Holes in the Knees of Pants!

My mom just suggested this simple idea to me. After you wash the jeans once, put iron on patches on the inside of the jeans where the knees are. That way, there is an extra layer of fabric to keep them from wearing through. It is still possible that they'll wear a hole through the outer layer, but not as likely.

I have not tried it, but I heard that Sears has program called Kid Advantage. If the clothes are ruined (i.e hole sin the knees) before a child outgrows them, they will replace them. You may want to look into the details.

Darker denium will hold up better. Try Wranglers. My oldest is 12 and he still gets holes in the knees. Unfortunately boys are hard on clothes.

Sears Toughskins jeans now come with a wearthrough warranty. Have you tried them?

Not sure which jeans are the best but Sears has a kidvantage program where if the clothes get holes before the child outgrows them, you can get a brand new pair in the same size for free. This is great, I have used it before.

My son did the same thing when he was that age. I found out that if you buy pants from Sears that they have a guarantee that if they were through them before they outgrow them they will replace them for free. I think that you have to keep your receipt and it only applies to their brand, but still it's a good deal if you have a very 'active' little boy.

I raised two very active boys on a small farm. My only saving grace was Sears, they have something called KIDVANTAGE, if the child wears it out before they out grow it they will replace it. The other thing they have is a special brand of jeans called Tough skins I think I can't remember exactly but if you go and ask I am sure someone will know what I am talking about. They worked great for us and saved us money, I stayed home for the first few years and believe me I was looking for ways to save. Hope this helps!
Enjoy their holey britches they out grow them quickly somewhere in time my two little ones grew up on me and are now 14 and 12 it goes fast!

I had that issue with my youngest GIRL. I also have the issue of torn pockets and worn our crouch for my husband's clothes. I can't believe how many people have responded - so I'll repeat what they said: 1) Place patches on the inside of the hole before it gets too large. Iron-on ones work fine, but may need to be replaced - which is easier and less expensive than replacing the pants. 2) Save best clothes for best events; 3)Buy a brand that has a replacement guarantee; 4) Buy cheap and replace often; 5) Smile and be happy you have healthy active children (and spouse).

Even when the jeans are brand new, take an iron patch on the INSIDE of the jeans (just turn pants inside-out) on the knee area and iron it on.
NO one sees it on the inside.

Also, for almost new clothes, if you live near a major city, look for a store called Once Upon A Child. It is a high quality consignment store, things are seriously like brand new, and there you can even afford to buy name brand if you interested. They have whatever people bring in, but they will NOT accept anything that doesnt' look nice or isn't current style.
If you have clothing or baby/kid items, or toys to sell, they buy from you on the spot, you don't have to wait until it sells.
Just try ironing on a patch on the inside of jeans and no one will know.

L.

I don't know the brand or if they are made anymore but I use to buy jeans/ pants that had an iron on patch already on the inside of the pants at the knee level. His problem was he was so long and skinny his knees were lower than the patch but they held up very well.
You could try the iron on patches like they sell at the stores in denim and press them into place. The onlt problem if you wash in warm or dry on a hot setting these will come loose. Although they can be re-ironed, they will loose the glue particles after a while.
Also try to buy the stiffest jeans and soften them yourself. The softer the jean material the more it was washed by the manufacturer.
I hope this helps. Or just go to resale shops (Goodwill) and spend barest amout on play pants and only wear the expensive stuff when out somewhere special. Even let him wear the cheaper pants to school. They play really hard there too.

Hi E.,
my 6 years old son does the same things. all of his pants except one has holes in the knees. My husband used to collect pathes from every city or places he will go, now i use them to patch the holes. i got a patch glue at Joann stores and it works great to glue patches on the area. My son loves them because they give character to his pants. thoses patches are very thick so so far no holes in them. I also cut pieces of a corcuroy I was going to throw away and glue those too to another pair. i nkow you can't keep getting them new pants every time. hope this help..

Hi E.! I have 3 teenage boys and when they were young, I experienced the same promblems. I recommend buying your son's jeans at Sears. They have a program called Kids Advantage. They will replace any clothes that wear out before your child outgrows them for free. Save your receipts and when you have something that needs replaced, all you have to do is take them back. The only stipulation is that they have to replaced for the same size. So the principal is that if your child wears them out before he outgrows them, they will replace them. It is a wonderful program and I used it for many years. Since I had three boys, I would get jeans replaced even if one of them had outgrown them and hold on to them for the next child. If you choose to buy them there, I have a tip so you know which ones were bought at Sears. I would use a permanent marker and mark a "S" on the tag on the inside. Hope this helps!!

