Con varios hijos en la familia suele haber mucha ropa de todas las tallas, esperando en diferentes cajas para su uso. ¿El traje para el frío de hace tres años? La hermana pequeña todavía puede llevarlo. ¿Las mallas del hermano mayor? Todavía se pueden usar.

Anyone who grows with brothers knows how to exchange and wear clothes.On the one hand, this is practical and sustainable, but on the other hand it can be a true discomfort for children.Why?"Clothing is something that is taken to the body.It is an incredibly important part of the identity of a person.Parents must also take into account when it comes to young children, "explains Ulrich Gerth, a psychologist at the Cáritas Youth Advice and Welfare Center in Germany.

The clothes underline the individuality Silke Krämer is a coach of children and young people in the German city of Heidelberg.She also considers that clothes are very individual for children: "There are different types of senses.If a girl has a greater aesthetic inclination and likes to wear tight meshes and short skirts, that type of clothing does not necessarily have the right thing for the sister.You may prefer to wear comfortable garments, "he explains.Parents who neglect these details can make children feel uncomfortable.

Especially with older children, clothing not only has a protective function, but it is also a means of expression.If one likes to walk with baggy pants or use tight blouses, it is a sign of belonging to a certain group.This is how Maria Schweizer-May sees it, who works as a family counselor in the Child Protection Association in the German city of Colonia.

What kind of clothes and how much a family has at your disposal depends naturally on your situation.Some simply cannot afford to take into account the desire of each child."Of course there are restrictions here.People who cannot buy expensive clothes for themselves and for their children have to inevitably resort to second -hand clothes, "says Gerth.

Sharing clothes can allow the investment of roles to get clothes inside the family can also have positive connotations: in many situations children find fun sharing and exchanging clothes with their brothers."It can be a game for children to experience with gender attributions, and parents should also allow it," says Schweizer-May.

However, it is part of the game that each child has some things that belong only to him or her and in which he feels comfortable.If they always have to resort to the discarded clothes of their older brothers, who may not even seem particularly beautiful, then it is unfair.

"This is a commitment.Parents must accommodate the child a bit, "Krämer advises.And: They should be models to follow.Anyone who is constantly bought new clothes while children have to wear the discard has bad arguments.

The elderly can no longer be convinced that they wear clothes from others that children grow up, parents have less chance of commenting on the choice of clothing, and rightly so: only then the child has the option to develop with totalfreedom."It's good for self -esteem to dress and express themselves in the way they want," Krämer confirms.

However, the purchase of clothes can be a good reference point for parents to talk to their children about sustainability, for example, about the amount of clothing ends in the trash every year."And it is good to wear used clothes instead of always wanting something new," says Krämer.Many children would understand.

However, parents should not force their child to use something that does not want to take at all."If you notice that the child does not want to wear the used clothes of his brothers, then there must be other options," says Schweizer-May.After all, there are more important things to discuss clothes.