Seewalds 28: Marketing Kids as Deflection

[Daisy0322]

2 hours ago, Melbelle said:

 

@Daisy0322 I feel very similarly to you about my reasons for why I want to dress my LO in such preppy styles.  We live closely to Mr. Melbelle's family and many of them have a very granola/hippie/crunchy type of style and because we live in Colorado we get constant questions about the legalization of pot wherever we travel.  I like presenting a traditional and polished style in order to thwart some of those stereotypes.  Also, I'm from the south and I want my LO to have some exposure to the styles and norms of my family as well since he won't see them as often.  If we lived close to my family, we'd probably be dressing in the same preppy styles in order to thwart the "white trash" stereotypes that apply to some of my family members.  

 

Yeah I don't buy expensive clothes it's normally from the PX or Carters just always clean, matching, put together looking outfits. I don't have just one style though. We live very close to my family and they for sure "have a name in this town" thank god my baby has my husbands last name he probably won't be as stigmatized.

[SassyPants]

4 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

They haven't heard of painting smocks for kids?

Ah hell no- you send the smocks in as requested, and the places never seemingly use them.

[melon]

On 12/17/2017 at 8:50 AM, SapphireSlytherin said:

Probably the bow/headband thing is in response to random people ASSuming the kid's a boy, especially if she doesn't have much hair. GryffindorDisappointment had no hair ... she was ALWAYS called "he/him" by perfect strangers. So. Bows & headbands and pink frilly shit ALL.THE.TIME.

My sons,especially the first two,had a head of hair.They were called "she/her" by strangers,too.I took my 2nd son to the barber at 9 months old.

[HarryPotterFan]

5 hours ago, AtlanticTug said:

To these kids, having a new cousin is about as exciting as my son getting to go to the pet store every 6 weeks for a bag of food for the dog and seeing the kittens up for adoption. I mean that's pretty much how often this "news" will start to pop up the more Duggar weddings we have.

 

I get excited every time I go to the pet store and look at the kittens up for adoption, lol. Granted, I don't go that often since we get the kitty food from a vet that's closer by and sometimes order litter online.

2 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

We had a small problem the short time I worked in a daycare, with a 3 year old who was new there. She wore a ruffly dress every day. At the end of the first week, the teachers implored her mother send her in something more practical. Mom told us to let her daughter do everything messy in the dresses, because the mom bought cheap fabric (a few dollars) and sewed the dresses in one night. That was not the norm, however!

IThat sounds so time consuming!! She made multiple dresses in one night? Wow.  

[Iamtheway]

2 hours ago, Melbelle said:

The moment he indicates he prefers something different, I'm on board with what he wants because I want to foster his independence and personality.  I'm also on board with practicality,

Clothes that Miniway has asked to buy at the shops and has gotten: A transformer costume with built in abs. A really fluffy white Hello Kitty sweater. A shiny ballerina dress with Hello Kitty riding a unicorn. Socks and underpants with cars, paw patrol, lego, pokemon and my little pony.

Things that were sadly  not his size or that he could add to his wishlist: One million ugly tshirts with huge plastic prints of different cartoons. 

Last three outfits he chose completely by himself and wore to kindy: Gingerbread costume (might be pyjamas) with one pokemon sock and one lego sock (having two of the same kind is apparently a waste of fashion). Tshirt (it’s snow and freezing) with icecream pattern and sweatpants with a jungle pattern with jaguars, missmatched socks. Black pants with animalprint that is two sizes too small and a white long sleave tshirt with pink stripes that is two sizes too big (I must organize that kids closet). The last one actually looked ok, he even wore nice socks that matched.

In short: kids have terrible (terrible!) taste.

I have stopped caring what he looks like at kindy as long as he is clean when he arrives and is dressed in proper clothes for the weather. He is pretty good with that. My sisters and her kid had to have massive fights all through last winter because my sister had the crazy idé you couldn’t walk home through the snow in a shortsleeved tshirt and no pants. Even the ok-you’ll-want-clothes-once-you’re-outside strategy failed. The kid just said they were not cold - through chattering teeth and blue lips ... stubborn as mule. Must run in the family. 

