"Babie" wrote in message
...
So our baby girl is growing up and acts like a 13 year old (she's 5).

Jarrod and I went on yet another cruise recently. This one to celebrate
our 15th anniversary. While we were gone, his mom stayed at our place to
take care of the girl, our dog and 2 cats.

She only lives about 2 hours from us, so we see her probably every other
week. For some reason, she decided to take Alegra on a shopping spree. One
of the things she bought was a pair of boots. Now we've had experience
with "boot issues" before as our niece is almost 9. But we never came up
with a perfect way to deal with it...

Alegra thinks she has to wear her boots with EVERYTHING. Before she was
born I referred to her as my little diva, and she certainly lives up to
that nickname. It isn't a huge deal, but how do you handle clothing
issues? We've been working a lot with the word "compromise" lately, so
she's starting to get it, but she still thinks her boots are the only
thing she can wear.

Compared to other things, this is really our only "fight" we have with
her. One way we handle it is making her choose what she wants to wear to
school the night before after her bath. That usually works, but some
mornings she decided the boots are a must *grin*

LES!

I don't see what the problem is. I believe I read somewhere up above that
there's nothing really *wrong* with the boots, you just, basically, think
she looks a little rediculous with boots and a skirt (or shorts or whatever)
I'd let it go. I'm a bit anal with the way my children dress. DS learned
from a very young age about matching. (No, that red sweater does NOT look
alright with those green shorts and those hiking boots don't do it.)
But... when he got older and started actually deciding what to wear, I
didn't really care so much. One example is while shopping, he wanted this
very purple and brown "rugby" shirt. I eventually got it, racking my brain
as to what he would wear this purple-striped shirt with. His pants are ALL
camo-type 'army' pants... And 99% of them are green. Purple and green? Oh
my. I don't care, though. I've realized the clothing battle is not a
battle worth fighting. He's almost 8 and I really don't care. As long as
he is wearing something that doesn't look horrid - and by that I mean ripped
up and stained and disgustingly dirty - I'm alright. I've also learned to
toss or donate anything that I don't care for him putting on. Ripped jeans
and pants go straight to my pile to either find a new home for (some do
quilts and such with old jeans and pants) or to toss. Stuff I don't care
for - or he doesn't like - go into a donation box to get rid of. I figure
if he wants to wear something I don't really care much for, oh well. That
is my problem and I know those funny pants or strange shirt will not fit him
forever (luckily!)
I also know that DDs (they're 2 and 3) often want some strange items to
wear. After buying both girls new rubber boots when it was raining quite a
bit, that's all they wanted to wear... Rubber boots in the heat with
shorts... Yes, it looks rediculous. Yes, it's hard for both of them to
walk in rubber boots, but as long as it's not cold out (frozen feet in
rubber boots is not alright) then I don't care. I've found the novelty of
some things eventually wears out. DD1 is at the age where she tries to
dress herself. If she puts a shirt on backwards, I usually don't care. If
she puts her shoes on the wrong feet, I usually don't take them off and put
them on her if she has put them on herself. They're her feet, and the only
feet she has, so they're not really the *wrong* feet, really! I usually put
her shoes on anyways, or help her right off the bat, but if she's managed to
do it on her own, I let it go.
With your issue with the boots, I would just let her do it and ride it out.
Let her wear the boots if it makes her happy! The funny clothing issue is
one battle I have learned to let go and not fight. Still working on a few
other "battles" I know I should not fight, but the issue with clothes is one
I have learned to look the other way with