3 and gets very distressed about new items of clothing. He's had a growth spurt recently and I'm really struggling with buying new.
Is elder brother was/is the same and he has autism so I have no idea of 'typical' development to go by, so I'm wondering if this is a common issue?

How is he once he's worn it-or doesn't it get so far?

Two of mine are inclined to look at something and say "that's uncomfortable". One will then try it and probably love it. The other will be scratching before it's even touched them and say it's unbearably uncomfortable before it's got fully on.

Sorry I can’t be of much help with this one, the only children I’ve known like this have ASD tendencies.

It can vary, he gets used to most things in the end (after a lot of crying and repeatedly tearing them off) but others things raincoats, sandals, wellys for example he will not wear at all. Doesn't like how they feel I guess. His speech is delayed so he cannot tell me what is wrong. Shoes are our biggest problem at the moment.

Sounds like a sensory processing issue, which are pretty common but can also be linked to ASD.

I hated new clothes when I was little - still do a bit. So uncomfortable. My eldest boy is the same.

Not sure what to suggest other than let your child guide you to what they like and maybe buy extras in bigger sizes.

Could you try washing them using plenty of softener to take the newness/hardness away. Tbh I don't think my 3yo knows whats new or not, I can only guess it's to do with the feel not look of what he's wearing

Also could you use some of older ds clothes he's grown out of so its new for 3yo to be wearing but not technically new

My 3 year old is similar but mainly because he is really choosy about what he likes to wear. My solution has been to get him to choose things online or in the shops which helps a lot. Does he get to choose things?

My adult dd - who is severely autistic and has severe learning difficulties - was like this as a child.

Her specialist school used to "sit" the new clothing item/shoes by her constantly until she became used to it after a few days. She would then eventually wear it. Would you be able to try something similar at all albeit it is quite laborious?

My ds 3 is like this - he hates new clothes and refuses to put them on. Nothing sensory about it as fast as I can see, if I can get him to wear them once he is happy to wear whatever it is all the time.

So far I have discovered I can either force him crying and wriggling into a new item (not my finest moment) or leave the new clothes/ shoes lying around and sometimes he’ll put them on out of curiosity.
Not all the time, but around 90 %, and that’s much nicer than tying to hold him still while some poor shop women tries to measure his feet.
Which sort of sounds like what rafflesway is suggesting.

As far as I know ds is NT but a bit ‘sensitive’. (He also won’t have his hair cut / go to the dentist / go to the GP / walk into noisy or strange rooms / eat new foods).
I’m hoping he grows out of it

Running, my son is the same about all those things! Glad I'm not alone in that and I'm hoping he grows out of it too. Leaving new items out on show is something I've given a try. Tepid, I've taken him shopping but he just screams. Even when I show him clothes with characters he likes on.
I've successfully managed to get him into new shoes since this thread began thankfully.