You're Wearing That... To School??

How many times have we secretly cringed because our child left the house as a firefighter, a princess, Spiderman or in just random mismatched clothes with rain boots?  Admit it, we smile and think it's cute when we see others but when it is our child...oh my gosh...how embarrassing.   

I have personal experience with this.  My oldest daughter loved to dress up when she was young.  She went to school in dance costumes and as Cinderella, but not dressed for the ball, working in the cinders.   My favorite by far was when she wanted long hair.   Obviously she didn't have long hair but she wanted it.  She wanted to be able to flip it over her shoulders.  As any 5 year old would do (never) she paper clipped two bandannas to her head and off to school she went.  I prayed two things that morning.  One, that every adult who saw her would realize I didn't do it and two, every adult would recognize this hair style was the most recent attempt in building her self esteem.  My second daughter felt one could never have too many hair accessories.   If one clip or hair bow looked good, then 17 looked even better.  Yep, off to school she would go with 10 pounds of hair clips and bows in her hair.

If you can't relate in anyway to the above scenarios you either have no children or you may be too controlling over what they wear.  I have friends who have small children and they share with me that getting their child dressed is such a battle.  It shouldn't be.  Letting your child choose what he or she is going to wear is important in building self esteem.  Self esteem or self confidence is so important when they go to school.   It enables the child to take on new situations without being afraid or nervous.  It's a life long skill that will serve them well in adulthood.

If it's hard to give up all control in the morning, and yes there are times when we really want them to look like we dressed them. Here are two ways to approach it.   Alternate days.  Eventually I convinced Emily that this was a day mom picked out what she was going to wear.   The next day she could choose.  Be aware though, that on the child's day, you don't intervene.  The second way is to get out two or three outfits and they choose from those.   You still control what they wear but they feel like they have freedom.

Bottom line, it's important for children to develop self esteem.  I love seeing Batman, Hulk and Cinderella and Sophia out while I am shopping.   Know too that they grow out of it.   Know how I know?   I don't see adults dressed up when I am out and about.