I post on several forums, and something I've noticed is that parents will ask if certain things are too babyish for their child.
For instance, someone asked about a backpack with cute shapes on it. She asked if it was too babyish for her kindergartener.
Another asked if she could still put bows in her daughter's hair because she was in second grade.
Someone else asked if a Frozen backpack would be too babyish for a third grader.
And then there's the whole, "Should I let my kid wear Gymboree past the fourth grade?"
My answer?
Let your CHILD decide. If they like something, let them wear or use it.
Some kids have told Natalie that she shouldn't wear her princess costumes to the park because she's too old. Natalie is all, "No I'm not and I like this."
If she wants to wear her princess costumes when she's a teenager, I'll let her.
She'll probably be in Gymboree until she outgrows it. If someone teases her, Natalie knows to ignore him or her. If she wanted to wear a giant bow in her hair and she was in fifth grade, I'd let her. I don't do the whole "is it babyish?" bit.
Seriously. Let your CHILD decide. If Natalie tells me she's embarrassed to wear Gymboree, fine, I won't buy it anymore. But until then, she'll wear and have things that SHE likes, even if others consider it "babyish."
Don't let your child grow up too fast. It goes quickly enough.
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never knew that was even a topic of discussion. i always assumed it would be what makes the kid happy (within reason).
ReplyDeleteMy son was (is?) obsessed with Spider Man. He wanted everything Spider Man up until recently. A couple of kids told him he is too old to have a Spider Man backpack in 5th grade but he ignored them basically. It's not about what you think it's babyish or not, it's about what makes your kids happy. If he still wanted the same back pack I'd let him wear it.
ReplyDeletekayla can pick whatever she wants as long as it's:
ReplyDelete1) weather appropriate
2) makes sense (ie. i would never buy her a tiny backpack that costs a billion dollars but can't fit jack)
3) economical. kids do not need to be spending lots of money on fancy things that they're only going to drag through the mud.
i fully agree - let the kids decide!
-kathy
Vodka and Soda
I completely agree with you. Let the kids decide. It'll happen soon enough. We don't need to be in a hurry for them to grow up.
ReplyDeleteGreat points. I hear a lot of that at the office when it's time for kids to head back to school.
ReplyDeleteBUT WHAT I DON'T HEAR?
Is this skirt too short? Are those heels too high? Is makeup appropriate? And the list goes on.
Heaven forbid they stay babies. But let's not hamper them looking like they're 25 at 15.
Couldn't agree more. We didn't really struggle with this on clothes so much but Jordan played with Legos (and loved them!!!) until just this past year. He was the one who decided this summer that he wanted to sell them all - we never made him feel like he was too old for Legos!
ReplyDeleteNot only that, but it lets them know that it's okay to be an individual and like things other people don't like.
ReplyDeleteAmen! I couldn't have said this better myself!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and all the commenters. Let the kid decide if they've outgrown something. I buy my kid's clothes but I let them help me pick them out (within reason, an eleven year old and a seven year old do not need skin tight shirts that show their stomachs) so I know they're tastes. I will never the one to suggest to them that something is too young or baby-ish for them. Let them stay little for as long as they will.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment above about parents NOT discussing what's age-appropriate in terms of early sexualization of both girls and boys.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I find babyish is pacifiers and bottles after a certain age.
I hate baby talk from parents. I think that's only good for the first 3 months of a baby's life.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteAnd so much power to Natalie for rocking whatever she wants to rock.. and honestly? Probably looking better at it than anyone.
Kid has style.
Last year , my daughter was told My Little Pony is for babies by some classmates. They were 7. She was also told she couldn't have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack because it was for boys. Thankfully, she told them she likes what she likes and if they don't like it they can buy her new stuff.
ReplyDeleteI've had adults complain about my daughter wearing costumes in public. A 60 year old man who had his tongue down a much younger woman's mouth, told me my daughter was too old. I asked him if he thought he was too old for his girlfriend. The second was a Mm who told me how inappropriate costumes are in public and her child seeing my child in it, makes her parenting job more difficult. I told her at least my child's butt isn't hanging out of the bottom and she doesn't have rolls of fat coming over the top.
My 14 year old takes a stuffed animal with her on every overnight trip. Emmy is in 5th grade and still has a large bow collection. They grow up to fast as it is.
ReplyDeleteWell this is certainly different to the usual "we're over sexualising our children" conversation.
ReplyDeleteWhat is babyish these days? I've seen adult women wear hair bows, and movie houses bank on parents buying kids backpacks and costumes and everything else they put out so they make more money. Why should these things be restricted to kids under what, 5 years of age?
I have to wonder how adult these women are themselves, that they're worrying about whether something is too babyish for their kids. Or is it that they're worried their kids will be bullied for wearing/using it?
Could not agree more. I even let my 3 year old decide. The only time I step in with my kids is when my highschool kid wants to wear stained up dirty cloths out of the hamper.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! If the kids are okay with it the parent shouldn't have a problem with it. Somewhere in the middle of 3rd grade my niece stopped wanting to use Disney backpacks, so we got her a new one, but we never forced that on her. Same for my nephew, whatever he wants when he wants it - not when we do.
ReplyDeleteYes to all of this! Let them decide and if other kids don't like it, that's tough shit for them. I love that my daughter likes what she likes and doesn't care what others think. My only rule for leaving the house is no stains and it has to fit. I gave up on fighting her with matching her clothes.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine Natalie not wearing Gymboree....ever. lol. Maybe they'll start a pre teen line just for you! You might as well buy some stock in that company too...might as well own some of it. lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this- the only things that parents should be worrying are too "babyish" are bottles and diapers. Yes, it's too babyish for your 9 year old to be in diapers and your 12 year old drinking from a bottle. But bows? Come on people.
ReplyDeletePS I love being annoyed with you!
ReplyDelete"Let your CHILD decide. If they like something, let them wear or use it." BOOM! You hit the nail on the head! I love that Natalie stands up for herself, too!!! :D
ReplyDeleteAmen to everything you said. Vi wears party dresses to school and to the playground (and even to the lake a few weeks ago), and some other 6-yr-olds ask why, but she just says "because I like them."
ReplyDeletethis is the perfect post for a fangirl who will totally still dress up to attend a mass convention of like minded geeks.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what anyone says: the nerd herd is way more fun than the stuffy suits!