I will never forget what it was
like when my girls were little babies. So sweet, so innocent, and without
opinion on anything that was above their basic needs. I also remember thinking
I couldn’t wait until they got into bigger sizes. I knew they would have so
many more options that mirror the styles I loved. What you don’t factor in
until you get to that point is that with age comes knowledge, and with
knowledge comes push back. I love that both of my girls get excited about
fashion. I also value that they think
for themselves and are forming their own, and very different identities. So
here in lies the struggle that most parents face. How do you avoid the
never-ending fights over what they are going to wear? How do you encourage
them to be happy and comfortable but also teach them the importance of putting
value in how you present yourself? While I also do face a debate from time to
time with a mini version of myself, I have found a few ways to smooth over most
of this issue. A lot of it centers on the commitment to staying organized and
working ahead. It has been proven that
kids thrive on schedules, and if you know me, I do too. We use Sunday evenings
to prepare ourselves for the entire week. I make sure that all of the laundry
is completed and put away before we start. This way we have all of our options
available for us to choose from. It also just feels good to not have that
weighing on my shoulders when starting off a new week. Next I spend time with
both girls picking out their outfits. I always had the intentions of doing this
but never fully committed to it until this year. It just seemed pointless at
the time. What is the difference if we spend the time now or just a few minutes
each morning? Well for most of us, there is a big difference. When we do it on
Sundays we are not tired or rushed, which in turn means we are not stressing
ourselves out over it. My girls actually
look forward to getting their time with me to plan out the week. This also
means there is no arguing in the mornings because they are excited to wear the
clothes they helped pick out. I am also a firm believer that the habits they
create today could stick with them as adults. If this is something that had
up’d their quality of life now, and they are already used to doing it, they are
more likely to keep it up for years to come.
Something that helps this process is a way to
keep each day organized and separate from the rest of their clothes. If you
look at what I have pictured this has worked great for us. I actually found
this in the dollar spot at Target and just added the labels. You could always
use shelving or a set of small drawers if it fits your space better. I also
make sure to add EVERYTHING they would need for the outfit; underwear, socks,
and any accessories. Anything you can have prepared for ahead of time saves you
valuable time in the morning, and again eliminates stress. We also pre pack bags on Sundays for all of
their activities for the week. Most of the time we are rushing after school to
eat, get changed and go to practice. Having these bags handy has really made a
big impact on our days. So if you are
struggling like I was to enjoy fashion with your kids but also not wanting to
drain yourself over it, give this system a try. If you have any other tips
please share them below I would love to hear some fresh ideas!
