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Just how many pairs of pj's does a 5 year old need ?

(40 Posts)
Gally Sun 29-Dec-13 02:33:13

It seems to me that children these days have far too much choice in their wardrobe shock. I am sleeping in DGD's room, which is a bit of a tip so, fed up bumping into drawers of her stuff which wouldn't close, I decided to do a bit of sorting and tidying. I found 15 pairs of pj's; for heavens sake, this is Australia where in the summer they sleep half naked and only need to wear them during winter months. I proceeded to the next drawer : 20 pairs of undies, of varying sizes, 10 pairs of tights, 27 pairs of socks and so it went on - but at least I won't be knocking my shins on the drawers any more! grin

Granny23 Sun 29-Dec-13 03:06:08

27 PAIRS of socks Gally ? When I am forced to rake in the DGC's drawers for socks I seem to find 54 single socks and not a PAIR in sight. Thankfully, there has developed a fashion, encouraged by their teacher, among DGS and his P2 pals to wear odd socks, the greater the mismatch the better. The DGDs mainly wear tights in winter so at least the two stockings are joined permanently at the top grin

ninathenana Sun 29-Dec-13 06:27:45

My mum always said "one on, one in the wash and a clean one" This didn't apply to socks and undies though.

No wonder the draws wouldn't shut smile

absent Sun 29-Dec-13 07:26:14

Do they all fit her or have smaller ones just got left in the drawer?

I have to say that watching my younger grandchildren at breakfast when still in their pyjamas, I can understand why quite a few pairs are required – dripping Vegemite, toast crumbs, spilled milk, sploshed cereals…

Gally Sun 29-Dec-13 09:08:30

Yes, they all fit and only 3 unmatched socks in addition to the 27 pairs! She changes her outfit at least 4 times a day and everything appears in the wash even though it has only been worn for perhaps an hour or two [duh!]

Aka Sun 29-Dec-13 09:23:11

I'm always being told off when I have the GC overnight because I've put them back in yesterday's clothes (not undies of course) because they were perfectly clean.

Charleygirl Sun 29-Dec-13 09:32:51

Gally I think she would behave differently if she was in charge of the washing for even a day. I am assuming that her clothes appear in her wardrobe and drawers, miraculously clean and ironed, hung by the house fairy.

glammanana Sun 29-Dec-13 10:39:05

Charleygirl tchgrin I find it hard to convince my DGD (12yrs) that when she comes in from school she only needs to wear a track suit or similar as she is just sitting doing her homework for an hour or so then her evening meal/getting ready for next days school why does she need to dress in clean clothes every evening ? she has not got her clothes dirty at all and the said same track suit could be worn every evening so saving DD machine loads of washing!! the boys are a different story altogether tchhmm

Lona Sun 29-Dec-13 10:50:40

Don't get me started! My dgds, all three of them 14,11, (Oxford comma)and 2 yrs, have masses of clothes and my dd and dil are always faced with mountains of ironing.

Whose fault is it? Well, the parents are the ones who buy most of the clothes and let them get away with dropping them on the floor, dumping them in the wash baskets and putting more clean ones on!

I have no sympathy! [grumpy old woman emo]

tchgrin

granjura Sun 29-Dec-13 10:56:44

Said it before re toys and presents- kids nowadays (in the UK) have far far too much of everything- it is ridiculous. Same here Aka, got told off for putting perfectly clean clothes from yesterday on. Why on earth not?

Ecologically speaking, millions of wash loads could be avoided- water, electricity, detergent, etc ... it would be interesting to get proper stats on the difference it could make. Huge I imagine.

AlieOxon Sun 29-Dec-13 11:46:31

My daughter has the same thing about not wearing things two days running, which involves her in extra washing and ironing - I can't make out why she gives herself all this work.

