Inspiring Motherhood

...Finding joy in mothering...

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Mix and Match your Toddler Outfits

I always try to mix and match my toddler boy’s separates to give a stylish appearance. You can also use accessories for a dressy look. Here are a few of my favorite ways to mix and match his clothes:

  1. Layer a collared, button-front, half-sleeve shirt over tee and shorts for the ultimate cool look in summer.
  2. Pair shortalls with polos instead of tees for a more dressy look.
  3. Dress your little man in light pullover hoodies along with shorts for cool/breezy summer days.
  4. You can layer a half-sleeve tee over a full-sleeve tee for cooler days.
  5. Layer a open front, jeans vest over tee and shorts.
  6. Wear a button-front vest with full-sleeve shirt for the ultimate classic look.
  7. In summer, you can roll up your toddler’s full-sleeve, button-front, collared shirt and pair it with pants or shorts. Add a bow-tie for church or special occasions.
  8. The classic winter look cannot go wrong with sweater vests worn over collared shirts.
  9. Wear a pullover sweater over polos or collared shirts in winter.
  10. Dress your toddler in cardigans during spring/fall.
  11. Try sleeveless puffer vests over full-sleeve shirts or tees in spring/fall.

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Toddler Sensory Play at Home

If you are like me and don’t want to spend lot of money on toys, I suggest sensory play. I read about sensory play when my little one turned a year and ever since I have tried to incorporate it into his daily play. Here are a few things which my toddler loves:

  1. Uncooked Pasta – Use a few plastic bins, bowls and spoons and your toddler will enjoy playing with it. Use the bigger variety to avoid choking.
  2. Sand – My toddler can play for hours in sand. Of course, be ready to deal with mess and the fact that you will have to give your toddler a bath after playing with sand.
  3. Stones or Rocks – Whenever we go for a stroll in the neighbourhood, my little one loves exploring small rocks. Collect them in a plastic bin for daily play.
  4. Water – We bought a water table for my son’s 2nd birthday and it has been a great gift. He loves playing with it for 30-45 minutes at a time.
  5. Play dough – Little hands love playing with dough. I simply make my own dough with flour and water when needed rather than running to the store.
  6. Bubbles – So much fun to watch your toddler chasing after bubbles.

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Dressing Your Toddler for Summer

Summer is here and I thought I would come up with an essential list of clothes for your toddler boy. You don’t have to spend a lot on summer clothes. Most of the time your little boy will be running around in tees and shorts. Now that my baby has grown up, I love to shop Mom-to-Mom Sales for stocking up on clothes. I am also grateful to family and friends who have gifted us with beautiful outfits.

Toddler Summer Clothes

Toddler Summer Clothes

Essentials or Basic Clothing

  1. Body Suits/Onesies – 5 Nos. I love these while my toddler is still in diapers. The diapers stay in place and my toddler has not yet figured to remove the snaps. I also have a few nicer looking Sport Onesies/Body Suits which can be worn outside.
  2. Short Sleeve Tees – 5 Nos. My toddler often wears tees over body suits specially while going outside. This way his diaper won’t show up over his shorts.
  3. Full Sleeve Tees – 2 Nos. We use these on cool or breezy summer days.
  4. Cotton Sleepers/Pyjamas – 2 pairs. I prefer zippered footless sleepers for summer over 2 piece pajamas.
  5. Shorts – 5 Nos.
  6. Casual Light Pants – 3 Nos. We wear these on cooler summer days.
  7. Collared Shirt – 1 No. I hate that I have to iron cotton shirts.
  8. Formal Cotton Pant – 1
  9. Summer Hat – 1
  10. Sandals – 1 pair
  11. Shoes – 1 pair

Optional

  1. Cotton Vests – 2
  2. Romper – 2 Nos. I love cotton, plaid rompers. They look so classic and I love it especially for Church.
  3. Shortalls – 2 Nos. Toddler boys look adorable in shortalls. However, my toddler has started to remove the bottom snaps.
  4. Polos – 2 Nos. These pair well with shortalls. You can also use cute bow ties with polos.
  5. Dressy Outfits – 1 or 2. I splurged a little and bought a Sailor Outfit for my son’s birthday and a 5 piece formal outfit for his baptism anniversary.

Note

  • You can turn your toddler’s casual outfits into stylish ones using a few accessories. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of money of dressy outfits.
  • You can read about dressing your toddler for winter over here.
  • If you have an infant, you can read more about the outfits needed for summer and winter over here.

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Dressing your Toddler for Winter

When we moved up North after our baby turned a year old, I was dreading the cold and snowy Northern Winters. I loved living in the South and had been used to the mild winters. I really didn’t realize how many more layers we needed to keep warm during snowy days until last winter. In general, most people recommend that parents put one more layer on a child than they themselves need to stay warm.

