...but I still do!
Opened my son's lunchbox after school and there's a little reminder from the teacher saying tomorrow is pajama day. I say to my son, all excited, "Hey, tomorrow's pajama day. Let's figure out which pair you're going to wear." Immediately he puts a grump on and says he doesn't want to wear his pajamas to school tomorrow.
So now I already know I'm going to be dealing with a struggle in the morning to try and coax him to wear his pajamas like the other kids. Part of me is already thinking 'screw it, let him be the only kid in the class to go in without pajamas and let him deal with it from there'. I know, not nice. I just don't want the battle over something that should be so fun. I would have been over the moon to wear my pajamas to school when I was his age (he's 5 and in pre-K).
Do you have a kid who's a stick-in-the-mud about doing anything different like this? How do you deal? Should I talk him into wearing the pajamas (I'm sure he would eventually figure out that it's fun) or should I just put the pajamas in his backpack and see if he changes his mind once he sees all the other kids?
Thanks all - it's so great to have a site like this for perspective. Otherwise I'd be stressing half the night over something so ridiculous. It's our first pajama day and, as can often be typical for him, he goes for the negative reaction.
I'm either going to put the pajamas in the backpack or might opt for the sweats idea. Ironically, we had an argument Monday morning over wearing his sweat pants to school - he wanted them and I said no, they weren't good enough to wear to school. Well, now he might get his wish! :)
UPDATE: He went in sweats and seemed perfectly happy with that. Most girls were in pajamas, a couple boys were not. Sure I'll hear more at the end of the day.
SIGH - wish this WAS my biggest stress...
It's supposed to be fun so let him decide whether it's fun for him or not. Once he sees all the other kids in PJs, he may feel left out and want his PJs on so put them in his backpack for him.
My 5 y/o son was embarrassed by PJ day in pre-school...we compromised and I sent him in comfy sweats, he was OK with that!
I wouldn't push it. If he doesn't want to, its not worth fighting about. If he goes to school and realizes he is the only one not wearing pj's or is missing out on the fun, then when he comes home, you say, well, now you know for next time so you don't miss out. Good luck!
Pj day is supposed to be fun. No need to turn it into a battle. It doesn't matter what he wears. Respect his wishes. This is not like homework where you have to turn it in. Pajamas are an option.
PAJAMA DAY??! I'm with your son. Hideous.
Throw the jammies in his back pack in case he doesn't stick to his guns. Personally I'd be proud of my child to sit this one out. I'm also not a fan of people in their pajamas at stores and stuff in the past few years...WHAT IS THAT??!
I would just put the jammies in the backpack in case he changes his mind. Let it go, I assure you there will be other kids without too.
Try to encourage him to participate but if he still doesn't want to, then I wouldn't push it. My son would hate this where my daughter would love it. It's a personality thing.
Meh, this is not something to battle over. Sounds like it's optional -- and he's opted out.
I think sending the pjs in his backpack is a good idea. Then, if he changes his mind, he can join in. And if not, no harm done. I'm a teacher and we have several different dress up days all throughout the year, pj day being one of the kids favorites. But I never have an entire class come dressed up. Usually about 5 or 6 don't. So if your son chooses not too, don't worry about him being the only one because he won't be.
I'd see if he'd like to wear his pajamas on top of regular clothes and go from there. BUT, At a certain point, I wouldn't force it. There's BOUND to be some kids that forgot or parents that didn't want to send their kids in PJ's or kids that didn't want to do it, etc. Putting the jammies in a backpack isn't a bad idea, either!
Don't make your son box himself into a corner and then have the opportunity to blame it on you.:) Put the pjs in his backpack and let it go.
Nice, too, that he's not immediately a conformist!
Sure, some kids are more serious-minded than others. By the time they get to school, every intelligent child has opinions about all sorts of things. Why not honor their preferences if there's no harm done?
It's not mean to let your son wear his regular clothes, it's actually more respectful than making him wear something he may consider ugly, goofy, or whatever else – but for him, distinctly "NOT fun." Let him have the experience of being the straight guy in a room full of jokers. He may change his mind next time around.
I'd ask again in the morning and accept his decision and let him live with it. There will be other days and other battles. Besides, as another mother mentioned I think boys are more embarrassed than delighted to go out in their PJs. (One mom I know solved the problem by realizing her son felt he needed to wear underwear under his jammies once this was cleared up he was happy to join in.) My daughter didn't do it the first day but did join in the second time they did it. No harm, no foul.
I wish they wore uniforms!
We have certain rules around what to wear to school...and on what days. i.e. you don't have to wear your tennis shoes unless its P.E. day, no flip flops on ANY day, and when I say wear a coat, wear the coat. Pretty simple.
Funny thing...tonight is the Winter Program, I bought her new shoes to wear (no big deal she needed them). She wore another dress today and I simply suggested she wear her new shoes with them..."UGH! Do you really want me to get them all muddy at recess?"...WHOA...anyway I said "wear don't wear them...do as you want"...
