What's wrong with pj's all the time?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 3:49 am

amother wrote:

I work from home, and I spend my days (and nights) in PJ pants and a t-shirt/sweatshirt. I don't leave the house this way, but do run down to get the mail. the pizza guy sees me this way. I bathe daily.

I do not care what anyone says, which is what you should be feeling, op. your baby is clean and happy, who cares if he's wearing footed pjs?

I could have written this, word for word.

I'm all about comfort. Besides, some kids have sensory issues, and only want soft comfy clothes on. Regular clothes can bind, pinch, and scratch, and if you have a sensory kid it's just going to make them cranky. They'll start putting up a huge fight the moment they see a pair of pants coming. Let him be a baby a bit longer, and as long as he's safe and happy, that's all that matters.

Other people can think what they want. Rolling Eyes

DrMom

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 4:19 am

I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

FWIW, I always changed my babies' clothes when I changed their morning diaper. But my kids were all very active and early walkers. It was part of our morning routine -- I don't feel good about myself if I am in pjs all day, so I apply the same get-up-and-go attitude to my kids' routines.

That being said, all the baby clothes we own are very similar in comfort-level to pjs. No mini-adult styles with tight woven fabrics or complicated zippers. Just cuddly soft fabrics that wear well.

I think babies should be comfortable so they can do their job: learning, developing, eating, pooping, sleeping, etc.

amother

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 9:37 am

dooby wrote:

I have a very challenging 2yr old, who wont let me dress her! so I bought a bunch or target tees and sweatpants.....its cozy, looks half decent, and one less fight in the morning!

my dd went to playgroup today wearing a top and tights, skirt in the knapsack. I decided a long time ago never to judge parents of toddlers.

SJcookie

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 10:13 am

You shouldn't care what people think. I wouldn't think a toddler in pjs all day = a lazy mother.
The reason I dress my kids (9 month old & a 2 year old) in pjs at night and "regular" clothes during the day is so they will have a routine and know the difference between play time/day time and sleep time. Toddlers have the ability to associate such things.
For example, my toddler can easily realize that putting on pjs means taking your vitamin, brushing your teeth, and going to bed.

Carters has really warm and cute winter clothes - fleece pants, hoodies, etc.

amother

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 10:44 am

OP here- I don't care what people think, I only care when people say what they think! If it didn't elicit comments, it might occur to me that some people would disapprove, but so what. But yes, having that disapproval voiced aloud is hurtful. BTW, footless rompers would still leave me needing to find two socks and wrestle them onto him and hope against hope that he keeps them on... Anyway, I just needed to confirm that people really should mind their own business on this matter and I'm not the crazy one here.

supty

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 10:56 am

As a mother of a very active two year old, I totally hear where you're coming from. I, too, battle with my son every morning to dress him. However, I wouldn't let him stay all day in pjs for a different reason- I think it's creating bad habits for the future. Most toddlers are very into routine, and I think it's important to establish getting dressed as part of morning routine from a young age. I don't think there's really anything wrong with taking him out in pjs, however I do think you're going to have a much harder time adjusting him to getting dressed in the morning when you really DO need him to cooperate in the future (ie for school). There are so many things I wish I would've started younger, as it's a lot harder to change the habits of a smart two and a half year old than a baby or even a 15 month old.

amother

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 10:59 am

It can also depend are u dressing him in pj's or leaving him in pj's some time kids left in pj's or sleep in clothing end up not being changed for days and yes I have seen it (smelt it ) because I work with babies if you are dressing in clean pj's then he's just cozy why not but ending up in same pj's for days straight without changing is what's gross

carrot

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 11:14 am

Wouldn't it be just as easy to have him sleep in (comfortable, soft, stretch) clothes?

I wouldn't take a 15 month old out in pajamas. The fact is that people do respond better to cute kids, and though I am sure your kid is cute, cute clothes help. I want my kids to have that advantage.

I would rather that wasn't the way the world works, but it is.

