I do a load of laundry every day. I’ve cut back on the volume of clothing my kids and I have, but it’s still a work in progress.
As I was switching out the kids clothes now that warmer weather is approaching (and they are growing like weeds and need to change sizes), it dawned on me… do my boys even need pajamas?
I guess it’s easier to consider a “pajama free plan” this time of year with the temperature rising (slowly, but hey, it’s better than snow). So, for the past week, I have put the two youngest boys to bed in their onesies (yes, my two-year old wears a onesie- you try keeping a diaper on a 26-month old), and my three-year old in his nighttime pull-up (or underwear, we’re working on that) and a white undershirt. This also helps the oldest guy feel like Daddy, because that’s what Daddy sleeps in (sans pull-up, lol).
Of course, the “pajama free plan” isn’t so simple for Lizzy. During the summer, she tends to want to sleep in a t-shirt and underwear too, but that’s because we don’t have AC in our rental. Also, last Summer, she was only seven; this summer she’s gonna be eight, and, well, that might as well be twenty-two! I have a feeling Lizzy may feel like covering up a bit more now that she’s aging. Do little girls still wear undershirts? I remember wearing these really thin tank tops under my clothes around her age until I started wearing a training bra. Maybe I should get her some of those. And a few pairs of comfy cotton shorts for lounging around the house in lieu of pajamas. Maybe. Or maybe she’ll wears pajamas because she’s the princess and occasionally gets to do things differently than her brothers because she has three brothers under three. I’m not sure yet.
Now on to me. . .First of all, I don’t think my kids would appreciate me marching around in my underwear and a t-shirt. Let’s just get that our there . Second, while I rarely sleep in pajamas, I do, however, have pajamas that I put on after my evening shower and wear until I get in bed and for a brief period in the morning before I get dressed. But WHY? I know that my day is much more productive and runs more smoothly if I get dressed immediately upon rising. Maybe the “pajama free plan” is just what I need to force myself to get dressed first thing every morning. Note to self: it is totally okay to get dressed and made-up hours apart. Getting “ready” for the day doesn’t have to happen all at once!
What about the winter, you ask? I don’t know. I think we’ll probably do exactly what we’re trying now, but add some sweatpants and socks to the mix. Or maybe we will need pajamas to handle the East Coast in the Winter…who knows.
The truth is, going without pajamas it isn’t just about laundry. It’s about everyone needing to get dressed in the morning. I think it will make us remember we have stuff to do. The fun, messy, busy, crazy, stuff we call life. And yes, sometimes that stuff is fun to do inside all day in our pajamas. Now, I’m not saying we won’t have pajama days, but they will be pajama days because I’ve announced that we aren’t getting dressed for the day and are doing fun pajama day-y things, not just because we never got around to getting dressed.
I hope this works. It’s been a week, and it’s going swimmingly. So, if we actually need pajamas one season out of the year, that’s okay. We will have established better habits for getting ready for the day and there will be a lot less laundry for three out of four seasons. And, I’ll get to take cute pictures of my kids sleepy-eyed wearing matching pajamas like this one.
Win-Win-Win.
