Okay, so I've been contemplating night clothes. You see, Eloise told me some time back about a friend who gets dressed for school the night before and sleeps in her school clothes. I thought this was just a passing oddity of this particular friend - she can be odd. Well, last night we had this friend and her 8 year old sister for the night. When it was time for bed I told this little girl she should get her jammies on and get ready for bed. She looked a bit concerned and explained to me that they did not wear pajamas. They sleep in their school clothes. I looked at her and smiled and told her that was weird. She being a serious child, explained that it cut down on laundry and saved time in the morning.Now this may seem very logical to some people but for me it was plain wrong! Wrong I tell you! For one, how can you be comfortable sleeping in jeans? But it is more than that. It has to do with propriety. It is important for one to dress appropriately for the occasion. It seems to me that not dressing for bed indicates poor breeding, lack of class. Yes, I am a snob. But I just can't get over the feeling of wrongness here.
What do you think?
12 comments:
to each their own. I would have been upset if you told my child that was weird...every body is different.
I for one LOVE pajamas.
I don't really care what other people do as long as they don't begrudge me my pajamas. I love that moment in the evening when I can take off my day clothes and put on my night clothes. Much more comfortable.
Now, that's an idea I had not thought of...going to bed dressed to start the next day. The only time I have done something like that was while camping in intense cold; I normally don't shower in the morning during a wilderness trip.
I used to want to do that as a kid, because I thought it would save time getting ready in the morning, and I wanted more time to sleep. But my mom told me that people sweat during the night, and if I slept in my clothes, I would be cold the next day from the moisture in them. Everything my mom said was right. ;)
Sorry, if you are going to do weird things in another person's home. That person has a right to point out the weirdness, child or not. Someone had to set that child right. You do sweat at night, not to mention wrinkles!
Weird seems like a strong word to use with a kid to me. I would feel pretty bad at that age if an adult called me that. I already knew I was weird because I heard it enough from the other kids!
I went through a time in my life where I just wore my clothes from that day to bed, not the clothes for the next day. Now I just basically wear sweats to bed. Sometimes jammie pants and a t-shirt, but it's not very ceremonial for me. Just trying to keep warm.
my kids tend to change pj's every night, which drives me batty! I think the same jam's can be worn at least two or three times before turning them in! so I see the laundry point. but honestly, if they are comfortable like that then whatever. I personally could not do it, I have to be completely comfortable.
next time just hand them an oversized T shirt and say that at your house everyone is required, or deserves rather, to be comfy at night! ask them to try it - what family doesn't have a few oversized T shirts, if they enjoy it. or even better gift her some PJ's for the next birthday!
and it is important to point out that it's the parents that are wierd, the kids just do as they are taught.
I like to tell other people's children when there behavior is weird.
Sleeping in your clothes to save on laundry. That's a weak argument. Eventually you create more work for your self. Your street clothes run on the sheets, wearing them out faster. Your clothes become wrinkled and smelly and then you lose friends. The cost of wearing clothes to bed is potentially great indeed.
Interesting comments...I instantly thought "wow, lazy parenting to make their kids wear clothes to bed to cut down on laundry." I change into pjs the moment I get home from work. For the kids, putting on pjs for the night is part of the winding down / bedtime ritual and I think it's imperative that children are comfortable when they sleep - I know lots of adults who sleep badly because of learned habits from childhood.
I do put new PJs on my kids every night - but right now they're in diapers, and my son sweats heavily like I do. Part of our daily routine is that a load of laundry gets done every day. Thanks Dad for helping us get that started when you came to visit when Bryn was born last year! It's been a lifesaver.
Oh no, I did not feel the need to change their behavior at my house, they were free to sleep as they wish. I don't really care what their family does, it just made me think about what we do and why - if there are reasons. I had not thought of the sheet thing Michele - another good point. Eloise is lazy and teds to toss her jammies in the wash basket the morning after. I try to tell her she can wear them a few more days before they need to be washed!
What bugs me is when people wear pj's in public!! I hate that! Why can't people get off their lazy butts and get dressed in a pair of jeans or normal day wear??? Yeah, I think it's weird to wear clothes to bed too, it would be uncomfortable and you would stink the next day, but I wouldn't tell a kid they're weird either.
Nikki brings up an interesting point about wearing PJ's in public, here again, not dressing appropriately for the occasion. If you dress like you are ready for bed you are unlikely to get much accomplished. Even if I am staying home all day, I dress to look good - for myself. It helps the self esteem too! And quit dishing me for calling a kid weird, I did not call HER weird I called wearing clothes to bed weird. I had a teacher in 3rd grade tell me I was stupid and I have manged to turn 40 knowing I am not stupid. So, saying one little thing will not destroy this child. Please.
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