Barbara

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 11:30 am

amother wrote:

I have a 15 month old who basically lives in pj's. He is VERY active, more so than his older siblings have ever been, and it is so ridiculously hard to get him dressed. It's winter anyway, so I need to dress him warmly, and what's better for that than fleece footsie pajamas? I am mostly home with him, we aren't really going anywhere other than the supermarket or school drop-off/pick-up (in which case he's in the car the whole time and no one sees him). The problem is, everyone who has noticed feels the need to comment. My mother in particular is very upset that he only ever wears pj's the last few months, you'd think I was driving him around without a car seat the way she goes on! But even other people, I get "do you EVER dress him in real clothes?" and such. Is it really so bad? I don't see him hindered in any way, and I don't see why he needs to look like a Gap ad at this age. The pj thing works really well for now, and I would like to continue it through the winter.

You should do what works for you.

People are reacting because a toddler in pajamas during the day leads them to think that his clothes haven't been changed.

I've never thought of footie pajamas as particularly comfy. Unless the child is just the right height, they're either stretching or bagging. Plus you can't really let him walk around outside in them, because of the risk of something penetrating the thin sole (or just walking on a rock even if it doesn't penetrate). So even if its working now, I don't see footie pajamas working for an 18 month old.

amother

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 12:16 pm

Couple of points...
I am a mother who doesn't put huge stake in "what people do" or "that's just how it is done". I make the best decision for my child and my family.
I have a very active 1 year old. It's a challenge to get the diaper changed let alone clothes! But habits die hard so I get him now used to changing clothes. I need to be better at starting better routines in other areas but unless one of us is sick- clothes get changed. Maybe find something to distract your kid so you can change him. A toy, book- maybe something that lights up?
But FYI-
I work in the mental health field and when we see kids in PJs beyond the little baby stage (when they walk, or even crawl) it's a sign. Just one of a million we look out for but it's a little flag saying "take notice" and "are there any other flags?". Are they dirty, smelly, otherwise uncared for? Are the outfits dirty or look in extreme disarray? (Beyond normal active kid disarray- shoes badly ripped, holes in clothes...) it could be a sign of depression, other mental illness, parental neglect, "not coping" or other issues. Pjs itself don't prove or show any of this, but if enough signs and flags are present it might mean something. We look at patterns and what occurs often.

Just a question- why is it easier to change the PJs nightly instead of each morning? What about the routine is different? Can you change clothes after morning nap when everyone else is out so it might be calmer?

zigi

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 1:17 pm

clothes in my house mean we are going out. I used to feed my son in just a diaper or undershirt, he would need a bath after every meal. he was that messy.

I used to layer clothes, pjs underneath then clothes, and shoes/ boots covered the feet of the pjs.

holes in clothes red flags.. ds is very hard on his pants he rips holes all of the time. he needs a million pairs of pants to look put together

nyer1

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 1:25 pm

I'm sorry I disagree with other posters, I don't think its normal.
it sends a message to others and believe it or not it sends a message to your baby. it doesn't mean u have to be into children's fashion, but it isn't normal for people to walk around in PJs all day. it needs to become part of a child's routine… "we go outside, we get dressed…. we come inside and get ready for bed, we put on pjs". I would be alarmed if I always saw a baby in PJs. it's just odd. for a little baby like 0-9 months I think its more normal… unexpected naps, cold weather, u sometimes need footsie pajamas or maybe u ran out of the house with the baby and the baby was still sleeping or something. 15 months is closer to toddler than infant to me… I think it's weird. just my opinion and not meant to offend.

mommyla

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 2:05 pm

Pita wrote:

I let my son go to school every day in a lion costume until the teachers asked me to stop because all the other kids wanted one, too.

This actually made me laugh out loud!

OP, my daughter is around the same age as your baby. I take her out in PJs when I drive carpool or if we have an early morning doctor's appointment, but otherwise she gets dressed (usually after her morning nap - she sleeps better when she's cozy).

Like others have said, I want to instill this habit as early as possible - it's easier to wrestle a 15-month-old into clothes than to fight with a stubborn 2.5-year-old. Plus she can actually get around better in regular clothing - her PJs never fit as exactly as they should, so when she crawls around and plays on the floor the feet get twisted or stretched. And she has shoes - can't put those on top of footsie PJs!

ElTam

Tue, Dec 02 2014, 2:15 pm

If you have enough bandwidth to be "alarmed" at a baby in PJs (or even to notice what a baby is wearing), you need to get some hobbies, doe some chessed, go to a shiur, SOMETHING.

Kids grow and mature; leaving them in jammies at 15 months is not going to be a kid who won't get dressed at five. It does not mean you neglectful, depressed, or don't care. It means you care more about your child's comfort than what other people think.