If you go to sears and join their KidsAdvantage program *for free* They will replace ANY peice of clothing that has worn out before your child outgrows them. So if you take in a pair of jeans that have worn out knees you can replace them with the same size. I have been doing this for years since my girl was little and do it now with my son's clothes. Even a broken zipper, ripped seam, or knees out, I've never had a problem. Just ask the sales clerk next time you go, and they should have the info. Hope this helpS!

I wish I had some advice for you, but I find myself in the exact same situation with my 2nd grade son. It's only the left knee, but it has ripped out of every pair of jeans I have gotten him. The Children's place jeans seam to tear the easiest as well as the Arizona's. The Levi's and Old Navy jeans last a bit longer. I know what you mean about not wanting the boys to wear holey jeans, but also not wanting to spend so much money on more. I will be watching your responses. Hopefully, we can both get some advice. Best of luck :)

You are describing the exact thing that has made me crazy for two years! My 5 year old continually has holes in the knees, and I discovered why when I picked him up from daycare and saw him and his buddies sliding along the floor in their pants on their knees. My husband sheepishly says our son reminds him of someone he knows who used to do the same thing.... I threatened to go and get all new pants, but my husband said he would iron the patches on. I hate the patchy look, but I hate buying more pants more. I figure he might as well keep ruining the same pairs and have my husband just keep re-patching. They will grow out of it sometime, right? I have just resigned myself to stop fretting, especially when I see all the other little boys with patched knees also. I keep 2 pairs of nice ones for dressier occasions, and otherwise - I just let it go. Good luck to you! If you find something that works, let me know!

I know what you mean about kids going through clothes. I buy my kids clothes from thrift stores and have a couple good pairs off to the side so if we go someplace nice they have something nice to wear, but around the house they wear the other pants and they only cost a couple of bucks verses the $10 or $20 you pay at retail stores.

I came over to this thread to see what advice you got, I have the same problem!

Fortunately I have found that I have to go buy new pants for him about every 4 months anyway, so normally by the time he has gotten them worn that badly they are about too short on him anyway. Nothing we got him for Christmas is long enough anymore. I did recently see him go through about 4 pairs of jeans in a month because he kept falling down outside, and that was frustrating.

One thing I do with my own jeans, and it helps a ton and they fit and wear for a lot longer; I don't dry any of my jeans anymore in the dryer. I decided last summer as long as the weather was nice I would hang all our stuff out to dry, not only does it save on energy costs but it really helps durability a ton, dryers are so hard on fabric. And there is something about smelling clean clothes in the breeze that reminds me of being a little kid helping my mom fold laundry from outside :)Just a thought, maybe as the weather improves you can try it, in the winter I just find places in my house to hang stuff so it can dry.

I don't know if they still offer it, but Sears used to have a guarantee that if they wore holes in the knees before they outgrew them, they would replace them.

Hope this helps.

Sears clothing for kids---if the pants wear out before he out grows them , they re-place them free.

I don't know if I really have advice or just sympathy. I have a 61/2 year old boy who puts holes in every pair of pants I buy him, usually within 2-3 weeks of ownership. I also work full time and don't have the time or the gumption to constantly be patching his knees. Someone suggested that Lands End makes double kneed pants. I found two pairs at Once Upon a Child in excellent condition and they are holding up the best of anything so far. Mostly I am just praying for better weather when I can convert the holey pants into shorts and deal with skinned knees :)

I have a few suggestions that might help. One is that you can put patches inside of the jeans where the knees are. For playtime and warmth in the winter buy sweat pants like at Walmart where they are cheap, some of them are on clearance now at the end of winter. I also use to stock up at garage sales and Goodwill on jeans and pants. Especially the jeans with elastic and adjustable waist. Even consighment shops are cheaper then some stores. Hope this helps.

I bought a pair of Sears blue jeans when my son was four and although they NEVER got soft and comfortable, the knees did not wear out. I believe the jeans had nylon fiber content.

