I Really Don't Want Her to Look Like a Duggar!

Caroline is 10. She is growing up and turning into a sweet and fun young lady. She picks her friends carefully and has a real servant heart. That's the good part. The bad part? What on EARTH is she going to wear?!?!? Since she was a baby we did 90% of our shopping at Gymboree, I am spoiled by the quality and good deals I have learned to get. Last night we went to the mall to scope out some spring clothes. I am totally open to any store even Abercrombie that has cute clothes that won't fall apart after 2 washes. I'm not even opposed to tank tops and denim mini's with leggings. What I am opposed to is my 10 yr old looking 15 and that, my friends, is the challenge. We can shop at Abercrombie or we can buy Duggar-style skirts. There is NO in between!

We have also crossed that line into caring about what the other girls think about what we wear. I do not wish to make my kid the object of ridicule out of some noble thought that it doesn't matter. Face it. We all remember middle school and it matters. Right or wrong, what you wear matters. Call it shallow, but I want to make life as easy as possible for my daughters in that hard time of middle school. We are absolutely teaching Caroline about inner beauty and acceptance but I am also a realist. Preteen girls can be nasty and when the "cool kids" say "Pink is so dorky" that can drive a girl to ditch pink. On the flip side, when said "cool kids" say "I LOVE your outfit!" it goes a long way to builing confidence and feeling included. I think it is possible to teach your daughter to not judge people based on their outward appearance but still allow her to dress in a way that makes her feel part of the group.