PS - from Ruth Goodman on the Victorian Farm series - you can halve, or more, the amount of detergent and get the same result. She has stopped using it at all. I use a very little for the smell!

annodomini Sun 29-Dec-13 12:01:28

Is it easier to dump clothes in the laundry basket than to hang them up or fold them and put them in a drawer? My GS1 doesn't seem to believe in changing his clothes. I suspect he would sleep in them if he could get away with it. His sister (11) has an inexhaustible supply of rather chic gear, mainly from Primark, but she does wear the same PJs two or more nights running.

whenim64 Sun 29-Dec-13 12:13:43

I don't get why they have this mountain of ironing - talking about about a week's clothes for each person perpetually waiting to be ironed, including sweaters, track suit bottoms, pyjamas and other items that, if tumbled for a few minutes whilst damp and hung up, wouldn't need ironing at all. Every time I go to my daughter's, she has the ironing board up behind the safety gate, and will dash in to the kitchen to do another 15 minutes of ironing to try and get the pile down (she irons, he cooks). Her partner comes in from work and changes into clean clothes for a couple of hours, then they get dropped in the washing basket when his pyjamas go on. That's three lots of clean clothes a day for him, two for her and two for their twin girls, sometimes more when they get spills and stains on their clothes. Fresh pyjamas every day, too!

Therefore, they buy lots of pyjamas, tee shirts and casual clothes to avoid having the washer on twice a day. I've never seen so many clothes and they'll get worn just a few times before being discarded. Their friends are all the same.

Maybe it's time to go back to wearing big pinnies to cover clothes and keep them clean for a couple of days.

Anne58 Sun 29-Dec-13 12:17:23

Why does she change her clothes 4 times a day?

whenim64 Sun 29-Dec-13 12:19:49

Who, phoenix?

Nonu Sun 29-Dec-13 12:27:01

Still, they could send their ironing round to me.
As it a well known fact I love to iron !!
CHUCKLE !

Gally Sun 29-Dec-13 12:31:53

Because she just does and no one (except me) seems to bother about it! DD finds it easier to let her do that than get into an argument with her - she's a very wilful child. However she is much easier to get on with now, which is a blessing, but her younger sister - 17 months - is going the same way and shrieks every 5 minutes. I have been here nearly 4 weeks and I still can't pick her up without her screaming blue murder! I just think she is spoilt but if I say so, I am firmly put in my place shock. I find it all very exhausting.
Just off to bed - I think I need the sleep as we are all (13 of us) off to the zoo in the morning - may try and leave some of them behind with any luck wink

Lona Sun 29-Dec-13 12:38:10

Not long ago there was something in the paper about people not changing their bedding for weeks on end, [yuk] and yet they happily chuck 'clean' clothes in the wash at the drop of a hat!

Don't get it at all tchconfused

Gally Sun 29-Dec-13 12:43:23

p.s. No ironing is done in this house - everything is folded and put away (eventually) .It seems to work - perhaps I may try this system when I return home!

whenim64 Sun 29-Dec-13 12:49:41

I rarely iron, and don't buy clothes that are high maintenance, except for a few linen tops and jackets which get a quick once over now and again.

Anne58 Sun 29-Dec-13 13:44:26

Oh dear Gally that "easier to let her rather than get into an argument" doesn't bode well!

what's she like at school?

Charleygirl Sun 29-Dec-13 13:47:24

I have to confess that I never wear the same item twice. This goes back to my boarding school days where we were given a clean blouse weekly. We had a white blouse to wear with our kilts on a Sunday and they were worn for at least 2 Sundays. Underwear was weekly!!!

granjura Sun 29-Dec-13 16:23:39

Our girls got into the habit of trying clothes on, drop them to the floor, put something else on, etc- then put all the clean clothes from the floor into the washing basket. Drove me spare so bought a washing basket each- and folded clothes after washing, without ironing- they had to iron their own if they wanted. Soon cured them!

absent Sun 29-Dec-13 17:22:41

Gosh – are all the Gransnetters turning into their mothers overnight?

margaretm74 Sun 29-Dec-13 17:37:46

They all have too much STUFF these days (and probably I do too), however, my DGS lives in Australia and I don't think he owns many pairs of socks! (must ask DD)