Congratulations on your blessing! The frustrations of parenthood is easily weighed up by all the love and laughs. 

[Pukingpearl]

4 minutes ago, Iamtheway said:

Clothes that Miniway has asked to buy at the shops and has gotten: A transformer costume with built in abs. A really fluffy white Hello Kitty sweater. A shiny ballerina dress with Hello Kitty riding a unicorn. Socks and underpants with cars, paw patrol, lego, pokemon and my little pony.

Things that were sadly  not his size or that he could add to his wishlist: One million ugly tshirts with huge plastic prints of different cartoons. 

Last three outfits he chose completely by himself and wore to kindy: Gingerbread costume (might be pyjamas) with one pokemon sock and one lego sock (having two of the same kind is apparently a waste of fashion). Tshirt (it’s snow and freezing) with icecream pattern and sweatpants with a jungle pattern with jaguars, missmatched socks. Black pants with animalprint that is two sizes too small and a white long sleave tshirt with pink stripes that is two sizes too big (I must organize that kids closet). The last one actually looked ok, he even wore nice socks that matched.

In short: kids have terrible (terrible!) taste.

I have stopped caring what he looks like at kindy as long as he is clean when he arrives and is dressed in proper clothes for the weather. He is pretty good with that. My sisters and her kid had to have massive fights all through last winter because my sister had the crazy idé you couldn’t walk home through the snow in a shortsleeved tshirt and no pants. Even the ok-you’ll-want-clothes-once-you’re-outside strategy failed. The kid just said they were not cold - through chattering teeth and blue lips ... stubborn as mule. Must run in the family. 

Congratulations on your blessing! The frustrations of parenthood is easily weighed up by all the love and laughs. 

Your kid sounds awesome. I let my toddlers wear what they want... I it changes daily but one usually ends up in a tutu and the other in sweats. They're happy and somewhat clean. That's all I require (and their butts be covered in public).

[Iamtheway]

2 minutes ago, Pukingpearl said:

Your kid sounds awesome. I let my toddlers wear what they want... I it changes daily but one usually ends up in a tutu and the other in sweats. They're happy and somewhat clean. That's all I require (and their butts be covered in public).

I think he is but I am rather biased. 

I have decided to chose my battles more wisely with my kid. He’s 3,5 and if I don’t we will do nothing but fight. Happy, clean and butt covered sounds like a long enough list of demands to me. Good for you!

[HarryPotterFan]

51 minutes ago, Iamtheway said:

A shiny ballerina dress with Hello Kitty riding a unicorn.

That is the most amazing article of clothing I have ever heard of in my entire life. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

1 hour ago, HarryPotterFan said:

That sounds so time consuming!! She made multiple dresses in one night? Wow. 

Oops! That's how I wrote it, wasn't it? I mean each dress only took her one night. Sorry. 

[HarryPotterFan]

7 minutes ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

Oops! That's how I wrote it, wasn't it? I mean each dress only took her one night. Sorry. 

Oh, ok! That's still way more effort than I'd put into making an outfit for a growing toddler, especially to roll around and get dirty in.

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@HarryPotterFan--I see what you mean, but if sewing was your hobby and you enjoyed doing it, I suppose it might be just as much fun to whip up 10 dresses each month as any other sewing project. (Especially if you enjoyed watching your daughter enjoy your handiwork.) My sewing level never really progressed beyond sewing on a button, or mending a small rip, so it wouldn't be my idea of a good time. 

[Iamtheway]

1 hour ago, HarryPotterFan said:

That is the most amazing article of clothing I have ever heard of in my entire life. 

I do kind of wish they made it in my size. 

[AtlanticTug]

3 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

They haven't heard of painting smocks for kids?

My son will get paint everywhere even with those on. All the kid has to do is reach beneath to scratch his belly or leg or something and it's over.

