This is what my daughter wore to school on her first day of 1st grade. THREE pairs of different colored socks, all inside-out, stuffed into her “fancy” shoes, with black leggings, a headband for a belt, and a striped dress on top. And oh, let’s not forget the bright pink BATHING SUIT she is wearing under all that jazz.
Why would I let my child dress like that? Because this ain’t my first rodeo. She is my third and youngest child, arriving nine years after my first, when I was close to 40. And I’ve found that one of the benefits of being an “older” mom is that you know how and when to pick your battles.
Because as anyone with a daughter knows, there are SO many battles.
She is my free spirit kid, a leader who marches to her own beat. She doesn’t care what anyone else is wearing, and she dons her crazy ensembles with uninhibited confidence. A confidence that girls, as they get older, seem to lose all too quickly.
Once upon a time, I would have cared what people thought. Did they think I was a bad mom for letting my child walk around like that? That I was lazy or over-indulgent? But here is where I take a cue from my daughter, and not worry about what anyone else thinks. I know I’m a good mom, my kids know I’m a good mom, and that’s all that matters.
How I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that.
Who knows, this kid could grow up to be a famous designer, all because I allowed her the freedom to parade around town like a modern day Punky Brewster.
But the battles that I do pick? Those times, I make sure I stand my ground.
Other times, you do what you have to do to get your kid and her overstuffed fancy shoes out the door. ?
