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Clothes for child

-t-shirts
-long sleeved shirts
-one or two sweat shirts
-one piece outfits for younger kids and babies
-pants
-shorts
-warm jacket
-hat
-socks
-underwear
-dresses and tights (for girls)
-onesies (for babies)
-pajamas/sleepers
-bathing suit
-bibs (I love the disposable ones for traveling)
-shoes or booties

Notes on clothing for kids- Knowing how much and of what size can be tough, because often you are not sure what size your child is going to fit in to. I suggest bringing a variety of sizes, and donating the sizes that are too small to the orphanage. Same with shoes.

For little kids, I would bring more clothes than you think you might need…

Many babies suffer from the “exploding diaper” diarrhea, and I have heard of lots of adoptive families going through WAY more outfits than they expected. The same goes with spitting up… spit-up formula smells really, really bad. Bibs can help cut down on the outfit changes with a spitty baby, but are not always enough.

Belane didn’t have the diaper or spitting problems, but holy cow was she MESSY. For one, Ethiopian food is messy by nature (and remember, they eat with their hands). Plus, in an orphanage, teaching table manners is really low on the priority list. Belane could make a mess of herself with a single raisin. I literally changed her clothes 2-3 times a day.

Also, bring warmer stuff than you think you might need. Both in Ethiopia and in Vietnam, the babies were dressed WAY warmer than we would dress a baby in the US in similar weather. And, these children are often not used to the air conditioning that will be found in some hotels, airplanes, etc. Long sleeves protect kids from sun and from chills. I found that long-sleeved, light weight cotton tops with cotton pants worked well, and I could add a sweater or jacket when necessary. The kids often do were shorts in Ethiopia, so shorts for your child is fine, as long as the weather is very warm.

If you are traveling in the winter time (in the US) make sure you have a warm jacket for your child. When we landed in Washington DC in February with Benjamin, we had to get on a shuttle to go from one side of the airport to another, and we got quite a tongue-lashing from several Ethiopians on our flight for not having him in a warm enough coat. Again, fleece works well because it is light to pack but nice and warm.

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