Is it just me or are baby girls impossible to dress???

jarvis

Hi
My wife is on holiday in the U.S. and I'm at home minding our 13 month old daughter.

I'ts been 5 days and now the dressing baby problem that I face every morning is becoming really difficult and I'm wondering who's fault this is?

Is it my fault?
What is it about me that makes it impossible to match anything. Is it just me or do all men have this gene that's faulty and although the clothes match up in our head, you know that once they're on the child she'll look like an orphan being dressed by the Vinnies and although you probably know this in the back of your head, you have to go with it as the more you look at different conbinations the more frizzled your brain is?

Is it my wifes fault?
We have put 8 black bags of clothes up into the attic, some of them she hasn't even worn!! Some of them were worn once, then washed and IRONED only to find that after I iron her clothes they don't fit her anymore. Why does my wife insist on buying every piece of clothing available on the market, this is only confusing the situation, surely we only need 7 pairs of socks, 7 outfits etc... why am I faced with 2.5 million possible combinations of butterflies, Fairies and flowers.

Is it societies fault?
Is it because we're expected to have her looking like one of the Beckhams kids that makes my decision so impossible?

Is it my daughters fault?
I love her to bits and all, and I don't wish she was a boy but in my head I reckon a boy would be easier to dress, Or would they?


there's a lot of questions in there and I'm not really expecting answers to them all, I'm just having a little rant.
Like...This morning after 25 minutes of frantically browsing through the built in wardrobe that the upstairs of our house has now become..I settled on a pink top with white sleves that says "Watch out this angel is trouble" and a pair of jeans that the more I look at I reckon they could possibly be 3/4 length for the summer but now fit her like normal and I probably should change them but I can't face it and she doesn't seem to mind!!!

My wife is home on Thursday and I'm probably gonna have to buy something new coz at least when you buy clothes they come matched up already (PLAN)


It's not all bad though, I wouldn't be without her for the world and I'm really enjoying being off work and spending time with her, I can feel us bonding more and we're having the craic!!
Since she's been born I have got better, I now know that Pink is not just one colour.... It's 455,326 different shades that you can't assume will automatically go with each other oh yeah and Pink and Peach are not the same colour!!!! Who knew???
Another good thing is I get to watch My friends Tigger and Pooh on Playhouse Disney. For those of you who never seen it, You have got to tune in.. OK Pooh is an Obese, lazy,Braindead idiot but Tigger is a comedy genius..

Thanks for listening (Reading), to those of you that made it this far.

Jarvis

togster

QFT i've been thinking about this alot lately

jay_haych

i have a 3 year old boy and he IS easy to dress. 38 months of jeans/tshirt (long sleeve or short)

there have been about 6 days in that time when it went differently.

High&Low

I have a daughter and my rule is, if its clean it matches...

seamus

Children don't give a **** what they wear, you're wasting your time.

I wasn't fussy about my clothes as a kid. So long as I could wear my superman costume, I was happy.

xzanti

If I had a baby I'd personally be fussy about what I'd put on them, I think people see how the kid looks as a reflection on the mother, where people expect the dad to be a bit brainless when it comes to baby fashion.. Thats just my opinion anyway.. It appears to be the case with any of the couples I know who have kids.. My sister won't let her husband choose clothes for her kids, she insists on laying out their outfits in advance if she has to leave them with him..

Nevyn

Seriously life is not a fashion parade esp when they are that age and they will drool and destroy the clothes as soon as they are put on them.

Nappy, vest, top, dungerees with snaps up the inside of the legs for easy chaning and so she can crawl/ toddle/ climb and a jumper/cardigan as it is winter and a pair of socks.
Once it fits and is all clean then really after that who cares.
I found primary colours with simple were better then all that pink crap tbh as it stimulates a toddlers senses or may a pink top as a comprimise.
Tis an active child you have not a dress up doll.

Nevyn

Baby fashion now they are two words that to my mind just do not go together.

SlinkyToo

And this, my friends, is just what is wrong with Ireland today

Terry

Moved from AH.

seamus

What I don't understand is why people spend over €100 on designer shoes for a child that can't even walk yet, couldn't give a crap about his/her shoes and won't even fit into them in 6 months time.

Same goes for any other expensive clothes. Buy cheap clothes in Penney's and spend the rest on yourself.

themadchef

High&Low wrote: »

I have a daughter and my rule is, if its clean it matches...

