Quick update: Our early Thanksgiving went well. My mother-in-law not only made cookies, she also made the dressing and the sweet-potatoes-with-marshmallows – from my Husband Approved recipes – and my father-in-law bought wine for us to drink AND did the dishes. I mean. Could I ask for nicer people? We DID end up moving Thanksgiving from Friday to Saturday at pretty much the last minute – and I want points for being The Most Flexible Person in the World for doing that – but it ended up working out even better than it would have otherwise. The whole family went to see Frozen 2 while I cooked the turkey and mashed potatoes and set the table. And we only had one teeny little snafu wherein the turkey took a million years to cook. (NOTE TO FUTURE ME: PLAN FOR AN EXTRA HOUR OF TURKEY COOKING.) But it all worked out okay and I am exhausted and looking forward to eating tacos and pizza and other easy non-turkey things for the rest of the week.
I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving. Carla and I will be here watching a million movies all weekend, in our pajamas. We have gotten a VERY early start at it.
That’s what I wanted to talk about today, by the way. Pajamas. I know! That’s why you keep coming back, for the crazy wild topical content! Specifically, your pajama habits. (That sounds like a sexytime euphemism, which I assure you, with some disappointment, but really only very mild disappointment, it is NOT.)
It struck me the other day that Carla has a habit of throwing her pajamas in the laundry every morning. I think this is a) annoying, because it means I have seven sets of pajamas to wash each week and b) perplexing, because… aren’t pajamas wearable for multiple nights?
This reminds me of the How Often Do You Wash Your Sheets question that sometimes makes the rounds of blogs/radio shows/social media outlets. I always find that kind of thing fascinating – it’s so cool that we are all living in the world, doing the exact same things, and doing those things so differently! And we typically have Very Strong Feelings about the way we do things! And sometimes we are shocked and/or delighted to learn about how other people handle these same very mundane things! (I wash my sheets about every week. Sometimes more than a week passes, I WILL NOT LIE. But pretty much never do I wash them less frequently than every two weeks because the sheets start feeling yucky.)
Anyway, I am now wondering about your pajama habits in much the same way. Pajamas are a pretty universal thing, right? So we all probably have The Way We Do Things: Pajama Edition, right?
In my little family, we all change into pajamas pretty much as soon as we come home from work/school/whatever. We call them “play clothes,” but they are really pajamas. Or are they?
I don’t know why this is. I am certain that my parents didn’t do this when I was growing up. They both wore business formal clothing to work, and would come home and change… but they changed into jeans and T-shirts. Or my dad would change into “work clothes,” which were faded all-denim ensembles ideal for changing the oil on the cars or riding the property line to find downed fence or watering the lawn or whatever outdoor chores he had in mind.
I have no idea what my husband’s family of origin did, pajama-wise. Although occasionally when we visit them or they visit us, his mom will change into jammies to watch TV or something. But that’s usually after dinner.
I wonder if it makes any difference in what you consider “pajamas”?
I wear leggings and T-shirts. Sometimes flannel pajama pants, although I much prefer leggings. Carla wears matching pajama sets. We always buy her a billion pairs because she wears them so regularly and they tend to get holes in the knees pretty easily. Maybe this is because we typically buy Carters pjs; I have a friend who swears by Hanna Andersson jammies because she says they are indestructible. I have a suspicion that Carla is harder on clothing than my friend’s child, unfortunately I am not willing to pay $30+ on sale for a single pair of pajamas in order to test this theory.
My husband wears sweatshirts and flannel pants.
So, except for Carla, maybe we look less like we are wearing pajamas than I think we do?
Anyway, to get back to my original query about how long pajamas are good — not like they have an expiration date like milk or need to be consumed within five days of opening like chicken stock or something — I toss my own jammies in the laundry about once or twice a week. I’d say the same goes for my husband, but I am the one who scoops his pajamas off the floor and throws them in the wash when it’s laundry time, so… who knows how long they would be in use otherwise?
But are we… weird? Do other people wash their jammies every night or two? Are our pajama habits deeply gross? Maybe Carla is the reasonable one, treating her jammies like underpants and demanding a new pair every night.
And, again, maybe we are not even DEFINING pajamas currently. I guess when I think of pajamas, anything cozy and comfy counts. But maybe pajamas to YOU means… nighties or button-down flannel tops and matching bottoms. I don’t know! I have deep-seated pajama preconceptions, I guess!
It’s not that I have anything against Traditional Pajamas. In fact, I have one nightgown. I got it from a friend shortly after Carla was born, and it’s soft and lovely… but it’s impractical for actual sleeping because it’s… how can I say this without painting too clear a picture. It’s got spaghetti straps and it’s low cut and there is no… shall we say… support… and I am a side-sleeper.
Sometimes I look at all the cute pajama sets at Boden or Nordstrom and covet them.
