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Kids clothing: fun or battleground?
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personal style starts young if you let it
Meet Della...
Della is a little girl with a huge imagination and a creative spark that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. I watched Della come to preschool a few years ago dressed with a personal style that no one can ever duplicate, regardless of how they might try.
Della quietly and consistently expressed her unique identity with her clothes. She loved headbands - though I'm sure neither of her professional parents accessorized their outfits with headbands. Della didn't imitate - she created! Della often chose mismatched socks - and why not double the patterns and the colors! Della's parents gave Della the freedom to choose, to explore, and most important to be. In my opinion, Della wasn't only comfortable in her clothes; she was comfortable in her body. What better gift to give a child learning who she is and who she can be.
This is not always an easy feat of parenting. I'm sure some grown-ups and some preschool-aged fashionistas thought there was a right and a wrong way to dress for school. They may have snickered and they may have whispered after Della walked past. Della learned something far better than following fashion rules. She learned to write her own rules (which I assure parents everywhere makes it easier for children to follow other more important rules).
The message today is: choose your battles. Battles over children's clothing are not be the best place to put your parenting energy. It's easy to get sidetracked from the important rules because you worry about public embarrassment. In Della's case, the freedom to be herself outweighed any opportunity to conform.
Happy parenting!
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