shopping for the DS child

Finding clothes and shoes for Lily has always been a challenge.  Her legs our shorter than most children and her belly is big.  Her shoulders are small and her torso is shorter.  Her Feet our very wide and flat.

I once read in a blog when she was only an infant, of tips on how to dress your down syndrome child.  And i will never forget reading it and thinking, oh no!  that is the last problem i ever thought of.  That one day i will have the challenge of finding clothes to fit her special body.  and i was reading that blog and i felt overwhelmed, panicked, and i guess than denial!  for her dad is 6ft 5in.  So she wont have short legs.  Even though i was in denial and i knew it would be years down the line before i would need to worry about clothes.  i never forget one tip i read!  And that is……. for pants, buy capri pants for them, and they will fit like regular pants.

True to the tip!  I bought capri pants for Lily and they fit perfect as pants!  We also got lucky becuase leggings became popular again!  and even though they might be inches too long with shoes you can never tell how much length is really scrunched up!  Lily stays in the same size for years.  not much change in sizes.  so i know if i am to find a pair of capris or anything that fit her well i will buy enough for the next couple of years.

The one thing that has always made me sad is shoes!  her foot is so wide!  i dont know if this is a normal DS trait.  but it is hers!  Since she could crawl i have gone to stride rite for her shoes for they are the only kids shoe store that carry extra wide.  the sad thing is every year she gets the same shoe.  a plain white leather shoe with little pink butterfles stitched on the side and little flowers.  velcro closure.  and since her feet doesnt grow we will buy her 4 of these pairs every year.  by the following year she will usualy have gone up a half size.  She is 8yrs old and she wears a size 12.  they are as wide as they are in length!  everytime i go into stride rite i am hoping they have a new shoe in extra wide.  but they dont!  she likes the hot pink shoes, the dora shoes, the tinkerbell shoes, she just wants what is pretty and brite and it is hard to explain that they dont fit her.  We are planning a special dinner and Lily’s beautiful dress calls for her to have dress shoes.  i took her to stride rite and they adviced me to go with a white sandal, which fit, i am sure it is not a good fit for all day,, but for the event it will do.  I was just hoping they would of had some extra wide white dress shoes.  or even black!  she would of felt so much more prettier in dress shoes.

I asked the question again to the worker in stride rite, WHY DONT YOU CARRY EXTRA WIDE IN ALL SHOES!  why doesn’t the shoemakers care???????  and again i was told……………….I DON”T KNOW!  They send us extra wide in most boy shoes but not the girls shoes!

I really think someone should start an on-line clothing and shoe store for Down Syndrome children.  and if there already is someone please let me know!!!!

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