Aussie Childcare Network Forum

11. You are required to ensure children’s and families’ individual clothing needs and preferences are met, to promote children’s comfort, safety and protection within the scope of the service requirements for children’s health and safety. How can you inform parents of clothing that we consider to be inappropriate or unsuitable for children to wear while attending the centre?

My answer was:

It's generally the child's parents who provide the clothes to wear but it's our responsibility to ensure that as conditions change so does the child’s clothing requirement. We must constantly consider the environment and change a child’s clothing to suit their needs. It is suggested in most services that parents pack extra clothing for children.

Good working relationships are very important to the smooth running of a setting. There are some rules that we should follow to provide a good relationships with parents:
- show a respect to the people we are talking to
- share all important information about the setting and children with parents
- let others talk about their point of view
- speak clearly and not too fast
- make an eye contact
- calm body language

We need to talk calmly and respectfully to the parents to encourage them to provide clothing that is easy to manage -tracksuit pants, runners, easy to take on and off, free from ribbons and bows, and things which may trap fingers and toes and appropriate for the season and weather. We need to remember that families operate in a range of ways according to their circumstances, the age of the parents, their ethnic, cultural, religious and social background. These factors will determine aspects such as how they expect to be spoken to and what are their expectations.

The centre will normally inform parents of clothing that is considered to be inappropriate or unsuitable for children to wear while attending the centre. These may include:
- Clothing that poses a potential health and safety risk. For example, hooded jumpers with cords increase the risk of choking, or wearing thongs to climb outdoor equipment;
- Clothing that restricts movement, the child’s ability to play or inhibits the development of self-help skills.
- Clothing that is too revealing and may potentially place a child at risk. For example, some styles of swimwear, midriff tops;
- Clothing that contravenes the sun protection policy. For example, strapless tops or singlets; or
- Clothing that offends others. For example shirts or baseball caps with slogans, images or language that may potentially provoke a negative response or offend another person’s beliefs or values


Unfortunately it came back as unsatisfactory. Could someone please help me with this.

I have added this:

If I notice that a child is wearing inappropriate or unsuitable cloths I would talk to the parents in a private place about the issue. I would use a calm body language, show them a respect, not judge them, be honest and make sure we have a two-way communication which would help us to learn about each other’s perspective and increase the understanding of each other. I would explain to the parents that the clothing children wear while in care influences the quality of their experiences as clothes can affect their health, safety, comfort, play and learning. If the child is dressed inappropriate sometimes it can affect his participation in some of the activities which can have influence on their overall development. Children being clothed appropriately enables them to play without risk of sunburn and serious injury caused by inappropriate footwear or clothing. Children are more at ease, reassured, satisfied and less anxious when they are: dressed for warmth during winter or not over-dressed during summer, or wearing safe footwear when climbing outdoor play equipment or participating in sport. When clothes fit properly and are not too loose or tight, children can move freely and comfortably and participate in experiences. Dresses and skirts may interfere with girls’ participation in physical activities, and wearing trousers or shorts may encourage them to move more freely and reduce their self-consciousness. I would try to explain to the parents that working together will help to ensure that clothing and dressing practices support the best outcomes for the child. Also I would give parents our centre’s Clothing Policy where they could find more information about appropriate cloths for children.

Would that be ok?

I would use a calm body language, show them a respect, not judge them, dropship club wear be honest and make sure we have a two-way