What a strange power there is in clothing. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

Manther expressed strong opinions about her clothing very early on in life. She is not drawn to the frilly, pink princess styles that attract many little girls, but rather bold, primary colors with striking patterns or drawings on them. She began temper tantrums at 19 months whenever she was not allowed to wear a shirt with an 'Elmo' on it. I am ashamed to say that she won this battle and wore Elmo shirts everywhere for the m0nths following. After 6 months, this phase is passing and she will wear non-Elmo clothing several days a week. However, she insists on picking out her own clothes and her mood certainly dictates her style.

I knew Manther was opinionated about her clothes, but I didn't realize how deeply she cared for them until last night. I was in the basement doing laundry and Manther was assisting (something I encourage). We put the wet clothes in the dryer and sorted the darks on the floor. I didn't have enough for a load, so I stacked the sorted darks on the washer and waved Manther toward the stairway telling her we were done and it was time to go upstairs. When I got to the foot of the stairs, I turned to let Manther pass me. She was not behind me, but still standing in front of the washer. She was waving to the stack of clothes on the washer and saying farewell, "bye-bye shirts, bye-bye pants, bye-bye socks." It was only after I assured her that the clothes will be returned to her after washing that she was willing to go upstairs and get ready for bed. I predict a serious shopping addiction before this kid gets out of junior high.
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family parenting mom kids parents