Against the world

This morning we had huge drama at my house involving jeans that my daughter did not want to wear. I should explain that this child of mine refuses to wear jeans, except for horse riding lessons because it is basically a requirement. It started some time toward the end of last school year - she just cannot stand how they feel. So, when I determined it was truly bothersome to her and not just an attempt to make me insane (don't laugh, I know she plots against me), I decided to work with her rather than fight her. Mostly it's not been a big deal, but it has made me get more creative with clothing purchases, since removing jeans from the wardrobe means you don't have a bottom that everything goes with. So, imagine my pleasant surprise when she found a pair of jeans with sparkles that she adored. I made her try them on and she was further convinced that she must have them. So, I rationalized the prize with the fact that at least she would have ONE pair of jeans.

Today marked the first day of actually wearing them, and she had a fit when she tried them on. She cried and said they made her look fat, and she was not going to school. Fat. Where has she ever even heard that phrase? I snapped. I lost it. I was completely overwhelmed, and I think my brain was so stunned by the signals coming from my ears that it stopped working. I am not an image-obsessed person, and my child seems to be more concerned with clothing/fashion/make-up/attitude/etc. than me. Today was the straw that broke the camel's back. Did I mention she's SEVEN?

Needless to say, I completely stressed out that my little girl is having some image issues barely into her grade-school years. She acts at times like a bratty teenager. But what should I expet when someone in our society actually thought it was a good idea to market MATCHING APPARREL for little girls and their pimped-out Bratz. It infuriates me that I can't shield her from all the examples she sees all around her! I was playing with Business Barbie and Rainbow Brite at her age. She's surrounded by Bratz and images of spoiled rotten bimbo starlets who make being an idiot look glamorous. Her father said it right - I am one person against a whole world trying to teach her, and I just have to work harder. I could have really worked myself up into a tizzy about the whole thing, but tonight she gave me the break I needed. :-) It might not always seem like it, but I still have a lot of influence on that kid, along with the family and friends who love her. When she had free time to pick a movie tonight, she chose "Baby Take A Bow." Shirley Temple - now there's a role model I can live with.