Hi E.!
When you sew in patches for the holes, wash the patch material and dry it a few times. If you don't, when you wash the jeans, it'll shrink and tear it again.
Also, I would not reccomend purchasing clothing at walmart, for I've found the material and seams are of poor construction.
Purchase his jeans from Good Will because they are already preshrunk. You can find many nice things there. Also look at consignment shops and places of that nature.
Good Luck and God Bless,
R. Anastasia

Hi E.!

Wal-Mart has a program that works like this: they will replace any item of children's clothing purchased from Wal-Mart that wears out before the child grows out of it! Last I heard this was still in effect. Good luck - I hope you find this is still the case when you look into it. I'm glad your little boy is active and not sitting on his butt watching tv. :)

LOL! Oh my gosh, the story of my life!!! I have 5 boys (and 2 girls), and I depend on the ability to pass down the clothes from one to the next... but when they keep putting holes in the pants, it kinda ruins the plan.
Here's some of what I do - -
I shop at the thrift stores or resale shops so I'm not paying more than $4 a pair.
I also shop at Sears to take advantage of their replacement program.
Sometimes cut off the jeans with holes to make them into shorts, and save the cut off material to use as patches for other jeans.
I patch with jean fabric, or with iron-on patches. If I use iron on patches, I patch on the inside of the pants as soon as the whole starts.
I also have patched on the inside of new jeans to reinforce the knee before a hole starts.
And as a last resort, I have made my boys wear knee pads from the time they get up in the morning till it's time for pajamas! Sometimes they are skater's knee pads, sometimes they are knee pads I have made myself from scrap jean fabric. The kind you make yourself look like a sideways "capital H". The cross bar of the 'H' is the pad on the knee, and the horizontal 'lines' wrap around the leg above the knee, and around the leg below the knee, and are fastened in the back with velcro. I purchased a pair 14 yrs ago for my first child. I made my own after that because the design was so simple, and I could choose the durability of the fabric.
I have to LOL because I've been fighting this battle for 14 years! My youngest son will be turning 6, and the battle continues. I try to save the best pair of jeans for when we leave the house, and they wear the worse pair at home to play in.
Good luck - I know your frustration! But as I read what someone else wrote below, it's something to talk and laugh about when they get older, and it will remind you of how hard they played when they were a little boy :)

Sears has a program where they will replace your torn or worn items. It has to be the exact same item in the same size. That may be the best bet for you. Or you can try a place like Once Upon a Child that sells gently used clothes. Keep one pair of jeans for 'good' and the rest for play. Unfortunately, I don't think there's much else you can do. :(

We have choosen to not send him in jeans but the swish pants and such. They seem to be hold up very well. I see him spending a lot of time sliding across the tile floor on his knees. We don't have any holey needs. The other positives, they clean easy...we haven't found any stains or anything on them, they are comfortable and I hang pants and shirts together, so he can pick ut his clothes, get dress and always match. :) (just like jeans!) We save the jeans for days at home, shopping trips and things that are a little more calm.

I have two boys who are 8 and 5 with the same problem. You've gotten a lot of advice here (which I am taking in myself) but I just want to add a brand of jeans that I do NOT recommend and that is Arizona jeans from JCPenney. My oldest son, who wears jeans on the weekends only because of school uniforms, went through 2 pair before Christmas and I bought them during "back to school". They wouldn't exchange them because my receipt was gone, of course, and it had been more than 90 days. Boooo.

Like Shaun said the Sears Kidvantage program is great it costs a little to sing up for and then of course you have to buy your stuff at Sears which can get pricey and i beleive it only covers certain brands that they carry so be sure to ask but its a really great program, i used it years ago and ended up that even the stuff i handed down to my second son was in perfect condition.

