Do you let your 3 year old pick out his/her own clothes?

IFMTS

DS has a heart attack if we pick out his clothes, so he chooses them. Most days that means he is wearing the same shirt over and over (I wash his clothes a lot). Today he picked out green shorts and a red Lightning McQueen tshirt. He looks like he's ready for Xmas with the green & red. DH thinks it's fine, because he is choosing his own clothes and doesn't fight us to get dressed before school.

He has so many nice matching outfits, but always chooses to wear something else.

Zenya

Christopher doesn't seem to care either way!

KoriBrett

We give Sam a couple things to choose from - pants/shorts, or a dress ?  And then if she picks dress, we offer 2 choices.  If pants/shorts, we'll ask what color shirt she wants to wear. 

That way she can still pick, but it doesn't look odd lol

DaiLyght

I think letting them have choices really helps cut down on the cranks during the day. It really helps to let them feel they are choosing, but I give him his options to choose from. I either lay out two outfits for him to pick, or I let him pick the shirt from the drawer and then I choose the shorts that he will wear with them. He gets to pick his underwear, but I pick the shoes.

camrude

I give two options. One option usually is either a skirt or a dress as that is what she's into right now. This is one battle I just don't fight anymore.

Reagan's Mommy

DaiLyght:

I think letting them have choices really helps cut down on the cranks during the day. It really helps to let them feel they are choosing, but I give him his options to choose from. I either lay out two outfits for him to pick, or I let him pick the shirt from the drawer and then I choose the shorts that he will wear with them. He gets to pick his underwear, but I pick the shoes.

R isn't 3, but ditto this.  Giving her little choices throughout the day really does wonders for her.  She picks the shirt, then I give her a choice of 2 bottoms that will both match that shirt.  Or, if wearing a dress, I'll give her a choice of 2 dresses.

mikeandmonica

Although I think it is super cute when kids pick their own clothes, we limit DS to picking his shirt (he doesn't know that he could pick his pants - we just have those already laid out). That does mean sometimes that he is wearing a long sleeve shirt with shorts when it is 80 degrees outside, but some days he doesn't want a t-shirt. It also means that he manages to find the Halloween "bats" shirt that is in the bottom of the drawer. I really need to pack that away!! (he'll be 3 in less than a month)

mauceddie

Ww do, but if they don't match we tell her she needs to pick something else. When she was younger I would only give her a few choices but she's pretty good about it if we tell her she can't wear something on a prticular day.

CleoKitty

Ds has been choosing his own clothes since he was about 3 years old. He's never fallen for the "which of these two shirts would you like to wear today" trick. Try that and he'd look at you like you were crazy and inform you that he doesn't want to wear either shirt, that he wants his orange dinosaur t-shirt that is in his drawer with his blue shorts thankyouverymuch, LOL. 

It wasn't too bad in the winter- he had a pair of jeans, two pairs of cords and two pairs of khaki pants all in neutral colors so pretty much no matter what outfit he selected it was almost always going to match by default. Now that it's summer he has a bunch of crazy colors in his wardrobe and it's problematic- he wants the orange shorts and the green/purple tie-dye  shirt with red knee socks, LOL. Lesson learned- in the future only buy him neutral pants/shorts and then it won't matter. 

Anyhow, we have let him wear whatever he wants for the most part, but I still have veto power and will make him change when he selects particularly hideous color combos or when we're going someplace special. 

 

IFMTS

Cleo, Sean is the same way. I've tried the two option thing and it doesn't work. Oh well, my kid will be the non matching one at daycare.

Dimplz

I'm with Zenya! DS doesn't seem to care!

DandelionMom

Gracie is a happier kid if we let her choose her own clothes.  I tell her what would be weather appropriate and she goes from there.

jen5-03

DD just turned 2 and I let her pick her own shirt or dress. I pick the shorts out though, so matching isn't an issue. She picks her undies.

The only shirts in her closet are season-appropriate, so that's not a problem either.

mikeandmonica

I wish I could keep only season appropriate clothes in our drawers. Here in MN we've had a crazy spring/summer.  We went from 90 degrees to snow in a week.  sigh