Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Terrible Twos

Well, it has happened. We have entered a new stage that I thought I would never have to go through.
The picky clothing stage.

I thought that if you were just firm with your children or distracted them, then there would be no problem with picky clothes. I assumed you would just have to tell her kids "this is what you are wearing today" firmly but with love and all would be right with the world.
Now pay attention to what I am going to write next, because it doesn't happen very often:

I was wrong.

Baby A hates the first shirt I put on him every day. You would think I would wise up and put a shirt I don't want him to wear on first, then the old switcheroo when he demands "shirt off!".

Baby B covets Baby A's pajamas and wants to wear "Thomas jammas" or "snake jammas" too. Instead we have to tell her how cute her lemon drop pajamas are or how funny the cat PJs look.
It does work, most of the time.
Lets all hope this phase goes fast, fighting about clothes is one battle I don't want to fight. I also don't want my kids leaving the house looking like hobos. Silly me.
I remember being about 9 or so and wanting to wear this ornate headband although I already had barrettes and a pony tail. My Mom told me, after a short fight where nobody would give up their position, "fine but you are going to look stupid!"
I am sure I did but it was "me" and that is what I wanted to be at the time.

So I am sorry Mom but you were wrong and I am going to try not to make the same mistake with my kids.
So if you see a girl out with twins looking like hobos, that is me and those are my kids.
We will always just be ourselves.

4 comments:

  1. The picky clothing thing didn't happen until my daughter turned 4 (in April), and ever since then she MUST WEAR ALL PINK, OR ALL PURPLE!!! It's driving me crazy.

    I just blogged about it, see my May 25th entry, "I'll take in in pink please"

    It is enough to make a mother mad, and I'm going to have to try the "ok, but you'll look stupid" approach.

    ReplyDelete
  2. hey! i have a suggestion that i read and you MUST let me know if it works. kids at that age are wresting independence anywhere they can. they will say no to anything, for the sheer pleasure of it. try this:

    offer 2 or 3 outfits. 'do you want to wear the white shirt or the blue shirt'? *supposedly* if they make a choice it fosters their sense of independence.

    now, go strip those kids and try it out and let me know immediately!!(can you tell i was a wicked bossy kid?!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:53 PM

    Oh God, how well I remember those days. My son, 17 but graduated HS last week is the pickiest boy I know regarding clothing. He'll change 4 times before leaving the house, looking for the "right" outfit.
    My 15 year old daughter is fine NOW but when she was 4 she wore her Aladdin dress every day. I had to wash it at night while she slept. It got completely out of hand so I made a deal with her that she could wear whatever she wanted when we were at home but if we went somewhere she had to wear what I chose. Worked like a charm. I wouldn't worry about it. No matter how much it might embarass us that our child is wearing a pink and purple polka dotted shit with a blue and gree plaid skirt, all the other parents take one look at them and know "Oh, thank GOD it isn't just MY kids who do that". We've all been there! Hang in there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My boys just reached a stage (at 22 months) that they absolutely have to KEEP the shirt they already have on. They kick, scream, and fight me to the death if I have to change their clothing! So sometimes I just let them continue playing with ice cream/juice/whatever soaking their shirt. It'll be over soon...and then something else will start up!

    ReplyDelete

Talk to me