Try Sears with their replace the pants until the child grows out of them policy. If he rips a hole in it, they will trade you for a new pair until he needs a new size!!! Also, Garage saling sometimes has some amazing deals where you can find 10 pairs for the price of one, or even used clothing stores, they go for 2-5 dollars. The last, and my personal favorite tip, is to buy things the season before. After each winter most stores have amzing deals on all clothes. If you buy them two sizes bigger, you're guarenteed an eventual fit, but my kids have stayed pretty regulated with their growing, and buying one size up has always done good for me. As for brands, it's not a brand that makes a jean tougher, it's the weave of the cotton. Look for a stiffer, tight weave fabric. Or better yet, painter pants (they have double the material on the knee). If you don't know what those look like, they are the pants that have a huge rectangle of jean sewed from about the shin to the upper thy. Once you're child's jeans have the wholes in the knees, this is even a better fix then a patch. Just sew a rectangle of jean material, from a ripped pair (the rectangle should take up almost the entire front of the jeans they will be covering)and sew the rectangle on so that it matches up to his upper thy. I hope that makes sense. It's even a great save to pants that are new. If you sew it on before he ever even wears them, they will take twice as long to rip through! Good luck! I have six kids of my own so I swear by these tips!

Been there, done that!!! The only brand that I have ever found that hold up really well are Land's End. They are a bit more expensive, but they do last and are very durable!

Hello E.,

I agree with what has been said here. Try Sears to see if they have their guarantee still, you can get them replaced if they wear through them. Also, Levi's always worked VERY well for my son. They work great for the hubby too lol.

Good Luck
T.

Sears carries a brand of jeans that they replace free if your child wears them out. Check into it.

You might try doing the iron on patches on the inside of the knees before they start to wear through. It would extend the use of the pants.

Also, if he's wearing them out at home, you might have him change to play clothes that he can ruin and save his better clothes for school, etc.

My mother in law swears by the jeans for boys at JCPenny. I know they are more expensive, but she had 3 boys and never had problems with them wearing through the jeans. I know they are reinforced, but I dont know what size they offer like that, but I would check it out for sure..you might be able to check on their website jcpenny.com

Good Morning E.,
I know your frustration, I have 4 grandsons and my mother-in-law had a lot of advise of how to patch and fix but they never seemed to help. Oh yeah they helped for a little while but only yo be back at square one. My daughter, like you, was so frustrated. One day I was out shopping and bought all of my grandsons 1 pair of jeans each at The Children's Place. You see they were very expensive so I wanted to see if they would last.My daughter was home for the weekend and said "mom do you see these jeans that Gavin has on, well they were Cole's!" Cole is nine years old. He wore them passed them down to Alex the 7 year old and now the 2 year old is wearing them. I know that people say that The Children's Place is too expensive, but if you watch they have great sales. I went in at Christmas and got almost $500 worth of merchandise for about $150! When the boys wear them for so long you can't go wrong. And it is not only their jeans but all of their clothes are quality and really not too pricey. Right now is the time to go in and find the long pants on sale because of the short Spring pants coming in. Have a great day!

http://www.mysears.com/kidvantage/
wear-out guarantee
You want the kids’ clothes and shoes you buy to last—especially in today’s economy. That’s why KidVantage Club members get this great guarantee: if the kids’ clothes or shoes you buy at Sears wear out before they’re outgrown, we’ll replace them for free. You’ll get an identical item, whenever possible, or a similar item of equal value in the same size. Please note that you must present your receipt to replace worn-out national brand clothing and shoes.

Sorry. My son's 3 and I constantly am replacing jeans. My only advice is to buy and stock up when you find a good sale. Old Navy frequently have a 2 for whatever sale. I swear, I should own stock. It doesn't get any better!

I've gone through this so many times, hon... There are some pants sold at walmart with reenforced knees,, but my own kids seemed to make quick work of those... Just keep those patches coming, and remember that he's being a normal child..This too shall pass, and enjoy the talks you'll have when he's older about never being able to keep him in pants. As well, there's a gabriel bro.'s in sharonville,, right down from the D&D.. Keep the old pants to make patches for the new-er ones.. That may help.. there's a yahoo group called freecycle you can join. It's for people who do not want to throw good dtuff away but don't want to go through the hassle of selling it. It's a good give and take group.. Just go to yahoo groups and type cincinnati freecycle n the group search bar.. It'll take you there.
A.

look at lands' end they have good overstocks and sales online, make pants with reinforced knees and have a great return policy

I would visit a second hand store for play pants. You can even find good pants there I would guess. Then don't put any of the good pants on him unless you're going out. You still might want to patch the knee's for play to protect you DS's knees but like I said, I would reserve some pants to wear out to places.

Hope that idea helps.