[EmmieJ]

2 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

@HarryPotterFan--I see what you mean, but if sewing was your hobby and you enjoyed doing it, I suppose it might be just as much fun to whip up 10 dresses each month as any other sewing project. (Especially if you enjoyed watching your daughter enjoy your handiwork.) My sewing level never really progressed beyond sewing on a button, or mending a small rip, so it wouldn't be my idea of a good time. 

I once made my son an Ash Ketchum shirt for Halloween.  I have it saved for posterity, to prove I actually once sewed him something.  He did a better job in his 6th grade home ec class, when he made a pillow that looks like a Nintendo controller

[HarryPotterFan]

3 hours ago, WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? said:

@HarryPotterFan--I see what you mean, but if sewing was your hobby and you enjoyed doing it, I suppose it might be just as much fun to whip up 10 dresses each month as any other sewing project. (Especially if you enjoyed watching your daughter enjoy your handiwork.) My sewing level never really progressed beyond sewing on a button, or mending a small rip, so it wouldn't be my idea of a good time. 

One of my friends taught me how to make a circle skirt. I was so angry I had to use geometry.  That class literally gave me nightmares, I was hoping it had no real-life applications. Basic projects like that are the extent of my skills. I enjoy doing it every so often when I find a fun fabric. I should go fabric shopping again. I haven't made anything in a while.

But I have no idea how to sew on a button, and after a fiasco in grad school I don't trust myself to sew rips in clothing. There was a rip in the seat of my jeans along a pocket and I figured it was an easy enough repair. At the end of the day I went to a bar with my friends. When I got up I go to the bathroom, I felt a breeze on my butt. The repair I attempted had ripped open. I have no idea at what point in the day this happened. I could have mooned all my professors for all I know. Years later someone told me you need a special thread for jean repair. Oops.

I need to bug my mom to repair a sweater dress for me.

3 hours ago, AtlanticTug said:

My son will get paint everywhere even with those on. All the kid has to do is reach beneath to scratch his belly or leg or something and it's over.

I'm like that too. I was the only one in my high school art class who wore a smock, and I still managed to get paint on myself and ruin nice clothing. One teacher, who was completely kooky, loudly praised how clearly passionate I was that I made a mess of myself, the other would laugh at me. 

@EmmieJ That pillow sounds cool!!

[DillyDally]

15 hours ago, AtlanticTug said:

To these kids, having a new cousin is about as exciting as my son getting to go to the pet store every 6 weeks for a bag of food for the dog and seeing the kittens up for adoption. I mean that's pretty much how often this "news" will start to pop up the more Duggar weddings we have.

 

I was just thinking, in a couple of years, when we'll (probably) see several Duggar offspring repeatedly pregnant at the same time and a couple more weddings here and there, are they all gonna have to do congratulation videos for each other every darn time? They could have their own TV channel at some point.. oh wait, don't wanna give JimBoob ideas 

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

The Duggar Network, source of boring wholesome family flasbacks entertainment since 2022.

[Meggo]

17 hours ago, Pukingpearl said:

Your kid sounds awesome. I let my toddlers wear what they want... I it changes daily but one usually ends up in a tutu and the other in sweats. They're happy and somewhat clean. That's all I require (and their butts be covered in public).

For a good year - my son refused to wear "Shirts with holes in dem". By which he meant - any shirt with a button. Didn't matter if it was a button down shirt, a polo type shirt with one button - NO BUTTONS.
"I no weah dis. Ih has hoes in it"

Now he'll be 5 in February and this has been the last year and a half of my life.

So - fine. No shirts with buttons. Got it. Really - not a big deal.
Every now and again I'd try to sneak a shirt with buttons on him and he'd protest. Okay.

Drove my mother nuts. "You're the parent! You decide what he wears!"

Really? Does it MATTER if he wears shirts with button holes? Not to me. Not like he won't grow up to be a functioning adult because of button holes. I'd really rather focus on "It's 10 degrees outside - you must wear pants."

