So Your Child Doesn't Want To Wear Fancy Dress -What Do You Do?
So your child has been invited to a fancy dress party. One problem - he or she doesn't want to wear fancy dress. Or maybe s/he is saying 'don't like dress up' out of the blue - it's not normally a problem. What do you do? My toddler absolutely hates fancy dress (he even refused to wear a shirt for our wedding). So I have had to come up with some creative solutions to this problem, and here they are: It May Not Be A ProblemThe fancy dress requirement may in fact be optional, a last-minute thought to take advantage of the fact that the child celebrating their birthday lives permananently in their Cinderella/Spiderman etc oufit.Ring up and explain that your child doesn't want to wear fancy dress - I'd bet money on it not being an issue. This has always been the case in my experience. However, toddlers change so quickly. I'm always convinced Louis will arrive at the party, see all the other pirates/princesses and suddenly decide that he actually does want to dress up. This has never actually happened. However, before the party,- in the absence of a crystal ball - you may still worry about it. There are 2 solutions to this: borrow or adapt. Borrow An OutfitSee if you can borrow a costume from a friend. The peer pressure of everybody else dressing up may well persuade him/her to don their outfit. If they resist getting dressed up before the party, take the outfit in a bag and see what happens.AdaptIf you have the time, adapting the child's own clothes is the perfect solution.
You can easily create a simple pirate costume (or cabin boy on pirate ship, at least).I took a bandana with a skull and crossbones design and sewed it to the bottom of a stripey T-shirt, and Louis was more than happy to wear this, as you can see in the photo. You can also complete the loook with a present that is tied up like a bag of loot, rather than traditionally wrapped. Other additions could be a (soft fabric) toy sword or hook.
Angel or fairy wings can be bought separately from costumes. Add detachable wings to a pink top and there you have it - problem solved. Complete the look with face painting (if Tinkerbell will allow it). What If It's Out Of Character?
Your toddler might surprise you with their reluctance to wear fancy dress. If she normally enjoys dressing up, this is probably either a whim or s/he may be communicating anxiety about the party. In either case, just reassure your child. Remind them that you’ll be there, and of all the exciting things about the party. Talk excitedly about the theme - if it’s a pirates and princesses party, your sales pitch might go ‘…And they’ll have princesses cakes for real princesses. I wonder if the other pirates will have a sword?’ Ask questions to get them involved ("Would you like to take some fairy dust? Shall we make some pirate cakes for the party as a special present?") Before you know it s/he will have forgotten that she 'don't like wear fancy dress'...yeah, right! Return from Doesn't Want To Wear Fancy Dress to Toddler Parties
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