But I know I would just eventually gravitate back to my soft leggings and old T-shirts. They are comfy and not terribly expensive and I am not terribly embarrassed to go outside and grab the paper while wearing them. (That’s just an expression, you know. I don’t get an actual newspaper; I’m a millennial.) (Also, I am being only half-serious; I am really on the cusp between millennial and Gen X, but also I know that you can’t say EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF A GENERATION does a specific thing. That’s inaccurate and dumb.)
My preferred T-shirt, by the way, is one of my husband’s discards. Like right now I am wearing a Math Counts tee he got in high school. His old T-shirts are big and comfy and sooooooo soft.
Now – not to bring Controversy to my blog; I promise not to weigh in too heavily although you can guess my position pretty easily – but I am going to guess that people who are Inside-the-House Shoes Wearers are less likely to be Jammies Before Bed Wearers. Here is my admittedly meager evidence: My in-laws wear shoes in the house; they do not leap into pajamas the instant they come in the door. My parents wear shoes in the house; they also do not leap into pajamas the instant they arrive at home. My husband and I do NOT wear shoes in the house, and we live in pajamas. Admittedly, my sample size is VERY SMALL and probably deeply biased, considering that all of the sample members are related. So clearly I need more data points before my hypothesis can be confirmed. But maybe it’s true. Maybe you can only feel strongly that Shoes Should Not Be Worn Inside or that Pajamas Are For The Bedroom Only, but not both.
My fourthish question – have I asked any questions, let alone approximately three? – is a delicate one. Let’s see how delicately I can phrase it without revealing too much (hahahaha – no pun intended – which is not in the least bit funny until you finish this paragraph, end even then probably only humor-adjacent). Pajamas are… intended to be sleepwear. But some people do not, in fact, use them in that capacity. So, if you are interested in telling me, do you actually sleep in your pajamas? And might this change your response to some of the earlier questions I may or may not have asked? Some people refuse to sleep in socks, for instance. Others get very hot while they slumber, and so tend to shed either some or all of their pajamas prior to or during sleep. Others choose to go pajama free, considering the sheets to be enough coverage during the night. Still others are total anarchists (pajanarchists?) and do something different every single night.
Let’s not discuss lingerie. I am feeling a little too demure to go that route. I mean, unless you are really dying to share your lingerie thoughts – in that case, I definitely want to hear them. But lingerie or no, I DO want to hear all about your pajama habits.
In the meantime, happy Turkey Day. I hope it is full of all the friends and/or family and/or food and/or uninterrupted alone time you could hope for.
Hmm – as someone who never wears anything to sleep in (don’t get me onto the subject of how some people seem to go to bed FULLY DRESSED!!!) I appear to have strong views on pyjamas… My children used to wear them when they were small and I very much used to regard them in the same way as underwear as in straight into the laundry basket every morning for hygiene reasons. Obviously if you’re one of those oddbods who wears knickers under their pyjamas (terrible for ‘breathing’ purposes) then this might not be quite such an imperative, but, then again, that’s a lot of hours on a warm body…
We definitely change into something soft (generically known as ‘comfies’) if we’re going to be sitting at home all evening, but wouldn’t dream of then sleeping in the same things. Primarily because we always, always shower just before getting into bed each night and then, what – would you put back on the same things? 🤯 (also see above, the non-wearing of nightwear! – I hope that I never have to go to hospital unexpectedly…).
You’re right – the little differences in the way we all do the ‘same’ things are fascinating!
It is so funny to me that we are so drastically opposed on the issue of UNDERS, which I… cannot fathom sleeping without.
Also, I love “oddbod”
I change into pajamas (pajama pants sold for pajama purposes, plus usually a fundraising t-shirt in “unisex” that is definitely cut for a man and so I only wear it to bed) at bedtime, and I generally change them when we change the sheets, which is approximately once a week.
I wear nightgowns to bed and sometimes wear pajama pants and a t shirt in the evenings if I want to be comfy but I usually wear my regular clothes until bedtime. My kids change pajamas every other day and wear their pajamas as much as possible, they are both teenagers but my youngest has always been a big fan of his pajamas. Also we are a no shoes in the house family.
I have what I call ‘house clothes’ that I change into after being out and about — various yoga pants and flannel shirts, or capri yoga pants and a tee or tank in the summer. I live in those clothes, they get washed weekly (we do laundry weekly, it’s just the two of us). I can run out to the store in them, if need be, and not be embarrassed.
I change into pajamas at bedtime, and they are some form of PJ pants (Old Navy polar bear pajama pants at the moment) and an old tshirt or long-sleeved shirt if it’s cold.
The things I wear as pajamas are really pretty shlubby (my lucky husband, lol) and although I might toss the pajama pants on for after-dinner TV watching, I generally feel better emotionally if I confine them to sleeping-only. I wash them weekly too.
