When I was a kid, school shopping was simple. My dad and step-mom took us to the mall, gave each of us $100.00 and said, "Have fun." We might buy a pair of shoes and five bargain outfits or a two pair of Jordasche jeans. The choice was ours, but one thing was certain--if we chose the two jeans, that would be all the clothes we had all year, and we knew it.
Today, things seem less simple. First of all, $100.00 will get you one leg of your favorite name brand jeans. If you have both limbs, you'll need more money. Second of all, there are way too many choices. Not only do we have the big stores, but we now have all the stores that cater to teens. But they're not the same, according to my kids. There are goth stores, preppy stores, skateboarder stores, metro stores, and anyone who's anyone knows which is which. Apparently, I'm not anyone.
One boy is pulling me toward one of those stores--he wants to spend the money there--the other won't set foot in that preppy place, much less put anything from there against his skin.
One kid is hard to fit, one really, really, really wants this brand, and one is happy with anything so long as he doesn't actually have to try on anything. Excuse me, do you know how I would look if I bought my clothes without trying them on? Does anyone do that? Maybe they do. That would explain the droopy drawers I've been seeing for three years. Hey mom, make your kid try on his clothes, will ya? The fact that those babies are staying up is a gravity-defying act.
The very words "School shopping" strike terror in my heart. I know it will take many days, many stores to gear up 3 boys for the school year (Thank God I don't have girls--I don't even want to go there.) Things have gotten so bad that this year I brought in reinforcements. Kevin. Yep, divide and conquer. Yesterday, we ambled into the mall empty handed and walked out armed with enough clothes for, well, 3 boys. All in one afternoon. We are set for a year, and so help me, if anyone gets taller, he'll just have to pray high-waters come back in style.
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18 Comments:
Just be glad you don't have girls, D! LOL
Too funny! Fortunately, I only have one kid to buy back-to-school for--my principal hubby! :-)
When I was a kid, grandma made the pants in my house, and I NEVER got to wear jeans, simply because they were too expensive. I have a hard-to-fit foot, so I got boy's tennis shoes from Payless...still do that sometimes, because they FIT!
Kids are spoiled today. I see babies running the households, and toddlers getting everything they want, because they can control the parents. When did that change, really? I was not allowed to throw fits, or I got removed from the store.
Even now, as an adult, married and paying my own way, I am frugal about the clothes I pick. So it came from Wal-Mart... what of it? If you are going to judge me, you can pay for me to wear the brands you wish to see me in.
LOL. Yes, be glad you don't have girls. I have two. And I dread mthe back-to-school shopping. Somebody say a prayer, lol.
cheryl
Hilarious post. :) It's also TRUE!
I'm sure that Kristen will choke on her coffee when she reads this, but we shop for clothes at Walmart and Target. GASP! The horror.:)
Well, except for me...being Shrek-like in stature, I go to the Big and Tall store and pray for a sale.
Denise, I bet I can guess which one of your kids doesn't care about the clothes as long as he doesn't have to try them on...I have one of those too and I bet you can guess which one.
At least now you've got your shopping out of the way. I can't imagine shopping for 3!
Katie is hard enough to shop for--she never wants to try anything on. She says she loves Kohl's, but every time we go there she only finds one thing that she likes (usually a t-shirt with a goofy saying). It's totally frustrating.
I only have 2 thank goodness. The oldest - the girl is just turning 13 and really doesn't care that much about clothes, yet. Thank goodness.
My 10 year old son is the pickier of the two.
We also shop Target and the sales at Kohls. I have never spent more than $25 on jeans for me... let alone for my kids! I just can't justify spending more than that for clothes. If I do, it will be to buy fair trade. Thats the only reason I can imagine dishing out a few more bucks.
Every year at school-shopping time, I was thankful for not having a daughter. I was lucky. My son only got picky about his tennis shoes. He didn't care abotu designer jeans or shirts.
How'd I ever get so lucky?
I love Kohls and Target! THey're my favorite stores. And yes, I'm sure girls are harder to shop for. I have to try on 15 pair just to find one that fits.
Now that I have to buy my own clothes, I just amble through the mall wistfully. Except for a day like today, when I woke up this morning and decided that after two weeks of wrangling 113 high schoolers around campus and then through the streets of Boston, I deserved something pretty. ;)
LOL this is a funny post. Well I have a soon to be 7yr old boy and a 4yr old girl. Thankfully both of mine are fairly easy to buy for. Especially my son, he's fine with his cousins hand me downs, since they are like brand new and are "como gear mom! cool" Cousins are into the same things as him,just older and bigger so it works. Baby girl however is the same age and size as the girls in the family so no handmedowns for her. And she can wear my son's clothes. She's a big girl. But not Big as in "fat". She's just a big girl. And she loves with wear skorts. She hates the ones without shorts because and I quote "mom they can see my undies and daddy said no boy better ever see my undies" ya' think daddys working early to make sure she's not getting ideas?
LOL So school shopping for us is fairly easy, well if you discount the fact that apparently little girls are supposed to wear dresses and skirts that come to their hoohay and no lower and shirts are supposed to be mid-drift baring....she's four!
And alot of the schools around here are going to uniforms.
And I was never into clothes as a kid/teen/young adult. Still aren't. I wear what's comfy and have shirts I've had for over 12yrs, since before hubby and I got married that I still wear.
hugs,
wendyK
Uh, Wendy, I hate to burst your bubble, but just wait. She'll be very different by the time she's ten. LOL
I love to back to school shop. I tell the kids to get three shirts, and three pairs of pants. And I send them in Kohl's. They come back and we're done. I love that because they all have a different style. One cares about brands, one doesn't. One just wants comfort no matter what. Elle is a pain. She only wants Hannah Andersson because it's soft. I go alone with her, and it's never pretty.
I love to back to school shop. I tell the kids to get three shirts, and three pairs of pants. And I send them in Kohl's. They come back and we're done. I love that because they all have a different style. One cares about brands, one doesn't. One just wants comfort no matter what. Elle is a pain. She only wants Hannah Andersson because it's soft. I go alone with her, and it's never pretty.
I think it's disgusting the way boys have their pants practically hanging down to their ankles. I don't know how they can walk without tripping over their pants.
I don't have any of my own kids (yet), but I did witness a mother trying to get her son to try on pants. He wanted a larger size - so that they were falling down - and she wasn't letting him. She sent him in to try them on, then he came out saying what he wanted and she sent him back in to try them on again and this time show her ;)
I'm just hoping that my kids don't inherit my wide feet and short legs.
When I was growing up, my aunt and uncle gave their three kids $100 each to buy their own school clothes. They used to travel 90 minutes to a very cool mall, at least to us at that time. I was so envious.
I'm so thankful my two teenage sons aren't hard to please. They're not into the whole Holister, American Eagle, Abercrombie stores. They prefer Old Navy, which is way easier on my budget.
I refuse to allow them to wear their pants low enough so their boxers show.
Our younger son shot up about 6 inches this summer so he's going to need a complete wardrobe before school starts.
I have one 18 year old senior who breaks out in hives around 'preppy' and a 14 year old freshman who still thinks cartoons, Adventures In Odyssey, and superheroes are cool.
Not to mention the 'back to school' lists that get posted at two popular mega-stores...have you SEEN those lists?? The list alone will run you $25-50 for even just a K-1 student!!!!!!
Remember when the school provided your crayons, pencils, and paper???
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