Brrr! Winter Wardrobe Survival Tips for Sensitive Kids

Any parent of a sensitive child, or a child with Sensory Processing issues or Autism will tell you that winter is the worst time for dressing and clothes!

Dressing can be a battleground for many parents, but when it's compounded by a little one who finds seams unbearable and normal clothes itchy and uncomfortable, it reaches a whole new level of challenging.

Woolly jumpers can be itchy and winter school uniforms can scratch and chafe!

As parents, the need to keep kids warm means we want to bundle them up and put as many clothes on them as we can (and ideally shoes too, but that's a whole other subject.)

So we've put together our 5 Top Tips for keeping your sensitive kids snug in the chilly weather...

1. Bring on the Baselayers!

When school uniforms are itchy and scratchy, kids can't concentrate and tears and tantrums ensue.

Negotiating with schools over acceptable clothing can be tricky, and more to the point, kids may not want to look different to their friends.

Soft base layers, seamless leggings, shorts or tee shirts worn underneath school uniform or sports kits can provide the ideal solution, for girls and boys, by forming a discreet and comfortable barrier between sensitive skin and clothing.

2. Go Undercover 

We've all tried to cut out labels or seams that annoy us - but how many times did you just end up making a hole in the garment? Sometimes it's just easier to stick something over the offending label to make it nice and flat and smooth.

A little while ago, we discovered the magic of Undercover Tape. 

It's a special tape that goes directly over those itchy labels or seams and keeps your kids calm and comfy!

The great news is we've had glowing reports back from mums and dads about this so we know it works. So when all else fails, cover that label up!

 3. Sock it to Sensitivity!

We get asked for help with socks and tights more than almost anything else, especially in the winter months.

More and more kids complain about their socks, and it's easy to think they're just making a fuss, but the struggle with seams is real!

Seamless socks and tights can be a God-send for parents and kids alike.

To put that in perspective, we've had customers tell us that thanks to seamless socks they have knocked 45 minutes off their kids' time getting ready for school!

A decent pair of seamless socks or tights can be well worth the investment. Of course, this may not work for every child, but it's a great place to start!

 4. Tame those Tootsies

Starting from the inside out, one of our best tips is actually to desensitise the skin before putting on socks or clothing. 

There are lots of ways to do this from jumping up and down on the spot to desensitise feet, using textured balance pods or rollers to massage and also body brushing techniques like the Wilbarger Protocol. 

This can be enough to calm the senses down enough to make clothing tolerable to put on and keep on all day.

Phew!

5. Soft & flat seamed sensitivity clothing

The Holy Grail!

We understand how hard it can be to find soft, seamless or flat-seamed clothing but it is out there. I'm sure that like us, many of you have spent hours trawling the internet for clothes your sensitive kids can tolerate, with mixed results.

Do get in touch if you have a specific sensitivity issue that you're looking for solutions to and we'll see what we can find in our magic box of tricks.

We'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below with your hints and tips.