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Parenting

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Original poster

How can I make my toddler wear the trousers I want him to wear?

59 replies

Trinpy · 11/01/2019 17:39

He is tall and slim so it's hard finding trousers that fit him in length but aren't too big round the waist. After much searching I have found a couple of pairs like this, they're warm, comfortable, with a soft elasticated waistband. However, he refuses to wear them. The only trousers he wants to wear are either far too big round the waist so they're constantly falling down and he cant run around and play properly or they're far too short, which he then gets cross about .

I have tried bribery. I have tried hiding the trousers that don't fit him. I have tried giving him the choice between the 2 trousers which do fit him. I have tried just putting the trousers I want him to wear on him and distracting him/bundling him out of the house before he can take them off. All of these things results in a huge tantrum with kicking/hitting/biting screaming. Nice trousers get pulled off and thrown at the first opportunity.

What can I do? He's 2.9.

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MergeDragons · 11/01/2019 17:41

Buy dinosaur/rocket/ whatever patches and sew them on the knees to make the trousers more interesting???

PleaseLetMummySleep · 11/01/2019 17:42

You say they're comfy but perhaps he doesn't agree

moreismore · 11/01/2019 17:44

How much of a conversation are you able to have about it? In a calm moment can you say ‘the problem is these trousers fall down and these ones fit. I want you to wear these ones. How can we fix the problem?’ It might get him to articulate exactly what he doesn’t like? It seems quite an extreme reaction and tbh you’ve tried every other thing I would have and normally one of those would work!

I also like the dinosaur patch idea!!

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YouCanCallMeJodieWho · 11/01/2019 17:46

Get him some shorts?

I'd let him choose his own clothes tbh.

Littlechocola · 11/01/2019 17:46

Tell him he’s not allowed to wear them

GinIsIn · 11/01/2019 17:47

Next and M&S do great trousers for tall, skinny toddlers - can you have a look and see if you can find some like he ones he will wear?

GummyGoddess · 11/01/2019 17:49

Does he know why he doesn't like them? Colour, uncomfortable, boring, label scratching him?

I don't think you can force him into them without tears, you wouldn't like to wear clothes you hate so you need to get him to like them somehow. What does he like about the other trousers?

Omgineedanamechange · 11/01/2019 17:49

Wax lyrical about the big boy trousers and how only big boys in big boy trousers get to do xyz.

Original poster

Trinpy · 11/01/2019 20:00

Thanks for the ideas. I'm going to have a think about it and maybe combine some ideas to come up with a solution. I love the dinosaur patch idea and I will definitely be trying that.

To answer some of your questions:

I cannot let him choose his own trousers because it's so difficult finding any that fit him. The two he has that fit him have taken months of going round all the shops trying trousers on. The trousers that he likes wearing are constantly slipping down so the waistband is halfway down his knees. He cannot wear them, it's ridiculous. It's too cold to wear shorts atm.

One of the pairs of trousers he says aren't his, he says they're too big and they're daddy's. The other pair he used to wear happily but has now gone off them. No reason given.

I've tried to explain the situation to him, I've shown him how the trousers are the perfect size for him. I've done the whole 'big boy trousers' thing. He doesn't care about any of that.

I'll also add that although this seems like a big reaction from him, he does tend to be quite sensitive and will blow up over the smallest thing. Complete meltdowns happen multiple times a day over all sorts of things (whole other thread needed for that!) so this is actually entirely normal from him.

OP posts:

elQuintoConyo · 11/01/2019 20:15

Do the trousers have adjustable waistbands? With buttons and an elastic strip of button holes?

Our tall beanpole had this problem. I tried:

Buying soft joggers and sewing darts in them (pinch an inch and sew it closed with a few strong stitches, nothing fancy!).

On trousers that were too short, I'd sew on extra fabric at the ankles, they'd look like funky contrasting turn-ups. (Also did this with jeans at the end of winter, if DS had worn through the knees, cut them off and put a strip of fabric on the seal the denim and make nice shorts).

I cut off all tickets, washing instructions etc - still do and DS is 7yo.

I second patches of things he likes (be it Peppa Pig, dinosaurs, planets or whatever).