My point...don't fight a battle that you don't need to. I'd simply say "it's jammie day and if you want I've laid out a nice fresh pair for you to wear or you can wear regular clothes"...
Up to you on the fight you want to put into it.
Trust me, he won't be the only one. Lots of kids don't like pajama day, especially the boys. I think they find it almost as embarrassing as going to school in their underwear.
Now that I've had some experience working in elementary school this is just one of those things I wish they would stop doing. The parents all think it's "fun" and "cute" but it ends up being a headache for the teachers: a school full of kids that are even MORE wound up and distracted than normal :(
I'd enthusiastically ask him again in the morning, "Which .pajamas do you want to wear today?" Leave it at that. I wouldn't force him to do it, and I also wouldn't pack PJs--I'd let him experience the natural consequence of his decision not to wear PJs on PJ day, and then next year, maybe he'll want to.
I wouldn't force it on him. It's not worth the struggle. Let him learn by consequence. It's not mean, it's a good lesson in sticking with a decision you've made after fighting tooth & nail about it.
Oooo-ooooo, Me! (raises hand)
Mine is just like that.
I used to stress, but now I know it's not that big of a deal.
If he wants to participate-fine.
If not-also fine.
I promise he will not be the only non-pj kid at school!
You let it go. Put the PJs in his backpack and let him know they're in there but otherwise, let him be. He might not be the only kid without PJs - my oldest never wore those or any other goofy theme day clothes. Some kids enjoy it, and some don't. Let him be himself and do what makes him comfortable.
My son hated, and still hates, the goofy dress up (spirit) days at school. (Je is in 10th grade now)
He would not wear his pajamas to school, or funny hats, or mismatched socks, or, well anything other than normal clothing. This goes back to early elementary. And you know what, he was never teased and never felt like the odd kid out. He told his classmates "I didn't want to ______" and left it at that.
Let your son go to school in whatever he wants tomorrow, be it PJs or regular clothing. If he picks the regular clothing throw a pair of PJs in his backpack in case he changes his mind once he gets there.
I kinda' like that my child was never afraid to march to his own drummer.
I would love to wear PJs to work tomorrow though - sigh.
:)
i bet your son will NOT be the only kid not participating.......if this is your biggest stress in your life, most people would give their right arm for this kind of stress.............but to be honest i don't think you should put the pajamas in his backpack, for 2 reasons; a) teacher shouldn't have to deal with helping him change and b)your son isn't going to learn anything by you providing them to him
my son pulls this sometimes, he is 5. he may not want to wear a shirt with Lightening McQueen on it, because it's "not cool". he didn't wear these adorable dinosaur feet slippers my sister got him for almost a year because quite honestly he was a little scared of them. kids are silly. but one thing is for sure, come "sleepover night" at school (they do a parents night out when they all go to school for the evening, wear pajamas, do sleepover stuff, watch movies, etc) he is RARIN to go!
maybe because your son has never experienced pajama day he thinks it will be wierd or awkward. what about leaving a few minutes early for school and taking his pajamas in his backpack? then once he gets there he might change his mind. i sure wouldn't push him about it. in the end it doesn't make any difference. he can do it, or he can not. i'm sure he won't be the first or the last. hope he comes around!
If he says no only he has to live with the consequences. Pretty sure if it is unpleasant he won't do it again.
If he doesn't want to wear pj's then don't make him. I don't see the big deal. There are always kids who don't want to do whatever the particular spirit day activity is. For some kids, pj's are strictly FOR BED ONLY BED YOU CAN'T MAKE ME WEAR THEM ANYWHERE BUT BED!!!!1111!!!OMG!!11!!! Why stress or yourself out tomorrow morning? Let him wear what he wants and send the pj's in his backpack in case he changes his mind when he sees his friends in pj's.
My middle daughter is very rigid about things like this. She never, ever wants to wear pj's to school and I almost always have to send them in with her to change into at school. ONCE, this year actually, I managed to get her to wear them to school and bring her Build-A-Hello-Kitty for movie day but danged if she didn't wear her real clothes underneath.
She will not budge AT ALL for backwards day. Not a single bit. Not a stitch of clothes will go on backwards. She won't wear a silly hat on silly hat day either.
He probably won't be the only one without. In my first grade class, whenever we do pajama day or something like it, there are always 2 or 3 who forgot or chose not to wear them. It wouldn't hurt to send his in his backpack in case he changes his mind when he gets to school. Take it from someone whose kids are now 12 and 16, this is NOT something to stress about!
Yes, my daugher can be a stick in the mud about some things, although this she would love. Ultimately, this is a "it's your choice" situation. Ask him and then if he says no, pack them so he could change at school if he wants to. His teacher will understand. He proabbly won't always feel this way, but let him be in control of the decision.
My youngest son has never liked wearing 'stuff' on special days such as pj day or crazy sock day or crazy hat day. He just isn't interested and it has never bothered him when he is one of the few that don't dress up. Either your son will be embarrassed or not care - he'll find out.
Let him wear them to bed and just put shoes on in the morning. If he insists on changing in the morning, put the pjs in the backpack and be done...no fighting necessary.
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