Sensory Issues with Clothing???

I was TOTALLY that way. I drove my parents nuts. To this day I cant stand the seams of socks (at 10 i would act like I couldn't walk if my socks had seams touching my toes). I still cannot stand the feel of nylon -- so finding a backpack was a nightmare too. He is definately old enough to go shopping for himself though! Take him to the store -- one with a lot of options i.e. Dillards, Macys, JCPenney. Tell him he HAS to find at least 3 pairs of pants he will wear. That way he doesn't feel like you are forcing uncomfortable clothes on him. Its his choice.

Good luck!

I also have problems with clothes. I have learned to buy only what I know I will like (by trying on at the store).
I disagree with all of the 'get OT quick' statements, I think in this day and age too many people are quick to call out 'disorder' at the slightest thing...when I was young, they just said I was 'picky about clothes', not that I 'had a disorder'. Oftentimes, by labeling people we can aggravate/increase the issues they are having simply by stating that they HAVE an issue, kwim?

I had a slightly similar situation with one of my sons and I say let him wear whatever he wants - who cares if he wears PJ pants to school or whatever - just make sure everything is washed and clean.

Obviously, the biggest issue turns out to be what happens when he outgrows things or when things get worn out. Like another mom said, take him shopping and let him pick out what he wants, but have him try it on before you buy it. Another option might be to go to a store that sells fabric, let him feel all of them and find a few that he likes and then find someone who can make him some clothes. You can use his "favorite" items as patterns for the new items. At first this might seem like a more expensive option, but in the long run it'll probably be cheaper because you're not wasting money on things he's not going to wear.

Good luck!

You already have some good advice here.

Seek an OT

Take him shopping with you and let him help.

For socks, try dress socks, they are smoother and may cause less of a problem.

Same thing for pants, try lined pants or dress pants. It sounds like smooth things or soft fuzzies are what he is ok with. Some polyester or polyester-cotten or rayon items can be very soft but still look nice.

It will likely take a few stores to find what you need, but once you find a couple of things you are set...you can always buy several of the same thing.

I can tell you it is absolute torture to wear a fabric that sets every portion of your being on edge. Be patient, work with him, and please don't force him if he has trouble with a certain fiber.

Take care and good luck.

Sounds like it could be a sensory issue. Ask your doctor to give your son a referral to have him evaluated by an occupational therapist who specializes in sensory processing disorder. If he does turn out to have SPD, then an OT can do wonderful things to help regulate his senses and give you ideas on how to help your son with this. Your son may always be the one that will need to wear soft t-shirts over a plain old Hanes t-shirt, that maybe too coarse for his skin, but you can probably get it so that seams are not too bothersome or he can wear a certain brand of socks that feel a little bit lighter, less restrictive, on his feet. I know that our OT did wonders for our son and gave me a lot of insight into how my son's body perceived outside stimuli. It helped so much.

Hope this helps.

Take him shopping with you and have him try on stuff.
He's got a sensory issue. I was and still am the same way with some of my clothes, no tags, has to be soft, can't wear wool or lace, and I prefer to go barefooted, sandals if I HAVE to.
The " Tony Hawk" collection at Kohls is very soft, and target has some really soft cotton shorts/ shirts. I also have a little boy that is sensitive to his clothes. They also have t shirts w/o pictures on them at target, one thing my little boy likes to wear is polos and button down shirts, he loves to wear those.

Have you tried letting him pick out his own stuff? That might help. It might not be exactly what you're picturing, but as long as it's clean, it's OK.

sounds like sensory processing disorder. There are lots of different ways this can manifest. We are looking at this as a possible issue for our toddler. There are some great websites for help and information. It is absolutely worth looking into and might save you some sanity when trying to get him to wear certain clothing.
Good luck.

My little girl is just the same way, and there is no quick fix. She hates jeans and socks with seams, underwear that are too loose, and the list goes on. We've had her evaluated ,and she doesn't have sensory issues with anything else, just the way some fabrics feel. What I've learned is that the issue with her and these fabrics is pretty deep seated, meaning that if I force her to wear them, she is REALLY uncomfortable, struggles to focus on anything but how badly the fabric feels. She never throws tantrums or anything, but you can see it in her face, desperation to get the clothes off. She's told me that she feels like the items are suffocating her. At nine years old, she's more willing to try clothes that have bothered her in the past, but still avoids jeans and seamed socks whenever possible

Now, I let her pick out many of her own clothes-with my gentle guidance of course. My daughter wear leggings alot, and has some nice athletic and "yoga" pants. When it's cold, she'll wear tights or flannel pants underneath. Children's Place makes jeans with soft fabric lining the inside, you can probably find those online. We buy our socks at Target or Old Navy-no seams.

From what I've experienced, this isn't rebellion or defiance. These can be real issues for some kids. I wish my daughter would wear jeans and not be so picky with socks, but I understand her struggle, and I'd rather have her comfortable and not full of anxiety (and she would be) over her pants. My only rule with her is that she still has to look nice and it must be weather appropriate. If she chooses to wear athletic pants and leggins in the winter, she must wear tights or long socks underneath. This is a fair compromise for us.

It's a tough thing to deal with, but if your son is like my daughter, it's truely a difficult thing for him, he's probably having a real physical reaction/feeling from these things. Try to be sensitive, there are so many alternitive options for clothes out there that aren't expensive. I would still have him assessed by a specialist just to rule out any sensory issues, but rest assured, for some kids, its just as simple as a clothing issue.

