My little one has always had a strong sense of style and I try my hardest to let her go with it, as long as it’s tasteful. Looking through her closet the other day has made me realize how much of a tween she has become, even though she’s only 7. Most things have some sort of bling, including her shoes. Matching hair bows are a must, and this from the girl who wouldn’t let me put anything in her hair when she was a preschooler. The accessories are beginning to look like they belong in a zoo. She has told me that “zebra goes with everything, mama. It doesn’t have to match, but it goes.” Let’s not forget the funky tall socks.
When did this start? When she started cheer. That might be a coincidence, but I’ve noticed that she’s much more conscious of what she wears and wants to look like the “big” girls. It used to be that any bow would do as long as her hair is up like her coaches wanted. Suddenly, girls in the gym that she looks up to are oohing and ahhing over the bows that match their team and gym shirts, and she HAS to have them. New tall socks are worn on one of the other teams and the world will end if she doesn’t have a pair or ten. Let’s not even get into the zebra practice shorts. Eek! Now, I don’t think that this is all necessarily a bad thing. Developing a sense of style and having the confidence to pull it off is a great trait and one that I didn’t really have until my 20’s. Getting caught up in the “gotta have its” is not something I want to encourage. It’s going to be tough finding the right mix of copying styles, letting her have her own voice, staying age appropriate, and not giving in to every little whim. I guess that’s one of my lessons as a Cheer Mom in Training.