Check Sears. When my boys were little I'd buy them from there. They guaranteed you could not wear the knees out... and if you did, they replaced them.

S.
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I have the same age child with the same problem. He has a pair of jeans I got from the Gap outlet(I think I paid $5) and they are super strong - they're the only ones that haven't holed and he's had them the longest. Some jeans have reinforced knees (I think maybe Levi or Wrangler) or you could try pre-patching them. Otherwise - just buy up his size when they're on clearance so at least you're not spending lots on them.

Lands' End has double knee pants. A friend of mine swears by them. While they are a little pricier, you can not beat the LE quality! Don't forget to check their overstocks sections of their web site to see if any are on clearance. Good luck.

I have the same issue, after several years. My 7-yr old still gets holey knees! the only thing that has worked are the Land's End reinforced knee pants, I buy chinos and climbers, but I believe they also carry jeans. These pants are a little more expensive, but it's worth it if you want to avoid buying pants every other week. Try those, I hope it works for you!

My son had the same problem until just this year. He loves to play with hois trucks and tractors and was always on the floor. Lee's with the reinforced knees do pretty well. Hope that helps.

My son will be 4 in about 2 weeks. He loves pants with holes in them. It's like his own little fad. I buy him other pants, but he always chooses the ones with holes in the knees first. If there's just a slight spot where the pants are wearing through a bit, he'll make the hole larger.

I go garage sale-ing in the spring and summer for about an hour or two on Saturday mornings. I look for jeans because I know boys wear them out really quickly.

So... coming from another mom, I wouldn't stress it too much trying to buy things new and keeping them without holes in the knees. Maybe he likes them that way too?

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I think Sears has a brand of pants that is doubled at the knees and they used to, I am not sure if they still do, have a policy that if kids wore through the clothes before they outgrew them, they replaced them!

Here's what's funny......my son is just fine with his jeans. My 8 yr old dd on the other hand, has a hole in the RIGHT knee only in just about every pair of jeans she has. I've bought Tommy Hilfiger, LEI, Limited TOO, Children's Place..and then tried to save some and got from Target and Walmart, she does it to EVERY pair. She's in 3rd grade and when I flip out she says "don't worry Mom, holes are cool now". GGRR I see high school kids with holey jeans but I really didn't think 3rd graders wore them too.
I have no advice as I'm going through it with my daughter. I shop at the Sears at Strongsville Mall ALOT for my son, I guess I should check out this guarantee next time I'm there for her.

I need to start buying jeans at Sears!! :-) I never knew about their guarantee!

Anyways... I also have a 5-and-a-half year old boy and he goes through jeans like crazy! Now I know why my mom had us wear 'play clothes' and 'school clothes' when we were little. My son knows to change into 'play clothes' as soon as he walks in the door from the school bus. Right now he has about 7 or 8 pairs of jeans with holes in the knees that are for after school and weekends. He has 3 non-holey pairs for school. I'm hoping those last for awhile because hopefully it'll be warm enough for shorts in another month. He usually doesn't get the holes at school... for most of the day at kindergarten they are in the classroom and only have a short recess outside. They change into shorts/t-shirt for gym class everyday which helps, too.

Luckily, garage sale season is also starting in the next few weeks so I'll be on the lookout for jeans.... but they are hard to find at garage sales because every boy wears them out.

Double check to make sure they still do it but Sears has always had a great guarantee on kid jeans. The way it always used to be was if your kid outwears them before they outgrow them, they will replace the pair free of charge. You'll pay a little bit more, but it is worth it if you're going through so many pair.

Good luck to you!

Levi Straus. I wouldn't say they wear any better or worse than any other pair of jeans, BUT they have a LIFETIME warranty!!! If they get a hole in them for any reason you can exchange them on their website. Free shiping. They will send you a label to return the bad jeans & will send you new good ones. I have done this for myself a few times now. I don't see why they wouldn't do it for kids. Even my Uncle that was heavy into construction and would get huge rips & holes would be able to exchange for free. Just not at the store level (walmart or macys). Have to go on website. Very easy to navigate once there though. Good luck!

I thought Sears had a plan where, if your child wears out their clothes before they outgrow them, they will replace them. I'm not sure if they do it anymore, but you may want to check!