+1

Goldenquick

Lol jarvis, I'm cracking up laughing here, great post and I hope you show it to your wife when she comes home, she will really enjoy it I'd say .

neoB

I figure they will just get it dirty in a little bit and you will change it anyways.
My little one is just about in jeans and a shirt. any will do. even with her ears done people STILL think she is a boy so I can't win. :rolleyes:
Only problem I have is the struggle of putting on the diaper and clothes as she always fights mommy and never daddy! :mad: I say if they don't like it, buy her something and dress her !

flyz

Classic reading

I bet she does look adorable when your wife dresses her in the clothes that do mysteriously match

Carrigart Exile

wit until you have to get a pair of woolly tights on a wriggling 12 month old girl, then you understand how the hokey cokey was invented......you put the left leg in, she pulls it out

squire1

Jarvis, wait 'till she is a teenager and you will wish you could still choose her clothes for her

+1 for boys being so much easier to dress.

run_Forrest_run

Carrigart Exile wrote: »

wit until you have to get a pair of woolly tights on a wriggling 12 month old girl, then you understand how the hokey cokey was invented......you put the left leg in, she pulls it out

oh so true!
Maybe it's me but I have awful problems with the buttons and clips...I am really bad at dressing my little one, the wife says it's just a cop-out but I seriously have trouble closing buttons on the kids coats, jeans etc. Maybe it's because I'm a lefty also!! <not a cop-out I swear>

Lizzykins

When I was in hospital having baby number three my hubby brought in child number two( 13 months old too) in the same socks for 5 days running! I had left out various matching sets of clothes for her but he maintained that the socks she had worn for 5 days were the warmest she had!
That's nothing compared to my friend's hubby who brought a toddler in to see her mam and new sister, in a matinee jacket! Child definitely looked like an orphan! Same guy on being asked to bring in clothes for the new mother ironed tights along with the rest of the clothes! Sweet!

squire1

Lizzykins wrote: »

That's nothing compared to my friend's hubby who brought a toddler in to see her mam and new sister, in a matinee jacket!

See, there is the problem. I don't have a clue what a matinee jacket is, nor I assume, do most Dads. Is it something that should only be worn during a certain time of the day, like from 1pm to 4pm or something.

seamus

Lizzykins wrote: »

When I was in hospital having baby number three my hubby brought in child number two( 13 months old too) in the same socks for 5 days running! I had left out various matching sets of clothes for her but he maintained that the socks she had worn for 5 days were the warmest she had!
That's nothing compared to my friend's hubby who brought a toddler in to see her mam and new sister, in a matinee jacket! Child definitely looked like an orphan! Same guy on being asked to bring in clothes for the new mother ironed tights along with the rest of the clothes! Sweet!

You see, there's the problem. Some women assume that;

A. Us men understand the difference between a skirt and a dress.
b. We give a **** about the difference between them

And you'd be wrong

There are only a few types of clothing:
1. Footwear: Socks, Runners, Boots and Shoes
2. Legwear: Jocks, Pants (i.e. Jeans, etc) and Shorts
3. Torso: Shirts, Jumpers, Tshirts and Jackets
4. Headwear: Hats, Beanies and Helmets.

If you make a comment about a piece of clothing not in that list, we have no idea what you're talking about. What in God's name is a "Matinee" jacket? Is it not just a jacket with a poncy Foxrock name?

Nevyn

I have no idea what a "Matinee" jacket is either.

As for dad's being fingers and thumbs and not getting it well it comes down to practice tbh and letting them be in charge of the kids and letting them learn.

seamus

Google strikes again, this is matinee jacket:
http://www.dormercrafts.co.uk/matinee%20coat.jpg

Also known as a "Jumper" to the rest of us.

trout

We have two girls, who as infants were a pleasure to change/dress. When they got big enough, mrs trout spent a lot of time encouraging them to dress themselves, so it's all good now. They are 7 & 5 now, and most mornings dress themselves for school without a murmur.

We also have a boy, 19 mths, who is a nightmare to change/dress. He wriggles and wrestles and giggles each time, and lately he has started to grab his you-know-what, with both hands, laughing all the way.

It was funny the first few times, but now it's getting to the stage that changing/dressing him is a two person operation. If you try and do it on your own, he can escape midway so you end up pinning his limbs like a wrestler.

Also, if you have to use sudocreme, and he wriggles away, you get snail tracks all over the changing mat.

Please tell me this is a phase that will pass, real soon

Nevyn

seamus wrote: »

Google strikes again, this is matinee jacket:
http://www.dormercrafts.co.uk/matinee%20coat.jpg

Also known as a "Jumper" to the rest of us.

Oh right a cardigan.
At least the child was warm.

trout wrote: »

We also have a boy, 19 mths, who is a nightmare to change/dress. He wriggles and wrestles and giggles each time, and lately he has started to grab his you-know-what, with both hands, laughing all the way.

It was funny the first few times, but now it's getting to the stage that changing/dressing him is a two person operation. If you try and do it on your own, he can escape midway so you end up pinning his limbs like a wrestler.

Also, if you have to use sudocreme, and he wriggles away, you get snail tracks all over the changing mat.

Please tell me this is a phase that will pass, real soon

snail tracks! lol

Well give him something else to play with while he is getting changed or dressed. Keep him busy and distracted talk to him play with him tickle him.
Play where is your nose ? where is mammy's/daddy's nose ?

Sounds like he is old enough to be bribed into getting dressed with out it being an ordeal and it need no be sweets, show him his favorite toy and tell him he can have it as soon as he is dressed, or set a timer and say lets see if we can get dressed before the bell.

