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:
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.
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