Let’s discuss this outfit shall we?
I will start by claiming zero responsibility for this outfit. Nora has definite opinions about her clothing and this is a great example of what she feels is a great wardrobe choice. At least when she looks back at this picture and yells at me for letting her leave the house looking like this, I can show her this blog post as proof that I had nothing to do with it. (For the record, I did comb her hair.)
On this particular day this past summer, she was trying to look like this doll. She found flowers for her bottoms and sparkles for her top. Add in the tiara and in her little four year old mind, she was exactly like Barbie. I also feel compelled to mention that the tiara is a regular staple of her wardrobe these days. I had to institute tiara rules when the school year started.
I cringe every time she picks out outfits like this one. It drives me batty when she doesn’t match or insists on wearing some awful dress. Take this Dora themed train wreck for example.
But as a mother you have to pick your battles. So instead of making a big deal about the outfit above, I smiled and gave her a huge hug and complimented her on taking the initiative to get herself dressed. I try to allow her some clothing freedom and only put my foot down about wearing weather appropriate clothes. I reserve my arguments for a specific outfit for the days that it really matters (such as the school picture day).
The bottom line is that she was so incredibly happy in that outfit that morning. Never mind that the shorts were actually her younger sisters and barely buttoned around her belly. Forget that it didn’t match. Ignore that it actually got worse when she added socks with sandals and some jewelry a short time later. She was so happy. And that, my friends, is what matters the most. More than the image I feel the need to present about how adorable my children are. More than the fact that she is already showing an inclination for all things “gaudy” and that goes against everything I believe in from a fashion standpoint. Her specific outfit choice is inconsequential really, simply because she was happy.
So choose your battles and please share any stories you may have about the amazing fashion choices your children have made.
