Are you wondering what way is best to label clothes for daycare? If YES, here are 10 best ways to label clothes for daycare. The tail-end of maternity leave is a very challenging time for many mothers. It can make you feel sick with a mix of emotions; guilt, anxiety, sadness, and fear.
It is also liberating for some moms, especially those who feel the need to get their life and career moving again and are excited to have new challenges outside of the home. But irrespective of how you feel about it, every mother can agree that the logistics are hard.
From packing to pick-up times, it is not an easy transition to make. When you are packing for daycare, you are investing a good amount of time and money into extra clothing, shoes, pacifiers, blankets, bottles, stuffies, diapers, wipes, and more.
You want to make sure that your baby has everything they will need to be comfortable when they are away from you. You want to make sure that your child’s onesies don’t get mixed up with another’s and that the right stuffy gets tucked in with them at nap time. This can be a big investment (on top of all your daycare costs) and replacing lost items make the costs add up even faster.
Therefore, when daycare asks that you to label your baby’s items, it is not just to help them; it is for your own benefit too! It is also necessary to understand that labeling for daycare isn’t just about mixed-up and misplaced items.
One of the obvious fears moms feel during the first few months of daycare is the new germs their kids are picking up. You went from experiencing very few colds to not really knowing where one cold ends and the next one begins. Trying to avoid daycare germs feels like an exercise in futility, but every mother wants to do everything they can to protect their little ones from being miserable with the sniffles (or a rash, or flu, or a stomach bug).
Labeling is an easy way for the daycare provider to quickly look and check the name on a pacifier or sippy cup before handing it to your baby. It is the very first step in avoiding those unwanted germs. It is simple and easy, yet crucial and important.
Have it in mind that labeling clothes will not keep a junior from losing his cap or sweatshirt, but it may increase the chances that someone will return those lost pieces to you. In addition, if the kids are headed out to any kind of camp this summer, camp rules may require you to label everything anyway.
What is the Best Way to Label Clothes for Daycare?
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Using Sticker Labels As Name Tags
Have it in mind that this is one of the best methods to label clothes for daycare, especially seeing as kids grow quite quickly and you will be changing shirts, pants, and underwear all the time. All you have to do is get some masking tape, a bunch of stickers, or something similar that can double as a writing surface, grab a permanent marker and get to writing.
A laundry pen works even better as do sharpies, but they are not necessary because these labels are very short-term as they are likely to fall off from soaking up your kiddo’s sweat and peeling off after a few days from friction alone, depending on where you place them. They might also come off once you put them in the washing machine.
Furthermore, it might prove to be a bit more tedious than some of the other methods simply because you’d have to replace them often for clothing items.
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Iron-on Labels
Most fabric stores and websites in the United States sell plain or customized iron-on fabric labels. Note that the plain labels can be personalized with a permanent ink laundry marker. These are convenient, not too expensive, and will usually last through the life of the garment. And, if the garment is handed down, a new label can be ironed over the last one.
The downside of the label is they tend to be difficult to remove and may damage the fabric of the garment if you pull too hard. Some wearers also find them scratchy if placed near the neckline. You can make your own iron-on labels using twill tape, a laundry marker, and some fusible web (available online or at any craft store).
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Using The Tags Already Present On Child’s Clothes
Note that an easier and quite cheaper, albeit less effective, way of labeling clothes is through the use of the kid’s clothing labels that are already on the clothes. Do you know those fabric labels that provide wash care instructions? They serve as an alternative spot where you are free to write your little one’s name to prevent mix-ups from happening.
Although a permanent marker, sharpie, or laundry marker might be great, at least opt for a color other than black so that the text is distinguishable from the rest. Also, depending on the type of material, even that might prove challenging.
As an alternative, you can consider using nail polish, but you will need to wait for it to dry and fully evaporate so that it doesn’t smear all over your child’s skin. The same can be said for markers unless you are using a dryer-safe laundry marker. In addition, it is crucial to mention that any of these labeling tools will fade over time as they go through the washer frequently so don’t forget to check and re-label if necessary.
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Using Plastic Tags
This is simply the use of plastic tags that you can hoop through the clothing labels. Ideally, they are much easier to write on and the writing’s going to stay on for much longer, plus, attaching them doesn’t require any sewing. Note that all you really have to do apart from writing the name is get really good at tying small knots as that’s how you will be attaching them.
Although this is a viable option, it does have its downsides. First, the fact that plastic tags can get really itchy which is why we tend to remove them off new clothes in the first place. The other issue might be that the clothing itself doesn’t have any loops or clothing tags to attach the plastic tag onto meaning the option becomes entirely unviable or you will have to resort to ruining the clothes just for the sake of recognition.
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Get Personalized Stick-On Clothing Labels
Another very good option is to put high-quality name tags on your kid’s clothes. Note that they can be acquired from Amazon or Etsy and you might find some rather intricate designs. Some even offer to print out your kid’s name for you before shipping the label pack. They can also be ordered in a variety of colors that can help you distinguish quickly between items belonging to your kids and the others at a daycare in case of mix-ups and lost items.
Also, note that they might be the more expensive option of the 5, but the benefit is that they are more or less waterproof labels of extremely high quality (depending on who you buy from) and are likely to ‘stick’ around for longer.
Even if the name somehow smears off, the sheer uniqueness of the label should be distinct enough for caretakers and other parents to know that their kid ended up with your kid’s clothes by accident. The only real downside is the cost, but if you are looking for a quick method for how to label clothes for daycare, this is the one for you.
There is no single best way to label clothes due to different types of fabrics and how the garment is designed. Labeling options tend to vary in cost, and you will have to decide if the label will be permanent or may need to be removed in the future. This guide will help you decide which type of labeling works best for you and your budget.