Kids and Baby Shoes

A blog that's all about the kids and babies and for the mom's and dad's as well.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Buying Your Child Clothes

Shop For Children


Buying kids' clothes can go from being a delight with your first baby to a challenge with your preteen. Whether you're shopping for a child who's growing like a weed or locked into a battle of wills with your toddler or preteen, planning before you shop is the key to saving time, money and sanity--all valued commodities for busy parents. Shopping for infants and toddlers


Steps


1. Keep in mind that babies grow fast and have the next size ready to go. Many new parents and gift givers don't realize that some babies never fit, or fit only for a few days, in clothes sized zero to three months. If you receive a lot of gifts in this size, exchange most for sizes six to nine, or nine to 12 months.

2. Remember that toddlers need clothes that pull on and off easily when they're in the "I can do it myself" and potty-training stages. Shopping for older kids


Steps


1. Take inventory. At the start of each season, pull out and sort all the kids' clothes. Box any outgrown items for selling, donating to charity or storing.


2. Make a season-specific shopping list that includes categories such as basics, school clothes, outerwear, and athletic and extracurricular attire. When considering quantities, consider how frequently laundry gets done in your house.


3. Keep kids' preferences and ages in mind, and ask for their input. By second or third grade, expect them to have firm opinions about what's cool and what's not. Look at Web sites and catalogs together at home to see what they like before venturing out to shop. Explain any limits you have regarding styles you're willing to purchase, but use your veto power sparingly.


4. Set a budget and use it as a teaching tool. As soon as your kids are old enough to understand, tell them how much you plan to spend and let them help decide where to spend it. If the name brand wardrobe your daughter must have costs too much, a compromise might be a few T-shirts from her favorite store and less expensive jeans from a discount store


5. Buy socks and underwear to fit, in bulk and in the same color, style and/or brand for each child. These items wear out fast and are uncomfortable if they're too big. You don't want to have to throw out a good sock just because its mate got lost. If you have more than one child, assigning a color or brand to each also decreases laundry mix-ups. Limiting styles to one choice also eliminates fussiness on busy mornings.


6. Take a child shopping if you have a question about size or an exceptionally picky child. Make sure everyone is well rested and fed to cut down on short tempers. Consider shopping without the kids for expediency. Just make sure you can return anything that doesn't work out.

7. When shopping for uniforms quality if everything, especially if your child or children will attend the same school for more than one year. Purchase clothes large enough that they can grow into them. Clothes will look less worn if additional uniforms are purchased to reduce the number of washes over the course of the year and can be handed down as younger siblings grow.

Overall Tips

Make sure you understand return policies, which have gotten stricter in many stores, and file your receipts, which are also important for any items with a wear-out warranty. Focus on buying durable basics such as jeans that will hold up after many washings. Inspect items for quality construction. Feel the fabric to see if it seems sufficiently heavy to withstand wear and tear. Check that buttons and zippers fasten securely.


Let's Go Shopping


Babycenter
Buy Buy Baby
AllAboutSavvy
Arte Bebe
Baby CZ
Baby Laundry Boutique
babysoy
Cady Lane
comfi cozi
cupcake
Cute Baby Shoes
Cute Little Me
Dandelion
giggle
Emily & Ally
Eurochild
forest and zoe
Ginger and Scallion
Honey for the Bear
It's A Rag Doll's Life
Janie and Jack
Jolie's Online
Kids Shoes, Stride Rite and Primigi
Little Bits
Little Dudes and Divas
Maddies Closet
Mahar Drygoods
Max and Maude's
Milena Bee
Mod Mama
My Little Ducks
nonchalantmom
Olie Bollen
Orange Blossom
Pacifier
PamperedTot
pokkadots
Polka Dot Whale
POSH BABY
PsychoBaby
SnapdragonsBaby
stars + infinite darkness
Stride Rite and Primigi
Sugarfreckle
Swell Baby
The Red Balloon Co.
Tiny Truffles
Trendy Togs

Local - New York City
Agatha Ruiz de la Prada (SOHO)
Crembebe (East Village)
Karin Alexis (UWS)
Kingkow (UWS)
Les Petits Chapelais Créations (SOHO)
Romp (Park Slope)
Z Baby Company (UES/UWS)

Local - Boston
Kids Shoes at AlphaBits Childrens Boutique

Local - DC
K Baby

Local - SF Bay Area
lavish
Mill Valley Baby Co.

Local - LA
La La Ling
2 chix
Bebe au Lait
BellaBlu Maternity
Belly Dance Maternity
Liz Lange
Naissance on Melrose
Nestmom

New York
Veronique Maternity
Amber Hagen
Amy Coe
Anne-Claire Petit
Baby Bean Wear
baby star
blabla
Bonpoint
Devi
EGG by susan lazar
flora and henri
Icky
Jacadi
Kule
Lucy Sykes Baby
Lion & Finn
malina
Marie-Chantal
neopolita
oinkbaby
Petit Bateau
Petit Patapon
Sozo
Tea Collection
Trish Scully
Zutano
Inch Blue
Jack and Lily
Stride Rite
Abe Jones
Angelic Genius
Focoloco
gabbybaby
Glug Baby
Kee-Ka
Lily + Amy
littly by jenny
Loopy
Stardust Kids
Tatico
The Retro Baby
Tomat for Kids
Tricky & Titch
Wry Baby
3 girls and us
BABYGEARED
ducduc
kido
ModernChild
Modernmini
Modern Nursery
Modernseed
ModernTots
Netto Collection
Piccolini
Sparkability
zac and zoe
JouJouBaby
Land of Nod
New Arrivals, Inc.
Pottery Barn Kids
Rosenberry Rooms