House Clothes, or: Another reason I’m an irresponsible parent

At daycare, we are required to keep two complete back-up outfits on hand in case of “accidents.” It is our responsibility to check our baby’s cubby each day and make sure that none of these items were used. (And when I write our I mean my.)

At fancy restaurants where wearing a jacket is required, the establishment often has a couple of “house jackets” that may be leant to a gentleman who has arrived sans sport coat. At daycare, there is a similar arrangement. A baby who was not properly supplied with backup clothing may be dressed in one of the house outfits to avoid the embarrassment of hanging out with the other daycare kids in nothing but a diaper for the rest of the day.

So far, Reilly has come home wearing:

The house socks (twice)
The house pants (twice)
The house bib
The house pacifier leash

As a parent, each time I show up at daycare and see Reilly in an outfit not her own, I always ask, “What happened?” Jenya or Joyce (Reilly’s caregivers) will then say something along the lines of, “She got ____ on her outfit, so we had to change her.” (In place of the blank, insert any noun you’d like, from “paint” to “food” to “poop to “spit up.”)

They will then kindly ask me to please bring two fresh sets of ____. (Insert in this blank: socks, pants, bibs, etc.) They try to ask in the nicest way possible, but any way they say it, I feel like a deadbeat dad.

Then, when I get home, Shawn will take one look at Reilly and ask, “What happened?” And I will have to explain that Reilly’s drop-off person forgot to stock up her clothes. Shawn’s response always is, “Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Again? That’s so embarrassing!”

It is embarrassing. Especially considering that the house pants are white with red vertical stripes. They make Reilly look like a sad little candy cane.