Two Clothing Tips for Kids with Down Syndrome

Today I'm sharing a couple of tips for those of you dressing children with Down syndrome.  Down syndrome brings with it a list of characteristics:  Brushfield spots, almond shaped eyes, gap between big toe and 2nd toe, short legs, rounder middle.  The last two make summer shorts wearing weather great.  Basketball shorts with elastic waist - easy on, look good.  However, as we approach the "Back to School" season, I start thinking cooler days.  That means blue jeans and hoodies.  It can be a trick to find jeans to fit a child with Down syndrome.  And not everyone wants to or knows how to hem jeans.  I've found that OshKosh B'Gosh jeans are an excellent choice.  They offer stylish jeans in a husky version.  I can buy Joseph jeans based on his leg length and the husky waist makes them fit perfectly every time.

Next up is not so much a clothing fit issue as a sanitary issue.  I don't want to share all Joseph's little secrets online, but I do want to share a tip I have for eliminating nighttime Pull-Ups problems.  Basic pajamas are meant to be easy on, easy off.  That easy off part became quite a problem for us a couple of years ago.  I was so frustrated with my pajama options:  blanket sleepers (zippers on the front) and elastic waist bottoms with pullover tops.  Neither stayed on all night, nor did the Pull-Up.  What a mess.  I considered sewing something with a zipper up the back and then ah hah!  Warren and I had an idea to cut the feet off his blanket sleepers and put them on him backwards.  Genius!

See the gap.  It's called Sandal gap deformity.
I cut the feet off his pajamas right below the ankle elastic.

But it was summer and he'd be pretty hot, so we cut off the sleeves just above the elbow.  Perfect!  The neck was slightly gagging him.  I cut a V-notch in the "front" making more room.  Perfectly Genius!

He's been wearing his pajamas this way for at least 2 or 3 years and it's a no-fail option for keeping the pajamas and Pull-Up on.

This is actually a pair of his winter pajamas.  I left the sleeves in tact for warmth.