Comments on: Why I Let Her Dress Like That in Public

By: Sherri

Sherri — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 23:55:34 +0000

This post hit home for me!! Having a degree in Fashion Merchandising, I figured my daughter would want to dress a lot like me. Nope! I totally get what you are going through. My daughter stopped wearing dresses at the age of 6. She wanted nothing to do with girl clothes! I reached a point where I just wanted her to be herself, that there are so many people out there who aren’t. It is rare to find people who are not afraid to be themselves in front of others. She is now 11 years old and all she wears is Nike, Under Armour, and all from the boys section. I asked her one day why she liked wearing boy clothes, and she told me because they are just way more comfortable than girl clothes. I agree! For my wedding, it was so hard to find what she was going to wear, especially because she was my Maid of Honor. I found her a dress and she told me at first that she was okay with it. Well, when the wedding was getting closer, I had her try it on again. When she had it on, I could see it in her face that she felt 100% uncomfortable. I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t let her feel like that for 12 hours on my big day. So, 2 days before my wedding I came up with an idea and she loved it! I put her in a boys dress shirt, bow tie, and suspenders. Instead of pants, I found her a long tulle skirt (by Lauren Conrad) and used the suspenders to hold up her skirt. It worked out perfectly and the skirt matched all my bridesmaid dresses to a tee! I couldn’t of been happier. By reception time, I let her put on black pants. It is so much better (and easier) to just let them be who they want to be and wear what they feel comfortable in. You are definitely doing the right thing! 🙂

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 03:27:03 +0000

Oh girl… I know all about this LOL this battle ended for us a while ago. You have GOT to check out #vessiedressesherself on Instagram. Our girls are one in the same! My rules for her are simple: 1. No jammies. 2. No costumes 3. Must be season appropriate- no sweats in 100+ Oklahoma summers, and no tank tops in frigid winter. Somehow she ends up looking adorable if a bit looney. And I love it. And I love her <3

By: Joye

Joye — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 17:01:57 +0000

Thank you! I have a strong-willed eight year old granddaughter who lives with me. After raising two boys and having a grandson here also, I was so ready to do the “dressing her so cute”. And she doesn’t like cute. She like Elsa and mismatched patterns and sometimes clashing colors. I’m struggling with myself to let her dress as she wants. I needed to read this today! And pray for strength to know when to go-with-the-flow so I can impact in the most important areas later.

By: Sharon Brobst

Sharon Brobst — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 14:12:18 +0000

Loved this Becky! I raised two boys so I didn’t have this battle with them so young, it started in their teens. But when my granddaughter was born (6 yrs ago) I envisioned all these cute, adorable outfits I would buy for her. Well the first time I took her shopping, at about 4, I realized she had an opinion what she would or would not wear. It wasn’t until then that I completely understood the wisdom of her momma to just not fight that battle and let her choose. What I have noticed in the last 2 years of her choosing is that style is very much her, it’s adorable and extremely modest. Even to this day we can not get her to wear shorts, her legs must be covered. That is not anything she has been taught – it’s just her choice.

Anyway, all that to say well done momma. We can have guidelines what is totally unexecptable but then allow them to choose within those boundaries.

By: C Sehorn

C Sehorn — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 02:04:24 +0000

My daughter is the SAME way simply add the cape. But let’s substitute a tornado for that windstorm analogy. You lasted longer than I did in the clothing fight — I got to around 21 months. Now I simply put clothes that are weather appropriate in her drawers and go from there.

One thing we’ve done that may help though — picking clothes is her “reward” for doing what mommy and daddy ask. Conversely if she doesn’t get do what’s asked then mommy and daddy get to pick her clothes — and she always ends up hating them (even though the same Elsa shirt she wore last week was just fine).

Good LUCK!

By: Kandice

Kandice — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 17:33:36 +0000

Loved this! Very interesting way to think about it. I’m dreaming of a baby girl one day and this helps put those dreams in perspective.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 01:51:21 +0000

This describes my daughter to a tee – and she is only 2 years old. Some days I let her choose and she looks chaotic. Some days I let her goose her top or bottom, and then I choose a complimentary opposite. And then some days I fight to make her wear the cute outfits I want. Just depends … But it’s so good to know I’m not alone !!

By: Annie Dill

Annie Dill — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 23:57:14 +0000

I hear you, Becky. Though I have not been a mom who believes in children dictating, I found with my first child that at age one she did not like dresses! What a shock! My next, a boy, did not like little man ties for church! Shock! Without these being moral issues or life-or-death issues, I chose to grant them SOME preferences. Now they are grownups and I am blessed by their choices in moral issues and life-and-death issues. The rest, I don’t comment unless I have something nice to say.

By: Rachel O

Rachel O — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 22:10:11 +0000

Oh I hear ya! I have two girls, 11 and 10. And they were the same way. It was a hard thing for me to let go! I feel like I’m revisiting it lately since my 11 year old had started middle school and I want her to feel pretty and put together. Her choice of clothes wouldn’t be the ones I’d pick, ha ha. But i have had re remember this …she is Cali, not an extension of me. So I’ve decided my focus and direction needs to shift to teaching/renforcing hygiene (so important and yet difficult for some tweens to grasp, ha ha) and supporting her to dress how she feels is her!

By: Cassie

Cassie — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 21:13:07 +0000

You always know just how to pull at my heartstrings. My daughter would wear the same striped dress with the big butterfly on it every dang day if she could. She pulls it out of the DIRTY laundry and will refuse to wear anything except THAT DRESS! Gotta love her for it though. God Bless these tiny angels!