I'd also point out when he was wearing trousers like mine/Daddy's/best friend's.

Are there any cute things you can hang off belt loops? Keyrings, little bag to hold shit found on the street treasures.

Good luck. 2.9 is such a fun age

Epiphany52 · 11/01/2019 20:21

Could he wear tights with shorts over the top?
My son had sensory issues , still does and is 14!
Anything other than the softest fleeced lined joggers were comfy for him and waistbands could be a problem.
It’s possible that could be at the bottom of that. Socks with two big seems were also an issue. For a long time shopping for shoes was a nightmare.
The thing is he would never say they were uncomfortable because he couldn’t articulate it. He would just be fussy and complaining or I don’t like it

ChariotsofFish · 11/01/2019 20:26

Do they have cuffs on the ankles? My DS hated those as a toddler.

FreeButtonBee · 11/01/2019 20:27

I take in the waist band these days. My boys are so skinny and I CBA to find skinny ones so I buy m&s or whatever and fold over the wait and at the back and stitch it. Would that work for the trousers he does like which are too big?

Notmytelescope · 11/01/2019 20:28

get him an elastic belt?

If you manage to get your DS into clothes he doesn’t want to wear then please can you let me know how to do it?

DeadZed · 11/01/2019 20:29

Buy him some braces....

strawberrypenguin · 11/01/2019 20:31

What style are the ones he likes wearing? Can you adjust some so they fit?

jelliebelly · 11/01/2019 20:33

My dd was just like this at that age - she's now 10 and I've completely given up on ever trying to get her to wear something she doesn't want however ridiculous I think she looks in her own self selected outfits.

danni0509 · 11/01/2019 20:35

@Littlechocola 🤣🤣 so true!

itsboiledeggsagain · 11/01/2019 20:36

I fold the waistband over an elastic belt.

Also hide the ones he can't wear. He will cry but get over it. You need to also wear the trousers here.

kayakingmum · 11/01/2019 20:41

Get the big ones he likes wearing altered so they don't fall down so much.

I don't think you will be able to persuade him to wear the ones he says he doesn't like as it sounds like he sees them as a battleground - Mum vs son.

bobstersmum · 11/01/2019 20:42

Do what littlechocola says, it works!

PoutySprout · 11/01/2019 20:46

Wax lyrical about the big boy trousers and how only big boys in big boy trousers get to do xyz.

Hideous and shaming.

coffeeforone · 11/01/2019 20:48

Is there no way you can adjust the ones he will wear? If the inside elastic and button are as tight as they will go can you move the button further forward?

Also Next skinny joggers are quite long and the waist strings pull in quite tight. My 2.8 year old wears these all the time and he is tall and slim

Waterdropsdown · 11/01/2019 20:49

I’ve had this problem lately and actually managed to solve it. My son 2.2 who is tall and skinny only fits Zara jeans.

He started saying too tight too tight about them and would fight to get his joggers on (fine but sometimes it’s not a day for joggers). Anyway I made a really big deal about my tight jeans for about 3 days at Christmas and then bingo he wanted tight jeans too

Original poster

Trinpy · 11/01/2019 22:19

He only wears jogging bottoms. No jeans or trousers, so there's no little button on the inside to tighten them up.

Next skinny joggers are unfortunately still too big round the waist.

The trousers I want him to wear are very soft fleece lined jogging bottoms with an elasticated waistband. No buttons or zips or fastenings and all labels have been cut out. The trousers he wants to wear are one pair of next skinny jogging bottoms which are fine everywhere apart from the waist and 2 pairs of sainsburys jogging bottoms which are enormous on him in every way apart from the length! It's not so much about how he looks, but what he wears does need to be practical, so not falling down around his ankles every time he tries to run anywhere!

I dread to think the damage he would do if I tried to put a pair of braces on him .

Thinking about it some more I wonder if he's just got used now to wearing badly fitting trousers so it feels constricting having a waistband actually staying around his waist where it's supposed to be.

Plan for tomorrow is to hide the huge trousers then buy some patches or other such crap to stick on the trousers I do want him to wear and make a big deal out of how special they are.

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