Just how many pairs of pj's does a 5 year old need ?

GC are always changing their clothes, uniform off and casual on. Often they decide to do dressing up but do not re-wear the previous outfit when changing back, out comes another clean outfit

Children's clothes relatively expensive in Australia (except at Target)
How things have changed since my mother's experience of growing up in WW2 - she had a gym slip and 2 blouses. This was her entire wardrobe.

harrigan, I have been trying not to say that- as I've got into 'trouble' in the past for making comparisons with other countries. But I think you have mentioned something important- which is the desire for UK kids to escape the uniform and change into casual stuff. Where I live there is no uniform, and kids seem to have a lot fewer clothes than in the UK, and not to change after school. They also seem to be far less into 'labels' than the kids I know in the UK either. Hope it won't offend anybody (I lived in the UK for 39 years until 4 years ago).

It would be interesting to hear from other grans who live abroad- as we have quite a few in different countries.

Isn't it something to do with the fact that children's clothes are so much cheaper in the UK?
I have been known to take my GD's clothes out of the basket fold them and put them back in the cupboard.

I asked DD about this today, and she admitted that she does the same (i.e. lets the DGDs change as often as they want and just shoves their cast-offs in the wash) - she says it's easier!! I was horrified!

She doesn't iron, though - at all. Everything goes in the tumble-dryer...

DiL just folds children's clothes straight from the drier and puts them away; however my other son's partner is a compulsive ironer. When I looked after DS and DGS when she had DGS2, I felt obliged to do the ironing in her absence. Brownie points galore!

Ana I could easily be a personal manager to your DD for a couple of days and save her a load of money! Telling her the error of her ways is better to come from non family.

You're not kidding about the money aspect, Charleygirl!

Her electricity bill must be through the roof, but she works full-time and time is very tight - I do sympathise, but it's the laissez-faire attitude to clothes-changing that really bugs me!

It is not just small children. A friend had her son, in his 40s, return home for a while after his marriage broke up. He was in the army and previously when not at his marital home had he had lived in the Officer's Mess where laundry was provided. Each day he put all his clothes, trousers, sweaters, even if only worn for a short period to the wash.

My friend soon made it clear that home did not provide that kind of service and told him to do his own laundry. Amazing how clothes all of a sudden had multiple wears before washing.

Having a modern washing machine makes laundry easy but even so; I try to do as little as possible and wear things as many times as I can [ we are all aware when clothes need washing.] Talking about outer clothes, not undies.it also knocks the hell out of today's clothes [not as robust as they used to be]by constant washing.Sweaters worn over tees and shirts do not need washing much at all and the odd stain can be 'spot cleaned'. It makes life harder to do so much laundry, and yes, kids have FAR more of everything than they need, be it clothes, toys, treats etc.Making a rod for your own back!!

We live in France and although some bargains are to be found, generally clothes are more expensive here. Even at the vide greniers (car boot sales) you generally don't find bundles of babies/children's clothes like you do in the UK, they tend to be sold individually. You can get a really nice bundle of clothes in the UK for the same price as individual items here.

My daughter's house is absolutely bursting at the seams with all her stuff and stuff for little grandson (now 19 weeks old) Before I last visited my daughter and son in law in September just after little grandson was born she told me that she had gotten behind on her washing and ironing and it was all in the pantry piled up to the top. I thought she was kidding! Even though she had warned me, I was still flabbergasted when I opened the pantry door and saw it all. Guess who's job it was to sort it all out!

kalexie Next time...... don't ask!

Lol! Yes Lona, the next time I go in a few weeks time I intend to avoid the pantry like the plague .

I get into trouble for putting clean clothes on DGS, 23 months, every morning when he is downstairs with me, DD, the one who polishes the silver and cleaned a sort of chandelier on a stepladder on new Years Eve.
She just sticks him in the same little jogging suit every morning if not going out until it screams for help and jumps into the washing machine on its own!!!!!!!