What Happens When I Let My Daughters Dress Themselves

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I used to be the mom whose children never left the house unless the outfit they were wearing was stain-free and perfectly matched.

Keyword … USED TO BE.

I grew tired of fighting with them…

“No, the purple polka dot unicorn shirt does not go with the tie-dye shorts with the pom pom fringe”

“No, it’s 30 degrees outside, you’re not wearing the super thin spaghetti strapped spring dress, besides you grew out of that LAST YEAR!”

“This is the 3rd time you’ve worn that shirt this week, it’s got ketchup on it!”

And then there is always the fight that happens when I chose their outfits…

“MOOOOOOOOOM! My friends won’t like this!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That’s dark purple with pink lines, I want the dark purple with red lines!”

“Really, Mom?! No.” 

Did I forget to mention my girls are 6 and 4?

So. I started letting them dress themselves. The fight honestly, wasn’t worth it. We have an understanding. They’re allowed to wear whatever they wish, but there are guidelines. I can dictate the type of clothes dependent on the weather, if we’re going somewhere where the dress needs to be specific (sorry, honey, you can’t wear your cowboy boots, princess crown, and ballet recital outfit to the wedding), and I can veto if there are stains or it doesn’t fit correctly.

Here are some of the classics:

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Why not be ready for Easter in Christmas pants?
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St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be the same without a 4-leaf clover skirt matched with a bright flowered shirt, right?
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Pajamas for the day. Fine, whatever, kid.
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This one isn’t that bad… though… not sure what the deal is with the leggings.
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Plaid shorts. Polka dot shirt. Sperry shoes with no socks. Makes perfect sense.
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Socks with sandals is in, right???
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Ready to go play with friends. Or a motorcycle gang in Hawaii?
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A hot spring day in South Carolina. Gotta wear all purple and boots. And look like a tough guy.
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Halloween skirt. Hawaii shirt. Sneakers with no socks… this kid has a theme.
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This wouldn’t be so bad if the shirt underneath the hooded shirt wasn’t another long-sleeved hooded shirt. And of course, dress shoes, no socks.
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Who would know this kid didn’t just roll out of bed. Yes, those are cats on her leggings… er… pajamas.
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Love the rain boots. Actually. I love this entire photo.
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There are no words.
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And sometimes, I let them do their make-up…
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But to prove, that my kids can wear cute outfits, they picked these out for Christmas … though… the socks.

Someday they’ll get it right, right? Until then, I’ll take photos, chuckle a bit, and be glad my girls aren’t afraid to be themselves and express their unique, individual personalities.

Do you let your kids dress themselves? What has been your experience?

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Jenelle Temple
Passionate in all things in her life, Jenelle learned many lessons on the road to finding herself. The beginning of her journey began when she met her husband, Alan. He swept her off her feet giving her the wings she needed to fly. To this day, Alan is supportive of all the crazy ideas that creep into her head. Whether it is to compete in Obstacle Course Races (most weekends during the summer, you can find Jenelle, Alan and kiddies climbing walls, jumping over fire, crawling through barbed wire, and flipping tires in the muddiest of places), completely overhauling the family’s diet to fresh healthy foods (clean processed foods have taken over their lives, assisting them in losing a combined 130 lbs in the course of a year and allowing them to be in the best shape of their lives), or deciding to up and move the family 10 hours away to Lexington, South Carolina. Born and raised in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Jenelle grew up in an area where everyone knew her family name (this was especially enjoyable as a teenager – note the sarcasm). She graduated from the local university, East Stroudsburg University, Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Psychology. She was a stay-at-home mom of two beautifully silly daughters, Riley (6) and Emma (4) when it was decided to move to South Carolina. It was a big change. Jenelle went from “knowing everyone” to knowing essentially no one. Every day is a new experience, new journey, learning to meet people, and learning to take herself out of her comfort zone even at the risk of being completely awkward.

1 COMMENT

  1. I LOVED this post! Hilarious. I am at the point where I am ready to let my 5 yo dress herself. I am done controlling it. So tiring, especially with 2 younger siblings to care for too..what I haven’t thought of is taking pictures! Awesome. One day I can use them for blackmailing purposes, lol

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