Do you iron all your children's clothes? And what is appropriate clothing for winter?

[olaybiscuitbarrel]

Please be honest. I don't, but it is the subject of some 'discussion' in the family. She's only 3, so not at school - obviously I will iron her uniform when she does go, but at the moment its not unusual to go through 2-3 outfits in a day, and I really didn't think it mattered a jot that her clothes were not ironed at this age!

I think I dress her pretty nicely, all clean, no stains or holes, not too small etc, but am I a bad parent for not ironing her things?

Also at issue is what she wears...so what do your pre-schoolers wear in winter? I send her out in either trousers (jeans mostly) with a vest, long sleeved t-shirt and jumper, or leggings with a vest and a dress on top with a jumper, and a coat, hat, gloves and boots.

I'd love to hear what others do just so I can see whether I'm in the wrong or not!

[Jas]

My iron is almost only ever used for hama beads.
DD1 would like her school shirts ironed, but at 13, if she wants them done, she does them herself,so they are rarely done. DD2 does her own at 12. No one else ever has anything ironed. I hang shirts on hangers wet and they dry pretty crease free. (No tumble drier)

Mine are not pre school age and choose their own clothes, but your selections sound fine to me. I used to carry ds' coat, hat and gloves every where all winter at that age. He is now 6 and even his teachers have given up trying to get him to put it on!

[BackforGood]

No, I never ironed when any of mine were 3.
No, I've never ironed school uniforms.
I iron about twice a year - generally only buy clothes that can shake and hang.
Eldest dc (he's 16) tends to leave his clean clothes lying around for weeks days rather than hanging them up, so he then does tend to need an iron so as not to look dishevelled, but that's of his making, and he gets the iron out of his own accord.

[BackforGood]

Oh yes, I forgot, I too do occasionally iron hamma beads

[LilRosiesMum]

I never iron anything. Hang school uniform on the airer; lots of the school uniform is space-age non-crease fabric anyway. (sometimes drape the polo shirts on the radiator and call that ironing!!)

Life is too short. I admit my ironing shortcomings in front of mums who I know iron everything. We are just different, but still friends. Just tell the person commenting on your ironing that you must agree to disagree. Also, its not as if your DD or any of her friends care, is it?

Her winter clothes sound completely normal, I guess you can ask whether she's feeling chilly or too warm?

[Sirzy]

I iron clothes, if I can get them hung quickly when out of the dryer i don't but otherwise they look to crease to wear.

He has just turned 3 and most days wears trousers (jeans or cords generally), vest, t-shirt and jumper. If its slightly warmer he will wear a long sleved t shirt instead of a jumper.

[CoolaYuleA]

I iron most of DDs stuff - I also iron all my stuff, but that's just me. I don't notice whether other people iron or not. Either way it's a personal choice.

I fecking loathe doing it though lol! Not enough to stop me though.

Your winter clothes sound fine.

[hugoagogo]

This reminds me of a conversation I had when I was a student with someone I worked with who was absolutely horrified that I did not have an airing cupboard.

She was adamant that it was impossible to get clothes properly dry without one and that I was sure to get pneumonia.

You know your'e not doing anything wrong don't you?

[breatheslowly]

We don't iron anything except a couple of my summer skirts which just look awful if not ironed. DD is 2 and the nursery staff have commented on how nicely dressed she is, so I think they haven't noticed or don't think it matters.

Most days she wears tights, long sleeved T shirt and dress. If we are going out she has a very warm coat. She doesn't tend to have a jumper or cardie on when she is inside. I think she is a warm child, so perhaps doesn't need as much as most or perhaps I am just a bit mean. If she is wearing a long sleeved dress or trousers and top then she has a vest on so that she has 2 layers on her top half.

[Pyrrah]

I iron party dresses for DD (3.6) and that is pretty much it.

Polos and jersey pinafores for school so don't need ironing.

I get endless compliments on DD's wardrobe - which is a mix of H&M and eBay bargains (I do like very traditional clothes). In the winter I generally go for a polo-neck top with tights and either a wooly dress, corduroy pinafore or dungarees. Then she has boots and a cardigan and coat if we are going out. DD does not feel the cold (mad child) so generally a big fight about the coat and cardi.

We did get a tumble-drier when DD was born and that does mean a lot less need for anything to be ironed to still look good.

[narmada]

NOno no no no! Ironing is so time consuming. I'd far rather be down the pub/ at zumba/ reading a book. How do working mums find time to iron? I really don' get it it. But I probably am quite slatternly.

[Loislane78]

No, just no

probably the reason I have lots of time to watch tv

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Nope, that's definitely one household task that is not worth the effort!

[RudolphiaRedNose]

No! Not even uniforms - just hang up the polo shirts and teflon trousers neat and flat when they come out of the wash, and they really don't need it. The only things I have ever ironed for the DC are things like posh shirts and dresses for weddings/special occasions.

And if life is too short for ironing, it's definitely too short for discussing someone else's ironing/lack thererof. Ignore them!

[valiumredhead]

I fold everything from the drier and I buy Marks and Spencer's non iron uniform

[SilverSky]

Smile and nod. Smile and nod.

[iseetinselandtantrums]

Not known for ironing. I might get it out for a tablecloth for Christmas day or I might not.

[3b1g]

Oh yes, I forgot about the hama beads. DD generally only makes hama bead stuff at the weekends and DH irons his work shirts on Sunday evenings, so he irons the hama things at the same time.

[ZuleikaD]

I nearly choked on my tea when I read this thread-title. I'm not even sure where my iron is.

On the winter clothes front, DD (3) wears jeans, a vest, two tops (usually a long-sleeve with a t-shirt over) and a jumper, then has a warm coat (puffa jacket style) or if it's godawful weather then a fleece-lined snowsuit and boots.

[Bonsoir]

I don't iron anything that doesn't need ironing (and I am a dab hand at using the tumble drier and then hanging hot damp clothes to dry, crease-free). In winter, DD wears jeans, boots, a t-shirt and top, with a very warm down jacket on top.

[charlottehere]

I don't iron very much at all, except school uniform if it really needs it. Dh does his work shirts. Life is too short although if I could afford it i would pay somone else to do it

[diddlediddledumpling]

Fantastic! I thought I was in a non-ironing minority, I'm delighted with this thread!

[AngelDog]

Someone was talking to my nearly 3 y.o. DS and mentioned irons, and I had to stop and explain to him what of them was.

I don't even do DH's work shirts any more - as he said, by the time he's got to the office, they're all crumpled under his suit jacket anyway.

DS wears cord trousers, vest, long-sleeve t-shirt, jumper (only outside - he won't wear one indoors), warm coat.

[AngelDog]

I don't have a tumble dryer but I do hang all adult clothes on hangers as soon as they come out of the washing machine.

[greenbananas]

Angeldog that made me laugh, you having to explain to your 3 year old about what an iron is DS had a similar experience, aged 3, when preschool staff were trying to assess him on his first day (I was watching from a distance). He picked up a toy iron and they asked him what it was, so he shrugged and said "I don't know". They looked at each other significantly and wrote things on their clipboards.