Dress-up

I have a specific view on my Kids clothing. It should be fun, and whimsical, not sexy or constricting. After all, it won't be long before junior high hits and my girls will want to look just like everyone else. And they will have decades to worry about looking just right, and worrying how everyone else perceives them. Now is the time when they can have fun, and wear whatever suits, even if ***GASP*** it doesn't quite match. So for now, I am pretty okay with anything from their closet being worn. They can pick out their own clothes (within reason, no shorts in January, etc). So Serena has gone to school in outfits that are...different...and I was okay (mostly) with it.

Chloe being three has an even different take on what she wants to wear. She likes to get dressed by herself, and so you will quite often see her in inside out or backwards clothes. I have learned to not fix it, and let her be proud of getting herself dressed, for reasons said above.

She also likes to wear dress-up clothes. I know, shocking, right? Well the looks I get from moms sure make it seem CRAZY that a 3 year old would wear dress-up clothes. We live directly across the 2 lane street from Serena's school. So when Chloe is dressed as a princess and donning her dress up shoes, I let her stay that way to go pick up her sister. After all, she is 3 and to her that's the best fashion possible.

But more moms than not stare at her, then me as if I have committed some crime. AS if I have my child outside in her skivvies or something. I mean, seriously over-the-top expressions, over a three year old in a princess dress.

Well today Sleeping Beauty and I walked to get Serena, and the same moms, gave me the same looks, while their children looked at Chloe as if she were some sort of rock star.

And as we walked past all the looks, we came up to Serena and two of her friends at the school, who immediately said "welcome Princess Chloe!"

Eight year olds get it. Chloe is three, and her imagination is boundless, so why the glares from moms who should understand this even more?

With the "Princess Chloe" remarks came a beaming ray of sunshine strutting her stuff, feeling like a true princess. It was perfect. I mean I couldn't have planned it better. Chloe walked home gleaming, just shining. It made her day to have her big sister's friends play along.

If only those moms would get it; life is too short to fret over a three year old in dress-up clothes. Just go along for the ride, it's a fun one.