This is perfectly normal for a boy of five. I went through exactly the same thing! Other parents understand- at that age, they are on their knees all the time! Just patch over the patches, or by the double knee pants (Land's End has the strongest!) I ended up on some pants putting the iron on patches on the inside of the knees prior to him even wearing them. Good luck- this will pass, then there will be other challegnes!

Hi - I'm a mom of 4 boys -so ripped pants are well known here. I used to buy gap, old navy, children's place, all the "brand name" stuff...
When my oldest started school and was coming home with ripped knees - I stopped buying the more expensive jeans. I now go to Gabriel Brothers (there is one in N. Canton on whipple) They almost always have Wrangler jeans for $3.99! They are usually trendy washes as well. Also hit your local goodwill's - I got tons of brand name jeans there for $1.00 or $2.00. Then when they rip the knees out it's not as bad - you can just throw them away.
Hope that helps?

E.,
I am going through the same thing with my 5 year old son. I have decided to shop for most of his jeans at the outlet malls (the price is a bit better than the normal stores); I have also decided that since my child is skinny and I have to buy slims (which are harder to find) that I will cut the jeans off for shorts this summer (since the rest of the jeans are fine), saving the cost of buying more pants this summer.

R.

Boys will be boys... that's why god loves us moms and made thrift stores just for situations like that... you can get name brand clothes there for cheap. It's a great way to save money.

Sears used to carry a brand of jeans that they guaranteed would not wear out in the knees. The knees were double layered. You might try there.

Another idea may be to iron on knee pad patches on outside of pants before they get a hole. The iron on patch may keep from ever getting a hole.

Summer will soon be here, and then you can cut them all off and use for shorts, unless he has an untimely growth spurt.

JC Penney has a brand of jeans with reinforced knees I used for years. Both my son and the boy I am now raising had the same problem.

P. R

Have you tried the athletic type of pants? I don't mean sweat pants, but I just can't find the correct term for them...They are a more durable material and don't wear like jeans do...just a thought.

I buy our kids' play clothes at the local thrift store. You can get little kids jeans for about a dollar or two per pair. Then have him save the ones you get in the department store for church, school, etc. I have each kid keep about 4 or 5 pair of thrift store pants for playing. If the knees rip I either patch them or sew them. Also The Children's Place often has great seasonal sales that will include certain jeans for next to nothing.

Hi E.,
A friend of mine buys her boys jeans from Old Navy. My brother bought them for my niece too and she out grew them before they got holes in them. At the time she was a little younger than your son. Hope that helps you. Good luck and have a great week

M.

I have had good luck with jeans from Children's Place or the Healthtex cargo pants have strong knees.

Hi E.,

I'm a mother of two boys who are grown, but they were very active as youngsters. Here's an idea for you. I did this and it prolonged the life of my guys pants. When you buy jeans or pants for them use an iron on patch on the inside of the jeans in the knee area. It helps alot. You can get denim iron on patches that works well. good luck! Mel

Check with Sears and see if they still have the program that is if the child outwears the clothing before they outgrow it then Sears will replace it (same size, same clothing) for free. We used this with our son when we lived in KY. Good luck!

Hi, I actually have a son that is very active too. I started buying him wrangler jeans because they were tougher than the other brands I found. But, to be honest, sooner or later he would wear holes in any type of clothing I would buy. Wranglers just withstood his active play longer before giving out.

Hi E.-
I've heard Sears has a brand of pants that they guarantee, meaning if they wear out before the child changes sizes, they will exchange like for like. Sounds like a great deal!
HTH-
J.

I remember Sears advertising that they would replace boys jeans if they wore through before they outgrew them.
My SIL used to take hers back and they would give her another pair in the same size, then she would pass the new pair down to her second son!
Sorry to tell you but my son is 13 and still has all his jeans torn at the knee. (lucky for me, that is in style right now).I have no idea why boys are so hard on their clothes.

iam a mom of 3 boys, holes in knees are normal. you can keep on patching or shop at goodwill where pants are quite cheap.

L.

Hi E. -
not sure if you have a Sears store around you but they have a kids club you can joinj (which is free) and they gaurantee their clothes and shoes. so if your son wears out his pants, take them back and you can get a new pair, same with shoes - only catch is it will be in the same size as what you originally bought. so start shopping Sears and save your receipts since they will want those and you can be hole free!!!