9 days clothes | Imamother

amother

Thu, Aug 01 2019, 3:44 pm

Please give ideas of how to explain about putting on all of the clothes ahead of the 9 days to children and teens. I even feel a bit silly doing it as I’m thinking about it.

ra_mom

Thu, Aug 01 2019, 3:47 pm

If it's your minhag, then tell them that the 9 days are days of mourning for the bais hamikdash and wearing clothes that are not perfectly fresh and new is your minhag to show aveilus. If you feel real about it, they will too.
In camp there were girls who sat on a pile of their fresh clothes instead trying them on.

Full disclosure - this is not our minhag. We just wash ahead of time and put the laundry away.

sky

Thu, Aug 01 2019, 3:53 pm

I explain we are mourning the Bais hamikdosh. We aren’t doing as exciting activities. There is a fair in town we normally go to that we aren’t going to this year because it’s during 9 days.
An avul doesn’t change their clothing. As a sign of morning we don’t wear fresh clothing. Everyone changes like every 1/2 hour or so between outfits. If kids don’t have patience they do 10 minutes or whatever works.
For my teens they already expect it and remind me to start. It’s just what they have done. It’s the younger kids I feel I have to prep more.

I read an article written by a sick very young mother who has since died. She was discussing how this is our time to mourn all the horrible things that have happened that are because we don’t have the Bais hamikdosh. We are just so used to it we don’t even miss it or wish for it. But this is our time to be uncomfortable to remind ourselves what we are missing. (She discussed how she has even become so used to her horrible illness a person can become used to anything)