Each time you find something he finds acceptable to him, purchase 2 or 3 of the same items.

We have a friend that has always been like this. Her grandmother is an amazing seamstress and has made special (underthings) for this girl her whole life, she is now going to be a junior in college and her mom told me, she is growing out of these sensitivities! They are all really excited.

My daughter went thru the same thing that started when she was a toddler. She wouldn't wear jeans or sweatshirts and would only wear her one pair of sneakers. She said jeans hurt and sweatshirts were too tight on her neck and arms. I came to the conclusion that these types of clothes were too restricting and she just wasn't comfortable in them. I didn't force her to wear anything, I wanted her to feel good about herself and have a good day. I figured forcing her to wear something she didn't like wasn't fair to her, after all I wouldn't want someone to make me wear something I didn't like. My mother always told me to pick my battles and I didn't think this one was worth fighting over.

It was a phase and she eventually outgrew it. Although, she was and still is a kid that does't like change. She just prefers soft comfort above and beyond!

Long story short, my daughter is now a happy 18 year old and wears a variety of clothing :)

Hang in there.

Hi,
I know you've got lots of advice already. My son hated jeans and going from shorts to long pants in the fall. He's 8 now and doing a little better although last year I bought him a pair of jeans he hardly ever wore. He likes track pants and t shirts. We found out at school, when he was six, that he was gifted. When I went online to check out the characteristics of gifted kids, lo and behold one of them is that they are sensitve to some things like clothing... anyway, just thought I'd pass that along as another possibility... you might have a really smart kid! good luck!

I don't have an answer for you but did your son ever have OT? If so talk to his OT about options. If not the IU can set you up with one if you are having difficulties. Also maybe you can try letting him pick out the clothing. Good luck!

Hi, I was a nanny for a boy who had the same problem with clothes and he ended up seeing a physical therapist who worked with him on his sensory issues. It really helped him a lot.I don't think this kind of stuff just goes away without a little bit of help. I would tell his doctor that you would like to take him to a physical therapist. You are obvioulsy more in tune with your son and know that it's more of an issue than his doctor seems to think. That's what I would do if it were my son. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

It sounds like he has a sensory processing disorder. To a child with SPD some clothing is actually painful to wear. You should take him to OT they will be able to help. In the mean time try to to de-sensitize him by rubbing his skin with a dry washcloth prior to dressing.

my son is the same way - extremely picky - he loves "pocket shorts" - although that may sound simple they can't have a snap and zipper, etc. etc.When I found what he likes this year (I took him shopping with me) I bought six pairs of the same shorts - yes he looks pretty much the same evey day, but he's happy.
P.S. He is the same with shoes - he can tell me right away if he likes the shoe or not when he puts it on - when we find the "right pair" he tries to sleep in them.
Good Luck and happy shopping - you may luck out and walk away with new sweatpants and plain tshirts!

Is he somewhere on the autism spectrum? I hope this doesn't alarm you but I work one on one with young children on the spectrum and that is a common issue and it is best to try to accommodate them

Hi A.,

Does your child have issues with other textures like food, sand, dirt or other materials? If he does he might need additional help and maybe having a consult with a different physician could help give you ideas. Some children have sensory integration issues which can be worked on in therapies like occupational therapy. Your son, however, might just be very sensitive to textures on his skin. I have not had that issue with my child, but I did have issues myself with clothes (particularly socks and seams) when I was small. I remember just finding a lot of pieces of clothing irritating. Over time I did outgrow it and I do remember that if I just let it be and agreed to wear whatever it was and then became busy or distracted with an activity the oversensitivity seemed to diminish. You might also try sticking to natural and breathable fibers in clothing to see if softer fabrics help...I know it used to help me. Hope this is helpful.

My daughter has always been a pain with clothes so I know how you feel, she shopped in the boys dept until about 2 years ago. (she's 14) She hated long sleeves too except for hoodies. It drove me nuts, but looking back, so what? Just have him wear t-shirts in the winter and get a couple sweatshirts he'll wear. The shirts without pictures is easy to accommodate. We have Modell's sporting goods here and they always have plain t-shirts for cheap and usually about 6 colors. Even those arts & craft stores have solid t-shirts that are super cheap. As for the jeans, I know this is really common so don't worry about it. Let him wear sweatpants, my son loves the ones from the Children's Place. Also, Old Navy is good for sweats or those running pants. Would he wear any kind of cargo pants? They are looser than jeans so maybe that would work. For socks, my son was the same and we just tried a few out and now I get the ones he likes. I doubt he has any real issue, sounds like he just wants to be comfortable. Let him!

my stepson is like that. He is 9, it has gotten better. When he went to kindergarten it was pretty bad. We couldn't find anything he was willing to wear. He says most shirts are "itchy" so he mostly wears cotton tshirts. He also won't wear long sleeves unless it is the dead of winter and he has to because he is cold. The only pants he likes are the ones with elastic waist like sweatpants or swishy pants. Hopefully he will start to grow out of it, but it is a slow process. Good luck.

We had a lot of these same experiences with my daughter (now 8), but she has outgrown almost all of the clothing issues she had. One of the best things I ever found were "seam-free" socks. They turned the put-your-shoes-and-socks-on nightmare into an easy, no problem part of our day. Good luck!