As long as he is dressed in somewhat clean clothes (at least at the start of his day) and is wearing seasonably appropriate clothing - I.do.not.care.

 

[Bad Wolf]

@Meggo The public elementary schools here have a uniform, polo shirt and jeans or khakis. I hope your son doesn't have to deal with that, because as you say, who cares? Kids have such funny foibles. Wolf Boy was terrified of pine cones when he was young. He's fine now.

[SapphireSlytherin]

Can you sew up any button holes (say in a polo shirt)? Is he OK with that? (Just curious - no real reason for my question other than that.)

[Meggo]

20 minutes ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

Can you sew up any button holes (say in a polo shirt)? Is he OK with that? (Just curious - no real reason for my question other than that.)

I'm not sure. Hubs once managed to get him in a button down shirt by doing up the buttons (and therefore - eliminating the "holes") but I never really bothered much.
Want to wear knit shirts? okay.

I did manage to bribe him into a button down shirt for his first day of school (had to promise ice cream). And he'll wear one that are polo style now - not full on button downs. But I never really tried anything else.

When he tried to tell me that his tshirts had holes too (ie - neck holes and arm holes) I had to nip it in the bud. Sorry kid - we live in Canada. Togas are not a viable option.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

1 hour ago, Meggo said:

For a good year - my son refused to wear "Shirts with holes in dem". By which he meant - any shirt with a button. Didn't matter if it was a button down shirt, a polo type shirt with one button - NO BUTTONS.
"I no weah dis. Ih has hoes in it"

Drove my mother nuts. "You're the parent! You decide what he wears!"

This argument made me CRAZY.  I'm the parent and I pick the battles, and fighting MY kid into a shirt with a collar or stripes, because he's 4 (and lasted until he was about 12) wasn't happening. I was not fighting with him EVERYDAY,  A few exceptions were made for certain occasions but for the most part I'm like fuck off, you want him dressed like that, YOU come over every morning and fight him, I have shit to do.  My daughter was fine with anything until 5th grade than DEAR RUFUS, she's 17 and a Senior and I refuse to buy clothes for her without her with me and I mostly refuse to shop with her because you can't drink at the mall and she's too old for me to drag kicking and screaming from the mall when she has her teengirl snits.  My son is 20 and as long as it is he doesn't have to shop for it he'll wear it.

[melon]

My youngest son hated any shirt with a collar.If he did wear one,he'd put on his jacket...lol.He also did not like the tags in his shirts so I would cut the tag off.This was when he was about three.

[Carm_88]

My mother forced me into a horribly itchy sweater when I was 5. She was pregnant, my grandmother (Her Mom) was pressuring her to put it on me, and generally was just exhausted; so battle picked, the woolly pink sweater with the butterflies was going on. I cried and cried, telling her that it was too itchy to which she responded "You'll get used to it." A while later she saw the hives creeping up my neck. I wasn't being contrary, I'm allergic. 

[Meggo]

I fell once while roller skating - and complained that my arm really hurt. My mom told me it didn't hurt that bad and to basically suck it up. We got to my Grandma's house (Grandma was a nurse and was no softy when it came to kids) and she said "Uh - take her to the ER - she's broken her arm."

Thanks Mom!

 

35 minutes ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

A few exceptions were made for certain occasions but for the most part I'm like fuck off, you want him dressed like that, YOU come over every morning and fight him, I have shit to do. 

YES!! Had we been going to a formal event - fine. We'd work on it with him. But for school? Come on - it's enough to get him out the door without forcing clothes on him... No sense in that. I'll save my fights for when it matters.

(and really - what's the worst that will happen? That I'll explain to him in 20 years that the reason he's wearing a Superman shirt on Easter is that we tried to show him how Superman wears a button down over his costume and he could be like Superman and he didn't buy it? ooookay. I'll take that risk.)

Plus - I love seeing little kids wearing ridiculous things and their parents saying "they dressed themselves." Tutus with a rain coat in the middle of a dry spell? Way to have individuality!