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They Say: Designer Duds Bad for Baby
Parents who dress their kids in expensive clothes are being blamed for hampering the kids’ ability to develop through play. The designer duds, researchers say, are bad for baby.
The study also looked at kids sent to daycare centers dressed in clothing inappropriate for the weather or events planned (no coats during the winter months or flip flops which are hard to run in).
Researchers in Cincinnati found clothing was a “direct impediment” to outdoor physical play, even as researchers have been making more urgent calls for kids to get outside and play MORE to fight childhood obesity and enhance creativity and socialization.
The inappropriate attire should be fairly obvious – at least in terms of the missing coat on a cold day – but the designer clothing issue cropped up when the researchers looked at whether outfits were considered “too nice” for going outside to play. Kids were afraid to ruin their clothes, and daycare providers were reluctant to send them outside to play. Often something that simple could keep the entire class inside.
It would stand to reason an outfit that “nice” would be a problem inside a daycare setting as well. Who wants to set a child up with a nice pot of fingerpaint if they’re afraid Mom is going to come back and scream that a $300 sweater now has green paint on the sleeves? We don’t have $300 for a sweater anyway, but there are “going to pre-school clothes,” “play clothes” and “going out to dinner clothes” in our house. I’m not sending her near macaroni and glue in a fabric that can’t handle it.
The researchers put this down to a problem between caregiver and the parents – a miscommunication or lack of strict enough guidelines. But what is a parent thinking if they send their kids to an environment meant for play and messes in clothes that can’t be dirtied?
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e commented on Nov 09 09 at 10:52 amOh man, I used to HATE it when parents at the daycare where I worked would get angry about their kid’s clothes. If I picked my little guy up and he had some dirt, some paint, some glitter, and some glue on his clothes, I would take it as a clue that he had an interesting day with engaged caregivers. Kids have their WHOLE lives to worry about what they’re wearing… why start so young??
PlumbLucky commented on Nov 09 09 at 11:30 amI am floored too, only because I’m reading on preschool programs in my area and nearly every piece of literature I’ve found states something akin to “Please send your children in appropriate clothing, this isn’t a fashion show!”. Why?
Triplemom commented on Nov 09 09 at 2:40 pmYou know what solves all of this problems? Uniforms. I´m sooooo gratefull my preschool has them.
Magnoliama commented on Nov 11 09 at 12:53 amI can’t believe this! We always send our daughter to daycare in washable play clothes. Childhood is supposed to be messy! Shame on these idiots who care more about fashion than their children’s creativity and ability to play.
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