Growth spurts happen. It is always somewhat painful when your child moves from the “baby/toddler” section into the “children” section (emotionally AND financially, as those clothes cost WAY more!). Now you have to get used to learning what clothes at what store work for the shape of your child all over again, whether you have a tall skinny string bean, or a little Buddha!
And what’s with kids’ shoes? They go up to 12 for kids sizes. Except some brands that go to 13. Anyone with me where the 12 is way too small, but either a 13 or a 1 is way too big. And good luck finding a 12.5 on the sale rack (I never pay full price for anyting).
But it has to be the worst when they start to outgrow “kids” sizes altogether. Once you’ve bypassed the XXL (14-16) at the Gap, the adult small size should be next, right? Nope. Too big in the waist, too short in the legs.
I threw out a Facebook plea for help last fall and got lots of recommendations for “teen” shops that might fit his build.
So we went out to the mall to scout out some new clothes, sent him into the changeroom with a pile of clothing, and … waited.
“Want to come out and show me?” I asked.
“Nope I’m good,” he mumbled from the changing room. I’m navigating this new world of teen parenting so I wanted to give him space! Bad move, rookie mom.
Of course after dropping a whole lot of cash on the latest – somehow when we got home none of it fit, because he never tried it on (I suspect he was playing a game on his phone), the whole endeavor was just to pacify me as he doesn’t care too much what he wears…
In the end, he just wore shorts all winter. Putting mayonnaise on just about everything means that by the time spring rolled around, he can now fit into adult smalls!
I’ll just save that gift card (because these expensive stores NEVER give you cash back!) for one of my more fashion-forward littles when it’s their time…