I see lists for dressing men and women but I want to know what to pack for the kids. My kids do not have a dark wardrobe - they wear kid colors. Is the same true for the kids in France? Will mine fit-in on the playground?
They are elementary aged; two girls and two boys.
Are shorts OK? Sneakers? Jeans? T-Shirts?
Thanks.
I lived in Europe (3 countries) for 13 years with three children. It was never an issue. I wouldn't think another thought about it.
As far as color: I wanted to be able to spot my kids easily, so they wore colorful clothes. I could care less what anyone else might have thought (they didn't seem to notice) but my kids were going to be safe!
We live in Paris and the kids wear everything. Would just suggest that you bring an extra pair of shoes that aren't sneakers (sandals, suede mocs, for example) and one pair of long pants (or skort for a girl) that isn't jeans. Try to pack t-shirts that don't have a lot of writing on them.
I always packed at least a few items of "better than Disneyland" clothes for the kids because we were often in wonderful cities (i.e. Paris) where I would want to eat at a better than McDonald's kind of place. It was also very hot and not everything is A/C like it is in Atlanta and Florida. For my son I would bring one pair of khakis, two long shorts and jeans only if I knew it would be cold. I did not bring jeans to France in July. For tops he had plain, colorful tee-shirts and a couple of cotton shirts with collars (Old Navy). My daughter had shorts, skirts, tees and girl's knit tops. They both wore tevas & sneakers and a fleece or other lightweight long/sleeved shirt in case they did get cold. They were comfortable, able to climb & play but go into a restaurant for dinner without looking out of place.
Kids dress like kids almost everywhere. It's the adults that need a little help.
It's almost the same as packing for yourself.
When you pack light, you can't bring the whole wardrobe so look for clothes that are light, hide the dirt, are relatively wrinkle free and dry quickly.
Like yourself, dress in layers. Be prepared to start in cool morning weather, shed a layer or two for a nice afternoon, then add layers and a rain shell if the weather turns cold or wet.
The one difference is small children can almost always get away with shorts and sandals, where an adult might look out of place.
Keeping your child's load small (one carry on in a size they can handle) will allow them to lug their own clothes. They won't mind (as long as it doesn't weigh more than they do) and you will have a lot less to keep track of. Our 12 year old was happy with a regular roll aboard. Our 8 yr old traveled a month happily with her largish daypack. Our 3 yr old grandson had a huge grin as he wheeled his little Spiderman roll aboard suitcase around the airport just like mommy.
