Help! My 6yo has developed an issue with clothing.

[amanicmumsday]

Hi All,

I hope everyone is well and feeling a lot more hopeful for the coming months.

I am a mother to two girls; 8yo and 6yo. Despite my husband and I both being key workers, I shuffled my hours about so we could manage homeschooling around our jobs. My husband has been working from home since we had covid ourselves last March and I would be home by 1pm to start the school work.

Most days, I would get home to find the girls either still in bed or in their pyjamas. My husband did the best he could around his demanding job and honestly I didn't think too much of it at the time as long as they were comfortable.

However, last summer we started to have problems with our 6yo (only recently turned 6yo so was 5yo at the time) saying that pants were uncomfortable and refused to wear them. We didn't push the issue and she would just wear leggings with no underwear. Over the months, it's progressed to socks, different leggings, tshirts. Now they're back at school, we're both in tears before we leave the house due to the huge battle I have with her getting dressed.

I have bought seamless pants, trousers and socks and she still has a meltdown about them saying they're either too soft or too prickly. The only item of clothing she never complains about is her onesie and she pretty much lives in it whilst we're at home. As soon as she walks through the door, her clothes are off and the onesie is on.

I'm reaching breaking point with it and I just don't know what to do. My husband thinks it's not actually about the clothes but rather anxiety about going out. Her tantrum is worse getting ready for school than it is if we were getting ready to go to the park.

Can anyone offer any advice or tips?

Many thanks.

It does sound like it’s connected to school.

Can you make any more adjustments to the uniform? My DD wears black leggings and black socks with a very loose skirt over the top. It looks like a skirt & opaque tights combo, but feels like leggings. Does she wear a shirt or polo shirt? If polo shirt can you size up and/or get hold of secondhand ones that may feel softer and more comfortable.

One other suggestion - not my DC, but another parent mentioned they’d let their child sleep in their school polo shirt to make mornings easier. A last resort perhaps?

@TheSockMonster

It does sound like it’s connected to school.

Can you make any more adjustments to the uniform? My DD wears black leggings and black socks with a very loose skirt over the top. It looks like a skirt & opaque tights combo, but feels like leggings. Does she wear a shirt or polo shirt? If polo shirt can you size up and/or get hold of secondhand ones that may feel softer and more comfortable.

Thank you for your reply.

In terms of school uniform, I’m not sure what more I can adjust. She can’t wear skirts or dresses due to the no underwear situation. She complains and takes off any trousers that aren’t leggings. She does wear polo shirts but she pulls at the sleeves and cries about them too. She wears a size up and her older sister’s hand me downs. Anything new she goes crazy over.

Once she’s in school or we’re out, she’s fine but actually getting her to put them on and keep them on is a nightmare.

She seems to prefer her normal leggings to the flatlock seamed ones so I’m at a total loss as to what is causing her clothes to feel uncomfortable.

Wear the leggings in place of pants/tights, and wear a school skirt ontop. Looks like skirt and tights.

He accepts school uniform, but my youngest lives in H&M organic cotton shorts and teeshirts the rest of the year.

My DD (7) is a bit like this. I think she has sensory issues which she manages most of the time, but when under stress (like isolation after months of lockdown or returning to school after lockdown) she really struggles. I’ve thought about looking for some occupational therapy help with sensory issues as we haven’t found anything that works really apart from trying to promote her general wellbeing

If it wouldn’t make her feel too self conscious I would be asking the SENCO if she can come in wearing leggings and a plain T-shirt (fewer seams) in the school colours.

It sounds like she’s overwhelmed and the clothes are the proverbial straw that is breaking the camel’s back, poor thing.