Do you colour code your children?

[nmhermione]

When my son was born, we chose green as a theme colour for his room, his birth announcement (a non-UK tradition where we send friends & family a card announcing his name, birth, weight, etc.), etc. We weren't obsessive about this in any way, he has clothes and toys in all colours. Then we bought new suitcases and I automatically chose green for him, pink for myself (I usually get pink accessories) and blue for my husband, so we can immediately see which is which. Then we got individual laundry baskets, and again I chose them in the same colours, it just seemed to make sense.

I'm expecting my second child, and almost without realising I was doing it, I've already 'assigned' him a colour. I've already bought a suitcase and laundry basket matching his colour. And I've bought matching cups & plates for both my toddler & baby in 'their' colour. I can already see buying them colour coded towels, phone chargers, and other things as they get older.

Am I crazy or does this make sense? I feel like we will avoid some arguments about who left their towel on the floor, and everyone will know which cup is theirs etc. I don't want it to be restrictive in any way, for example clothes and shoes should be any colour they want, but I feel it can help to colour code some things.

Does anyone else do this?

That’s all sensible until they decide they want a different colour. For flying I always pack a bit of everyone’s stuff in each suitcase in just incase some luggage gets lost.

No. See no point.

Yes but only since they've had favourite colours. I'm orange or sometimes green, DH is blue, DS is yellow, DD was pink but has switched to turquoise or sometimes lilac. It's handy.

Like when we all had the same kind of electric toothbrush it was a LOT easier to always have the same colour ring on the toothbrush head for each person. Now we've got loads of bathrooms so it's not an issue. But for some stuff it's definitely helpful.

The only thing I have a colour code for is days of the week. No idea why 😂 I did not choose them, my brain just decided to colour code them.
I think it's a good idea for little ones but be prepared for their personalities dictating otherwise 😂

Yes
Red
Green
turquoise (now changed to jade)

No

I would probably do this as well 😅 but mine is easier with one boy and one girl, so far they’re bluey/greeny and pink so easy to tell their stuff apart obviously! I’m just making the most of it before they start rejecting my choices and picking their own (probably) dreadful things 🤣

No I didn’t, I was more a pool of resources type person and share suitcases. Mine never had “children’s” crockery or cutlery, I just used the starter sized knives and forks and pasta bowls for food. But if it worked for you why not. I have 4 identical towels just easier for instance

Loool this one's new to me. You must be someone who likes organising things?

No, this never occurred to me. I decorated DD's nursery in pink and green because I found a few nice items in those colours. She decided that her favourite colour was yellow at about 18 months so after that we bought her lots of yellow things until she changed her mind to pink and loved mermaids. We redecorated her room to pink and blue and the majority of her clothes are pink. I'm sure it will change many times as she gets older.

What is your son's favourite colour?

How old is your child? If over two, I'm amazed he hasn't yet voiced a strong opinion on what he actually wants yet!

We just have general stuff in a range of colours which copes well with the mercurial nature of most children. None of mine would have tolerated sticking to an allocated colour.

When I was a kid we had colours for things, red for me, blue for my brother. I think mainly to reduce arguments so my parents would buy identical things (like a bucket and spade for the beach or a small garden chair for outside) but in those colours so we'd know whose was whose. I think it was helpful, especially for towels as they all lived in the bathroom. I can't remember my younger brothers and sisters having 'assigned' colours though so they must have stopped at some point! I think it's a good idea, especially when kids are young and don't have a preference anyway.

I wish we were that organised round here, sigh.

Yes. Eldest is yellow, youngest is blue.

Obviously this is for minor stuff they don’t care about (they’re 10 and 7 and neither could care less about what colour towel or swimming goggles they have), if it’s something they want to choose then I let them choose. Or if it’s something where those colours wouldn’t be appropriate then I go with different colours, but ideally still different from each other (school socks for example - oldest has black youngest has grey).
Neither of them have a favourite colour.

Ohh I learned early on always but the bloody same colour for my kids - I bought 2 coloured bowls and plates and they both always want the same one 🤣🤣

I got a new tablet for the older child and bought a red cover and then had to go and buy another red cover as older girl went insane that he got a better colour then her (gave her old tablet to brother)

so now I always just get the exact same

No. The only thing I have ever needed to remember whose was whose that I found hard was school socks so I sewed a stitch into the toe. I just asked the dc what colour thread they wanted. Same with swimming towels, suitcases etc. they have always just chosen themselves if there was any choice to be made and I can just remember whose towel is whose.

My children both have names that are a colour but they don’t have items that correspond with it.

He's almost 3! And he's happy with the colour green (for now). Obviously, if that changes at some point, we'll adapt, but for now it seems fine.

So interesting to read everyone's reactions! Seems like some do, most don't. I'm very aware that they might not want to stick to their 'assigned' colours, and if they want to swap or change when they're older, why not? I was just curious to see if anyone else's brain worked like mine XD

Yes, we did (6 dc).

Interestingly, they have all stuck doggedly to their colours through to adulthood.

No set colours here, I don't want any rows over someone using the wrong basket/plate/towel/suitcase etc. Communal things as much as possible made life easier.

I've never done that. Never even thought about it. Is there any way you would ever assign pink to a son, or blue to a daughter?

Good luck with that once they get to around 10yo or so.

Yes for the online calendar only

Based on the personalities of my children, I reckon your issue would not be 'if they want to swap or change' but rather if one wants to swap but the other one feels a very strong sense of ownership over 'his' colour and doesn't want the other one to have it!