The Power Of Clothes To Affect Emotions And Attitudes In Kids

The Power of Clothes in Action:

The power of clothes over us is enormous – clothes affect attitudes and emotions. There are plenty of studies that tell us how. When we – and our kids – wake up in the morning and wear something we enjoy wearing, we’re better people throughout the day. When we’re looking our best, we feel strong and inspired. We’re more confident and kind. If we put on clothes that don’t fit too well, we are awkward and less energetic. We may take things personally instead of looking at the big picture. We look for the comfort of baggy pajamas when we’re feeling low and need to blend in and hide for self-care.Your kids are just as affected by the clothes they wear as you are. Some kids are easily annoyed by the snug elastic ribbing of socks. They’ll do everything they can to tear off the snug parts. Others love to wear tights and form-fitted clothes. Yet other kids will hold on to their favorite Little Mermaid t-shirt long past its lifespan, and morning dressing rituals will involve tantrums and stubbornness.

 Rather than enforcing certain types of clothing on your kids, you could listen to their choices. Having knowledge about what science tells us about the power of clothes can be helpful to understanding these choices. We all have our favorite happy clothes. What do your kids reach for before school every morning? If they’re the average three or four-year-old, they’ve just started to try and wrest control and test limits. Maybe they prefer to wear the shiniest outfits in their closets. Maybe your kid wants to wear their favorite Batman t-shirt to school every single day. Instead of letting your child’s sometimes irrational choices make you impatient every morning, try and be calm and show them that you respect their choice. If you’re worried about them being too cold, you could always get them to put on layers and tights.