As for grabbing at his penis and playing with it well he is a boy and he will grow out of it and then back into that behaviour at puberty.
Sounds like he is starting to become bodily aware, have you put any tought about potty training him yet ?

trout

Thaedydal wrote: »

Well give him something else to play with while he is getting changed or dressed. Keep him busy and distracted talk to him play with him tickle him.
Play where is your nose ? where is mammy's/daddy's nose ?

Sounds like he is starting to become bodily aware, have you put any tought about potty training him yet ?

Yeah ... if I give him a toy or any object as a distraction, he uses it to bludgeon me about the head and neck. I've tried playing games with him too, but he still wriggles and leaps about. I've learned how to pin him down with one hand, and change the nappy with the other hand. As for dressing him, he seems to like being part of the operation "where's your hand? where's your other hand? One leg, two legs ... " I suppose it still surprises me how much harder he is to change/dress than the two girls.

I had considered potty training, but I thought 18 months would be quite early, and I don't want to start and then have to stop. I had heard that boys are much harder to potty train than girls ... is that a myth ?

Nevyn

trout wrote: »

. As for dressing him, he seems to like being part of the operation "where's your hand? where's your other hand? One leg, two legs ... " I suppose it still surprises me how much harder he is to change/dress than the two girls.

Could be he has seen the girls get dressed and wants to be 'big' like they are.

trout wrote: »

I had considered potty training, but I thought 18 months would be quite early, and I don't want to start and then have to stop. I had heard that boys are much harder to potty train than girls ... is that a myth ?

I would think once they are walking and start being bodily aware that it is a good time to start thinking about it. In some ways boys are easier then girls as they can clearly see where the wee is coming from. As for starting and stopping potty training it happen it is how you find out if they are ready yet.

Lizzykins

Sorry lads I must be showing my age here re the matinee jackets. All our grannies would have made them for babies 50+ years ago.Can't say I ever put one on one of my kids by the way!
I have to agree men call skirts dresses and vice versa but as someone says who gives a damn anyway!

*Page*

Lizzykins wrote: »

Sorry lads I must be showing my age here re the matinee jackets. All our grannies would have made them for babies 50+ years ago.Can't say I ever put one on one of my kids by the way!
I have to agree men call skirts dresses and vice versa but as someone says who gives a damn anyway!

^^
I'm only 24ish and i've put them on my daughter... but they had been hand knitted by a family member..


OP
best advice for baby clothing is...
if it is clean, if it is dry, put it on...


if you want her to look pretty, pink and white go together
yellow and white or yellow and blue go...

fairys butterflies and flowers all go together too...

just be glad your not my dad....

jumpers and dungerees and tights thats about all we were ever dressed in when my dad was in charge...:D

embee

My daughter, who is almost 2, has a stupid amount of clothes. I say this AFTER having brought 3 enormous black bags full of pink to Oxfam. The only clothes I ever buy her are from Penneys and Dunnes. I really, really don't see the point in paying a fortune on designer names which only fit for a matter of weeks.

I think the most expensive "outfit" I've ever bought for her to wear was her christening robe, hat and shawl... altogether it was about 150 euro. Something she's worn once and once only but I do hope that it becomes a family heirloom, passed on throughout the generations.

When she was a little baby, I used to be a bit precious about the clothes she wore... everything had to match etc. But those were the good old days when she wasn't crawling/walking/running and therefore wasn't getting mucky. These days, its jeans and a jumper/hoodie/long sleeved t-shirt. She doesn't care what she's wearing, and I definitely don't. The only thing I'm fussy about is her face and hands - They have to be clean and free of the usual toddler crustiness (ie food/milk/snots all crusting around her mouth, nose and fingers).

ceidefields

Well we have an 8 year old boy and tbh, for the first 5 years I did buy all nice, new matching clothes. What a waste!

These days, I go to the "posh" side of our town where there's a jumble sale once a year in August and fill an entire bag of used boys clothes for $15. Honestly, there's so much stuff they just grow out of before they've even worn it a few times, it's not worth shelling out a lot of money for. I get some great jumpers and things too, really expensive stuff that's heardly been worn.

Carrigart Exile

As my inferiority grows with each named item of clothing and colours such as peach, salmon, mauve, puce I take male comfort in words like: Manifold, overhead cam, and piston rings. Men feel free to add to the list and regain your dignity:D

littlebug

I have enjoyed this thread!
Sometimes if I'm away for a day I return to find them all still in thir pjs but I don't give a hoot because they'll have had great fun! If I think they might be going somewhere "good" I might leave good clothes out... but I generally don't... he'll figure it out. Like others have said if it's clean it matches... even the odd socks.

I did giggle however when a friend told me that her husband had left their one year old to creche in a jumper and tights. He thought they were leggings and didn't realise she should have a skirt or dress on too.:D

SerialComplaint

Wait till she gets to about 4 and starts telling you what does or doesn't match up.

Carrigart Exile

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Wait till she gets to about 4 and starts telling you what does or doesn't match up.

LOL that is so true, my daughter is now 6 and what a fashion diva she is