Somehow, I have ended up with a girlie-girl. Oh, she will happily play in the mud and climb trees, and looks like a grubby little street-urchin by the end of the day. In the morning, however, we take great pains to pick out our clothing:
By "we", I mean S. Sparkly red shoes, mis-matched (but equally cool) socks, pink capris, and sophisticated black shirt, accessorized by braided belt, blue watch bracelet, pink movie star shades, and matching cell phone. Not an outfit I would put together myself, but she can sure make it work! (It's all in the attitude).
Don't even get me started on dresses. Hers is not a lifestyle that requires much dressing up, yet she has more pretty dresses than I do. We have a couple that are reserved for occasions when she actually does need to look nice, and the rest she can play outside in. That does not mean they are interchangeable, though! Oh, no, ma'am! Choosing the right dress to roll down the mountain in is treated with the same seriousness as the mothers of the brides on Say Yes to the Dress.
So, I knew this book was sure to be a big hit at home:
978-076-146-1487
I reviewed Shoes for Me a while back, and this follows our same little hippo on a similar search for just the right dress. All the things my girlie-girl would love - sparkles and sashes and beads and bows - fill the bright and cheery illustrations by Mike Laughead. The text follows a bouncy rhyme that would be just right for reading aloud, whether during a story time or one-on-one lap time. It could even serve as preventative maintenance before a shopping trip - or help sooth ruffled feathers after an unproductive one! Most obvious, of course, this could be given as a gift with a brand new, just-right dress!
When my oldest (a boy) was very small, I read an article on parenting which pointed out how very little choice children have in their lives and that parents should provide choices where possible. I determined then that, among other things, I would always let my children pick their own clothes for the day. Of course, it is up to me to make sure the clothing is seasonally appropriate. My older daughter (now 14) recently told me that was one of the things she has always appreciated about my parenting. (happy face!) Of course, now that she is a teenager, she has been subjected to the raised eyebrow and sometimes even, "That doesn't actually fit anymore, you know. If you really want to wear it today, fine, but after that..." She accepts all this with good grace because she knows that if I feel strongly enough to say something negative, I'm probably right!
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