How to get your toddler to take off the princess gown

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  Posted by Jett Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:54pm PDT

  I thought the point was how to get her NOT to wear it all the time. If she won't take it off, how are you going to get her to listen when you say she can wear it only once a week? I'm just saying... The above advice just sounds too obvious to me, but maybe the best answers are the easiest ones.

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  Posted by mefh Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:46pm PDT

  I have a little boy so I don't have the princess gown to fight with but my son refuse to wear any shoes except for his Thomas the Train Shoes. He is 2. I have tried to hide them but it dosen't work. I just hope I can find some more when he outgrows them

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  Posted by Robyn Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:40pm PDT

  pick and chose battles, me and my boyfriend have let our little girl who is now 3 chose her clothes since she was a year old. we sometimes questions like the recent bag lady look or we compromise on the weather. such as dress in winter... you have to wear pants or tights with it,. we have found it gives her much independence and its one less battle in the morning. and besides it shows soo much of her personality.

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  Posted by Melissa N Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:45pm PDT

  There is a time and a place for everything. If I am taking my brother's kids to church, no they can't just wear whatever and no they can't wear their tore up tennis shoes or stuff. It won't hurt them to learn what is appropriate to wear at different places.

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  Posted by April Hughes Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:42pm PDT

  Paris, do you have children? Have you ever dealt with an hour of screaming when you were in a hurry? Princess dresses are small battles. Once when my daughter was 3 she put on a dress from the church dress up box, and would not take it off, she screamed and flung herself around, finally she kept it on and we brought it back the next week, and I bought her her own.

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  Posted by stinkleberry Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:00pm PDT

  To quote Nancy Reagan, "just say no." Duh. Try being a parent and not a friend or sister or enabler. Let the tantrum ensue, then deal with it.

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  Posted by j Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:12pm PDT

  I cannot understand this whole thing. Kids are kids. Why do we want them to behave as if they are adults. 'Time and place'? Seriously?! And going to church, Jesus said come as you are. He dosen't care if you pants match your shirt or if a child is wearing a dress-up outfit, as long as you come and worship. I have a six year old and a 9 month old, both girls. I let my oldest pick her clothes. She has a pretty good sense of style for a six year old. But everything has to be purple, purple, purple, purple. I don't mind, in fact I embrace her sense of self and her individuality. Children should enjoy their childhood and as adults we should not put our social pressures on them. Its our self conciousness and need to "fit in" that makes us demand our kids look "appropriate". Of course you take into account the weather and HELP them pick out something so they wont freeze to death or sweat to death. I will take the same approach with my younger daughter as she gets older. If you give in on the little things when it comes to something important(like a company dinner or wedding reception) they will be more likely to let you pick out the outfit.

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  Posted by stinkleberry Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:34pm PDT

  "...they will be more likely to let you pick the outfit." Seriously? Kids calling the shots? Keep going down that road and princess dresses will turn into chicken nuggets for every meal which will turn into breaking curfew which will turn into pierced nipples and tongues which will turn into teen pregnancy which will turn into high school drop out which will turn into daughter and grandbaby living with you forever because she will have no life skills or grasp on reality. Good luck with that.

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  Posted by Monica Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:56am PDT

  I have never heard of where a child that was allowed to wear her princess dress all the time turned into a pierced, strung-out teen mom.

  And I have never heard of a small child that is allowed a choice between two weather-appropriate place-appropriate outfits turn into someone that has no grasp on reality or lacks life skills.

  It is glaringly apparent that there a lot of non-parents that make these kinds of comments. Let the tantrum ensue and deal with it? How would you like to start out your day with your coffee pot spewing smoke instead of coffee, there's no hot water because everyone used it all, the cat puked on your work outfit that you laid out the night before, and your car won't start? That is the scale of what a little one goes through when they can't wear their beloved Pooh tshirt. They are trying to navigate in their little world, it's our job as parents to aid in that navigation, not throw up arbitrary obstacles (you are wearing THIS SHIRT and NO OTHER now LET'S GO I AM LATE FOR WORK!!) to set them up for failure, at the very least a very rough start to a day.

  It won't hurt a 3 year old one iota if they want to wear the same tshirt, or princess dress, or a particular pair of socks for days on end. Run them through the wash, make sure they are clean and you made getting dressed a helluva lot easier.

  And yes, I have been through the same shirt/princess dress debate. I took the stance that as long as it is clean, it's okay. These habits, along with the favorite stuffed animal and little blankie, went away before kindergarten. Now years later, and guess what? No piercings. No drugs, or unwanted pregnancies. Great grasp on reality. Excellent life skills. Honors students. Strong, capable young men and women on their way to a productive adulthood.

  Put that in your stinkleberry and smoke it...

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  Posted by MissK Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:58am PDT

  I wore my witch halloween costume and a pair of yellow plastic sunglasses with the lenses popped out for months when I was about 3. My mother allowed it, which even then I knew was pretty cool. Maybe that's why I called her Gretle (as in Hansel and . . . ) in public that whole year.

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