I have been arguing with one or more of my girls about clothes for 5 years now. It started when Rachel was four. Now she is 9 and there are two more! What do we argue about?? Well . . .
Rachel would wear the same 3 outfits over and over again if they were always clean. In fact, she would probably wear them dirty. All 3 of these outfits involve yoga or cargo pants and a solid colored shirt. (See this post about her clothing requirements.) A couple months ago, she consented to wearing not-tight jeans and I bought her two pairs. She will wear one of the two pairs when nothing else is clean. As I've mentioned before she 100% bout comfort - fashion is not a concern.
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| 2 of Rachel's 3 favorites - had to pull these out of the hamper for the photo. Couldn't get the other one because SHE"S WEARING IT! |
Megan is the opposite. She actually likes skinny jeans and will wear the 2 worn out pairs she has anytime. She also has a tendency to mix and match items that should never be mixed or matched together. Like this:
She obviously has no idea how to create a coordinated, cohesive outfit.
Emily is slightly easier. She is happy to wear whatever outfit I choose for her as long a sit involves wearing a dress. She doesn't mind wearing leggings or even tights with it as long as the top half is a dress. We have plenty of these dresses to choose from thanks to hand-me-downs from her sisters and a dear friend. However, there are some really cute pants - like cords & jeans - that are just collecting dust in her closet. Here is a typical Emily outfit:
So, what to do??
I suppose I can continue fighting in an effort to make them look presentable in outfits that make at least a little sense and hope that they will eventually learn to do it independently.
OR
I can give up and let them wear whatever they want. You're cold? - tough! Your friends made fun of your clownish outfit? - Oh Well! You couldn't participate in P.E. because you weren't dressed appropriately? - Well, maybe next time you'll remember!
OR
Is there a middle ground? That's what I have been trying to find, but have, obviously, been unsuccessful. Do others struggle with this as well or is it just my crazy kids or maybe my lack of parenting skills?? Has anyone found that elusive middle ground???
1 comment:
I have all boys and it's a struggle with them, too. My middle son has very definite ideas about his clothing choices. If it isn't athletic, he isn't wearing it. Jeans are a waste of money...forget khakis and polo shirts. I've decided that I have to pick my battles and his clothing preferences isn't a battle of importance.
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