A 6-Year-Old Girl Refuses To Wear Certain Clothes Because She Finds Them Irritating. What Should Parents Do?

July 1, 2009— -- Question: A 6-year-old girl refuses to wear certain clothes, saying she does not like the way they feel, particularly the labels on the collar. What should a parent consider in this situation? (allergies?, sensory sensitivity? )

Answer: Most children who react to a clothing tag are just annoyed by it. Children don't have much tolerance for things that poke, prod or scratch them. But occasionally you'll have a child who may actually have developed a contact dermatitis to the ink in the tag or maybe the fabric. Some parents are concerned that a child who reacts to a tag and clothing may actually have something called a sensory processing disorder.

If the child tends to have other symptoms that suggest that they overreact to stimuli like lights, sound, touch, smells. Then it's possible that that child could have a sensory processing disorder and this is a condition that should be discussed with the child's pediatrician.