Yes, HOUSE CLOTHES. I like this term.
I wear short nightshirts or sleeve less gowns most of the time. I have a robe on when in other rooms besides my bedroom. Since I currently live with my sister, it’s just us two. I used to sleep nude when my husband was alive. Had a robe close by just in case. I wash the night wear about every 3-4 days and change the sheets about every 7-9 days.
The fact that you wear gowns to sleep in makes me feel that you are very fancy. I wish I were the gown-wearing type!
I agree with Sally! We sleep nude. When I get home from work (business formal) I change in to comfy clothes – leggings and a t-shirt or yoga pants and a T/top) and house shoes which are a pair of flip flops with good arch support for standing in the kitchen. I always shower or bathe before getting into bed. I wash my comfy outfit every 5-7 days. We change the sheets EVERY SUNDAY! Also, we are probably what you’d call shoes in the house people, although I only ever wear my “house flip flops” around the and husband has a pair of slip on shoes he wears around the house (but will also wear to take the trash out/to the street). I do wear my shoes from the door to the closet and vice versa.
I have so much to say that I could probably make my own blog post. Maybe I will! Thanks for the blog inspiration! Blinsperation? Anyway FIRST I wanted to tell you that I always get excited when one of your posts lands in my inbox. I really enjoy your little slices of life and I was kind of oddly invested in how your early Thanksgiving went. I am so glad it went well and I bow down to you for changing the day from Friday to Saturday because…I don’t know if I personally could stand up to that kind of change. Although, probably better without school pickup. Anyway! Still massively impressed.
So, pajamas. Actually no, shoes in the house. I understand that you are American and do not wear shoes in the house, but generally speaking I find shoes/ no shoes to be a little bit of a cultural change between Canadians and Americans. GENERALLY SPEAKING. Canadians tend not to wear shoes in the house and I was always fascinated by sitcoms that had people wearing shoes. Maybe it’s all our winter boots? I don’t know. Even now, if someone is having a party and says “leave your shoes on” I get kind of startled. My shoes…on?
But now, pajamas. So I’m a yoga teacher and as such wear yoga pants pretty much all the time, so it’s all comfort for me. My husband changes from his business wear when he gets home, either to jeans or to workout-type pants. My younger son wears jeans to school but prefers workout pants/ shorts at home. But I don’t call those pajamas. Pajamas I wear to bed and so do the boys (not my husband, he just wears underwear). I have many actual pajamas, like pajama sets. I’m always cold so I wear that to bed – warm ones in winter and light ones in summer but never just underwear or nothing. I also – get ready – have a sleep bra that I wear to bed because I hate feeling floppy. I bought it when pregnant and it really doesn’t fit well at ALL but it kind of does the job. I also have a very soft old workout bra I sometimes wear to bed (but a really comfy one). I wash my jammies every other day or so, and my sheets once a week. My kids tend to throw theirs in the wash daily, a throwback to when they were little and would spill breakfast on them. Now that they are teens, well…if they want them washed daily I’m not asking questions IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
Wow, this is my longest comment ever.
SNORTING with laughter at your last comment.
Oh, and I guess my comment wasn’t long enough because I’m adding this: I put on my jammies after dinner only, that’s also when I wash off my makeup, etc.
Oh, and the shoes thing! We are a strict no-shoes house. Back when I wore work clothes I would come home and change into jeans/t-shirt. Now I just wear jeans and a shirt/sweater all the time and I don’t change into cozier clothes until it’s time to sleep. (That’s pre-Hannas, obv.)
(I really am baffled as to how my comments act like they work but disappear to me! Sorry if this is a re-post, but it looks like my first comment went into the ether. The brief one above is comment #2)
I wear an oversize t-shirt (and unders, too much breathing is a no-go for me) for sleep only. I put it on right before jumping into bed. That t-shirt is washed about once a week. More often if I get sweaty. I also have comfy clothes, which are similar – leggings and a soft shirt – but they follow the rules of daytime clothes. Did I wear them for several hours? Eat in them? Leave the house? Wash!
The same rules go for my kids. If they wore pajamas just to sleep, they go back in the drawer. The kid will often throw them into the laundry basket anyway, but I pluck them out, fold, and put back in the drawer.
Our family got matching Hanna Andersson Christmas pjs for the first time this year and they have changed everything. I now live in Star Wars pajamas and wash them near-daily, because I’m wearing them nearly-all-the-time. Frankly, it’s difficult to give them up to the washing machine for a few hours. Literally every member of my family is wearing them as I type this. I’ve bought Hannas for my kids and had no idea I was depriving myself for years!
This matching family Hannas thing is so cute!
Yup, this is EXACTLY the kind of content that keeps me coming back! I love getting a little peek into how other’s live their lives.