I would take my son outside to play until the weather hit the -10°C mark. If the temperature fell beyond -10°C, we weren’t all that comfortable playing outside but I would run errands with my toddler bundled up in the stroller like going to the Library or to the Mall.

Toddler Winter Clothes

Toddler Winter Clothes

Here is how I dressed my toddler boy for cold, wintery days from age 1 – 3.

Home/Indoors

  1. Long-Sleeved Cotton Bodysuits (Onesies or Creepers) as the base layer, followed by Thermal Tees or Light Sweaters.
  2. Fleece Pants
  3. Socks with grip

Nighttime

  1. Fleece footed pyjamas (PJs) with zipper. The base layer would always be a half or full-sleeved bodysuit (onesie).
  2. Light blanket but my toddler would always kick it off.

Outdoors

Layers are your best friend. I have dressed up my son in 3-4 layers depending on the temperature outside. We often didn’t venture outdoors when the temperature was around the -20°C to -30°C mark even if we were going by car unless it was absolutely necessary. I was afraid of my toddler getting a frost bite if he happened to remove his mittens or shoes which he often did.

Cold Days (5°C to -5°C)

  1. Long-Sleeved Bodysuits (onesies) as the base layer.
  2. Thin Pullovers (jumper), Hoodies or Sweaters as the second layer.
  3. Fleece Jacket as the outer layer. Convenient for Car Rides as you can use these in car seats.
  4. Footed tights or long johns. I bought a black colored one from Dollar Store and we used it often as the base layer to keep legs warm. It also provided great coverage between pants and socks so that skin on the leg was not accidentally exposed.
  5. Fleece Pants or Fleece Lined Jeans
  6. Socks with grip
  7. Winter Boots
  8. Fleece Mittens
  9. Sherpa lined Balaclava Fleece Hat. This meant that the neck was covered as well.
  10. Thick Blanket for Stroller and Car
  11. Weather Shield for Stroller

When we headed indoors like the Library or Mall, I would remove the fleece jacket so that my little one could move around freely. If it became too warm indoors like crowded Shopping Malls, I would remove the pullover as well.

Severe Cold Weather (-5°C to -10°C)

  1. Long-Sleeved Bodysuits (onesies) layered with Thermal Tees form the base layer.
  2. Fleece Pullovers (Jumper), Hoodies or Sweaters would be the mid layer. I would use heavy fleece or knit fabric here.
  3. Heavy Winter Coat or Snowsuit as outer layer. The disadvantage is that you need to remove it before buckling up your toddler in the car seat. You can use a Fleece Jacket while in the car along with a warm blanket.
  4. Thin cotton & polyester mix pants as base layer. Better if you can find thermal pants for toddler boys. I had no such luck and simply used footed tights or lighter pajama pants instead of thermal pants.
  5. Thick Fleece Pants or Fleece Lined Jeans
  6. Thick Socks with grip
  7. Winter Boots
  8. Fleece Mittens. Double up if needed.
  9. Sherpa lined Balaclava Fleece Hat. This meant that the neck was covered as well.
  10. Thick Blanket for Stroller and Car
  11. Weather Shield for Stroller

Once indoors, I would remove the snowsuit or winter jacket for mobility.

Extreme Cold Weather (-10°C to -20°C)

  • All of the above and we would wrap our toddler in a blanket while heading to and from the car.
  • Also, we would double up on the mittens and socks.

Snow Play (0°C to – 10°C)

I preferred separate winter coats and snow pants for ease of dressing and Diaper Changes. Since snow pants are heavy and lined, I only used a single base layer for the bottom.

  1. Long-Sleeved Bodysuits (Onesies) for the base layer.
  2. Thermal Tees or Thin Pullovers (Jumper/Sweaters) for the mid layer depending on how cold it is outside.
  3. Fleece pant
  4. Winter Snow Suit (I bought separate snow pant/bib and jacket).
  5. Socks with grip
  6. Winter Boots
  7. Water proof mittens
  8. Sherpa lined Balaclava Fleece Hat

Special Occasions

  • For special occasions like Christmas and Parties, I often went with dressy outfits like a full-sleeve, collared shirt layered with sweater vest. Flannel shirts are good for such occasions.
  • I also had a few Corduroy and Fleece Coveralls which I used for Church but I didn’t prefer those as they were difficult to layer. I guess they work better on babies rather than toddlers.

Note

  • Wool and fleece are recommended for winter. It is best to avoid cotton specially as base layer.
  • Scarves aren’t recommended for little children; they pose a strangulation risk.
  • Babies and little children should not be dressed in snowsuits when they are strapped into car seats. Instead use fleece or light-weight jackets and a blanket if necessary.
  • Have multiple pairs of mittens and socks with you in case they get wet.
  • You can read about dressing your toddler for Summer over here.