Mother and daughter find gold while shopping

Posted in Mom Stuff
by Lisa Roberson

It started with her birthday.

Two $50 gift cards from her favorite store, Justice for Girls, were found tucked inside two birthday cards.

She nearly jumped for joy and her eyes glazed over at the thought of buying her own clothes. Not the clothes I pick out and pay for, but ones she can decide on all her own.

So naturally I knew what was coming next as she turned to face to me.

“Mommy, can you take me shopping one weekend just me and you?” she said in her best sweet voice.

I will tell you I have always loved shopping for my daughter. Finding pretty pink dresses, cute little outfits with matching shoes and rainbow ensembles that I haven’t been able to get away with since my days of Garanimals has been my joy for years. But recently shopping with my tween has become a nightmare.

It started right around the time her figure started to have a mind of its own.

Now, shopping trips are not fun. They are mini battles between mother and daughter in the never ending war of what clothes I think are appropriate for her. She is curvy in places once straight, thick in spots once thin and training other locations for womanhood. She is stuck in the awkward stage known as no longer a kid, but not yet a woman.

And, all the while the both of us have to sift through racks and racks of tunics, skinny jeans, tie dye shirts and capri pants to find just the right outfits that make her tilt her head to the said and say, “I’m so cute.” Yep, she does that and I hate it.

Any mom of an 11 to 16-year-old girl knows exactly what I am talking about. This is the same age range of girls that when surveyed for the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty overwhelming – about 92 percent of those asked — said they would change something about the way they look, with body weight ranking the highest.

Knowing all this, I went into this shopping trip with a few established ground rules. Help her look her best. Let her express her personality in the way she chooses. Leave the judgment at home and instead use positive reinforcement to encourage better clothing choices.

A good shopping trip would be measured in how many times she didn’t roll her eyes at my suggestions.

So, imagine my surprise when a few outfits later she actually told me how much fun she was having shopping with me and could we do it again because she gets better clothes when we go together.

I was hoping for good and ended up having a great time with my daughter.

Not only did we improve her wardrobe, but I think we improved an already good relationship along the way.

And, it only cost me $58.

Thank God for gift cards.