I used to sleep in a giant t-shirt – but that was in the pre-kid days. Today, I’ll generally come home from work and put on my pajamas (usually a matching set/also depends on the weather as to which ones) and a robe (again, the robe depends on the season). BUT, when it comes time for bed the bottoms come off (but undies stay in place) as the legs get all twisted and make me crazy – same goes for longer gowns; too twisty.
We are pretty much a shoes off (or house shoes/slippers/socks) family…although The Husband is a recent convert to the house shoes/slippers – before he used to clomp around in his day shoes making me crazy.
My mom told me once that I’ve always hated constricted clothing. When I was small, I would walk in the front door and immediately strip off my pants and leave them at the front door, much to her consternation – I distinctly remember her yelling from down the hall when she heard me come in “Keep your pants ON!”
As to sheets and pajamas – I generally try to get both washed once a week. Although, now that I think about it…I can’t recall ever washing The Husband’s pajama pants (that he only wears when it’s cold)…yikes! What IS he doing with them if not putting them in the laundry?!
I’m so happy to hear that your Thanksgiving feast turned out so well!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
It seems we are jammie kindred spirits!
I agree this is a fun topic. I wear clothes most of the time right up until bed. Perhaps that is because I am still attending my kids’ sports games or at the very least driving them decent distances and I really never slow down until I crawl into bed. On rare nights like a Saturday night when we are watching a movie- then I might change into jammies and get cozy on the couch. Living the dream over here with a very boring social life.
My jammies are sets. I wash them about 2x a week. My kids used to wear matching pj sets – but the boys switched to just a t-shirt as pre teens and now the older guys just sleep in boxers like their father. When they WERE little, they wore the same pjs for a few days or more depending on what they spilled on them.
We do not wearshoes in the house. Coach usually changes into jeans from bus casual when he gets home late afternoon but does not bother when he works till 9.
Glad your turkey day was good. I made the sweet and sour green bean casserole to bring to my sister’s house last night. There was much commotion and I lost my focus and put in real flour vs gluten free flour. Bummer. Now I cannot eat it. The cops were here though because someoneslashed all 4 tires on the teen car that sits on our driveway. Ugh!!!!
Oh I almost forgot to mention: I own a few nighties. Nothing terribly sexy, but I typically reserve those for hotel stays sans kids. A few weeks ago all my pjs were in the wash. I knew some were clean but it was crazy late and I did NOT feel like sorting laundry. I wore a black nighty- literally just a tank- to bed. That was of course the night when there was a knock at the door after I was cozy in my bed. And Coach was out of town teaching. I will fill you in on the details of the knock in an upcoming post on my blog. Suffice it to say: it was a VERY long night.
This is so fascinating and I read through all the comments because I find the way we sleep such an interesting topic. (Hence why I wrote two blog posts about my whole process earlier this year, lol.)
I wear a nightgown to bed. I JUST discovered nightgowns – before, I usually wore pajama pants and a tank top or oversized tee. But nightgowns are so cozy and unconstricting! I wear one that has sleeves, although I do have one with spaghetti straps and wake up in all kinds of interesting positions with THAT one. Generally, I wash my jammies once a week – whenever I do laundry, really.
However, I tend to only wear my nightgown to bed. I’ll usually change into yoga pants or knit shorts and a tank top for lounging around between getting home from work and going to bed.
Also, based on one of the comments, I now need to read up on wearing underwear to bed. I never knew that was a no-no! FASCINATING.
I was sick the whole week of Thanksgiving, so I’m late getting to read this, but want to respond! I haven’t read the comments yet.
In our house, we change into “play clothes” (we say “comfy pants”) fairly soon after getting home for the evening. Sometimes before dinner. For me, that means either yoga pants or actual pajama pants, plus a t-shirt in warm weather or sweatshirt in cool weather, and (this is important) no bra.
I can’t wait to read everyone’s responses. And to see your data after you compile everything. LOL 😉
NO BRA. So crucial to comfort. Sorry to hear you were sick and hope you are feeling much better!
Forgot a few things: Definitely wear fuzzy socks around the house, but not to bed. I don’t wear the pants to bed – hate when they get twisted! And I’ll wear the same PJs a few days in a row, then get new ones.
Oh wow at the variety of responses!
We all change into comfy clothes as soon as we get home. For me, those often just stay on as pajamas too that evening. (I shower in the mornings.) We also wash pajamas after 2 or 3 wears. ALWAYS fresh clean pajamas on bath nights for the kids, though.
I typically wear t-shirts and yoga pants, but I am a weird one that would not ever wear that to the store or whatever. Mailbox is about as far as I’d go in them. My kids wear matching pajama sets, but they do seem to be getting harder to find for my 8 year old – I think the clothing retailers are pushing her into yoga pants/t-shirts too. My preference for myself would be all nice Soma pajama sets, but those are $$ and I just never can make myself splurge on something like that for myself.
Oh yes, fresh pjs after bath nights! Definitely!