dresses at the playground

I'm really surprised at how many of the little girls we see at the park wear dresses. It's got to be 75% or more at any given time. This is for running around, playing in the mud, burrowing in the sandbox, climbing up everything, going down slides... I'm such a tomboy that it would never occur to me to put a little girl in a dress for stuff like this, because I'd never wear a dress for stuff like this. DD only has pants and shorts. There are lots of adorable dresses out there, I just can't picture her being a toddler in them. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against it! It just never would have occurred to me.

Am I just weird? What are the little girls wearing by you? Are dresses this common at the parks you go to?

 

When Nadia was 2, I never put her in dresses, because she was potty trained early but couldn't manage to pull the dress out of the way of the toilet, LOL. So, she was always in pants or shorts with an elastic waist.

But, at 3 she went through a phase where she would *only* wear dresses, and absolutely refused to wear anything else. So, no problem, I just put bike shorts on under them, and she was free to be as rough and tumble as she liked. (I love the Hannah playdress/daydress for this reason!)

I see tons of little girls in dresses, actually -- but I've never seen a little girl refrain from playing hard because she had a dress on.

Nadia has a required jumper for school now -- but, they strongly recommend that the girls wear shorts underneath.

 

If we got to the park or to the playground, I put the girls in play clothes. My girls do have dresses, but they are for church. We do have some skirts that have the shorts built into them that the girls love to wear, and I let them wear those because they have become play clothes, so occasionally they may wear those to the park. My co-worker's girl refused to wear anything but skirts and dresses for the longest time and everywhere they went she had on some type of skirt of dress...so I wonder if those girls just insist as well...you know how they can be at this age.

But to answer your question, I don't see little girls in dresses much at the playground, but then again I rarely pay attention.

 

Ally's summer wardrobe consists mostly of dresses and skirts, but all the skirts are actually skorts...she does have a few pants outfits, and has 3 pairs or shorts, which she wears maybe once per week. never thought much about it as a hindrance in her play, other than when she was crawling and dresses would definitely get in the way of her mobility...

ETA: when we do go to the playground, i always make sure she has the "diaper cover" to her dress on, even though she's in underwear now....

 

If Ali has a dress on at the playground, she's got shorts underneath!

But, that said, I really try to put her in play clothes for the playground. I do know several little girls who REFUSE anything BUT dresses!!!

 

Some of them might be skorts. Mine are crazy for dresses, but they don't get to wear dresses to school, because I think it restricts them too much for gym and recess. However, we have several skorts, and they are fine with that as a compromise, because they look like dresses. Normally for a playground I pick play clothes that I don't care about.

eta: Those are skorts in my avi.

 

I'm a jeans-and-tshirts kind of girl, so my DD is, too, by default I guess. lol

I have never taken her to the playground in a dress. Ever. She likes to climb, and dig and run crazy and get dirty... all that good stuff. She also never wears shorts to the playground, unless it's an indoor playground. If it's a regular outdoor park-like setting, I want her to be able to climb on the equipment and go down the slide without getting her legs burned, so for summertime I always put her in capris.

I'm amazed at how many little girls I see in frilly dresses at the playground.

 

My DD have wear dresses to the playground on more then one occasion. I let them pick out their own clothe (with in reason). So sometimes we have days like Tursday, that Dani wear a white dress to a chilren's museum.

 

My girls wear dresses about 75% of the time with no shorts underneath. I've found if they have an accident they usually don't get their dress wet so less clothes to change Jessy much prefers to wear dresses anyway

 

A&B love to wear dresses, so this is a "pick your battles" thing for me. Dresses don't have to be fancy, there are plenty of dresses out there that are comfortable for play, and really, what's the difference between washing a dress and pants/shirt? They also wear a lot of skorts, which are just the same to play in as shorts. If the dresses are kind of short, I do get them to put some shorts under them, but the dresses don't really restrict them on the playground at all. For us, they were easier to wear for PT'ing, too.

 

Lila wears lots of sundresses in the summer. Just casual little knit dresses that are really cool & comfortable for her. So, yep, she wears them to the playground too. It doesn't bother her, so it doesn't bother me. Actually, Tess is 10 and will still wear skirts & dresses (casual ones) to school & to play on the playground, but she always puts on a pair of shorts underneath. I guess they get it from me, because I don't own a pair of shorts, I much prefer sundresses & casual skirts in the summer (although I do have some capris that I wear occasionally).

 

My DD has dresses that she wears for play and dresses she wears for church and other nicer outings. I just love her in sweet little dresses and they don't seem to cause a problem for her.

 

At that age Sarah was in full stage "wear only dresses/skirts mode". She has some skorts or just plainer cotton type dresses. She has shorts to wear under dresses or skirts that don't have shorts built-in. It doesn't slow her down a bit. The fancy dresses are kept for church. Even now, she much prefers skirts. I don't see much difference between a denim skirt and a jeans, except that Sarah can wear her cute knee socks or tights with the skirt.

Marissa

 

We went through a time when my girls would not wear anything but a dress. I don't buy anything that isn't machine washable, so the only time I ever objected was to work in the field (planting, weeding, etc) they had to wear denim jeans and long sleves. Other than that is was a frilly dress every day of months on end.

 

We discourage wearing dresses to the playground, but it's not something I choose to fight a battle about. I don't care so much about them getting dirty -- there is no point in owning clothes that can't get dirty IMO, except maybe one or two holiday outfits -- but because it's hard to climb with a skirt on. Still, sometimes that's what they wear. Amy went through a phase where she would wear nothing but dresses -- though at the moment she prefers pants/shorts/skirts with a shirt because it's easier for her to dress herself (dresses tend to have buttons).

And yes, people do see their underwear, if I can't convince them to wear shorts under the dress. I refuse to care about this for at least another year or so.

 

MIne have worn play dresses to the park. This summer they wore a lot of dresses because we are PTing and its easier for them to pull panties or pullups up and down.

 

Hannah's wardrobe this summer consists of 100% cotton knit sundresses. That is ALL she wants to wear. So yes, we go to the park in dresses!!!

 

Abby wears dresses occasionally - mostly sleeveless sundresses - cotton and machine washable...I don't make a big deal out of it...I'm more concerned she has on the right shoes (not flip flops) than whats on the rest of her!

 

Searra's been in a full fledged 'dress only' phase for spring and summer! It's so bad that sometimes it's the first thing out of her mouth when I go to get them, "Mommy, I want to wear a pretty dress!!"

On the cold days we had late spring/early summer this year, getting pants on the girl so she wouldn't freeze was a real treat! Usually, it's a pick my battles thing, unless it's cold, because even leggings weren't okay to wear under her dress.

And if it's pink, it's hers! The pinker, more girly the better. Which is fascinating to me, because I'm not so much the girly-girl...

 

luckily the only dresses my girls have at this point have the little diaper cover underwear type things that match the dress. We have been to the park in those and I would not hesitate at this point (still in a diaper) to take them to the park in a dress. When they are potty trained and wearing panties they will have to wear shorts under their dresses.

 

We do have more casual "play" dresses that DD wears with leggings and that I don't mind her getting dirty in. I don't know that I would put them on her specifically for a trip to the park, but she does wear them to daycare sometimes - maybe once a week she'll wear a skirt or dress?

 

My DD would prefer to wear nothing else but a dress and she plays and does what ever in them. I thought the same way you did about dresses thinking that their purpose was for nice outings and church. DD has changed that opinon since the entire summer she has worn a dress almost everday. When I suggest shorts or capris she at me as though I am being ridiculous.

Lindia