Ed Yozwick, Post-Gazette Click illustration for larger image.

A: What a fabulous resource to have at your fingertips! To you, the clothes may seem old-fashioned and undesirable -- but to young children they're a gold mine of endless possibilities.

We believe that playing games like dress-up is great for kids. It's a way to engage their imaginations and develop their creativity -- and enhanced imagination and creativity have been shown to help children do better in school later on.

But playing dress-up is even more: It's also a way for kids to "try on" roles and even basic careers.

		Parenting 4 Kids Nationally accredited, 4 Kids Early Learning Network serves children and families throughout the Mon Valley. Through this column, 4 Kids staff members answer reader questions about raising children in the critical early years. E-mail questions for consideration to: questions@4kidsearlyed.org, or mail to: 4 Kids Questions, 445 Fourth St., Braddock, PA 15104.

Imagine the thrill of being a child and tap-dancing in Grandma's old heels, or wearing Grandpa's old suspenders and taking tickets for the railroad.

As to your question about your little boy, we urge you at this point not to think of these "costumes" as gender-specific. It can be fun for any child to act out what he or she conceives to be men's and women's roles.

We gather from the tone of your question that you may feel a little overwhelmed by the amount of clothing you'll be getting -- so here's a suggestion: Buy a big trunk (you can often get good deals at flea markets or secondhand stores) or get hold of a large box, and let the children select which of your grandparents' clothes they want to keep. (If you use a trunk, you may want to disable the latch and make sure the lid can't slam down accidentally.)

Then donate the rest of the clothes to a charity -- and take the kids along to assist with the drop-off. They'll learn lessons about sharing and helping others.