What happens when your child doesn't walk out of the house looking like those smalls posed artfully in a magazine?
What happens when your youngest doesn't want to remove her PJ top, because it sports a puppy, so she wears her PJ top as daywear for the entire shopping trip? What happens when your son dresses himself and wears trackie pants that are 2 sizes too short, and a tee two sizes too big?
What happens friends?
My children are very particular about what they wear. Well the Doctor dresses himself, and I never have the heart to tell him something doesn't go with the other thing, I don't want to strip him of the confidence. For the most part his outfits are well considered. And when they're not I am ok with it.
I mean, these are the big things plaguing me. My children's outfits.
Today the Doctor insisted on wearing as much green as possible because it's St Patrick's Day. Regardless of weather-appropriate choices, he wore whatever green he could lay his mitts on, even accessorising with a pre-Autumnal leaf.
And Tiny went out shopping with me half in PJs, half in day clothes. With unruly hair and eating Jatz. Because Jatz ARE good no matter how bogan you might think they are.
My kids never look like they've stepped from the pages of a magazine. I am ok with that. I've spent enough hours of my life wondering what to wear without stowing that on my children and starting them early.
I do sometimes hide ugly or inappropriate clothing. Such as the rash vest that Tiny ALWAYS wants to wear - shopping, to the beach, to the library, to bed. It's the rash vest that keeps on giving.
And the Doctor has deemed ugg boots for outside wear. Unfortunately (or not) they are now too small and he's ever so patiently waiting for an upgrade (maybe).
But these outfits do score some woeful looks. Like we're some crazy family that just rolled a charity bin and got dressed in whatever we found first. Whatever fits goes! Some women look at my children with curiousity (and was that a quiet 'tut tut' I heard?). Is that Pyjamas, or is it... arty? Is this child the next Anne Demeulemeester? Is that child sourcing her looks from Dries Van Noten? Did Rachel Zoe fly over to style these children? Wow, is The Sartorialist around because that puppy PJ top is crazy wild with that crazy wild bed hair and that crazy half eaten Jatz protruding from her mouth.
And then there are other people's children who no matter what - rain, hail or spaghetti, still look gleaming.
Mine are usually sporting some sort of crumb. Some sort of stain. Or some sort of random accessory in the form of - well a leaf, a Jatz, a rash vest, or a plastic cow. We like to mix things up here.
I've tried stuffing my children in to skinny jeans, but it just seems so mean - hey kids, sit very very still - oh wait, you have to because you can't move! So for now, we've skipped on denim (and who wouldn't want to at the rate the denim industry is going, skinny anyone?).
No matter what, I don't care - as long as my kids are having fun and being kids, that is all that counts. I take heart when I read things like this. Why? Because I am not whipping my kids into submission. Now that is what I call ugly.
Image is via Hooked on Houses, Rachel Zoe in her wardrobe. Mine looks like that too. Exactly like that. Er yeah. And so does the kids dressing up box. Yep uh huh. Believe me. Non? Oh come on, it totes does.
