s/o on "you're beautiful" - Page 2

[Sarah W]

Originally Posted by lucky_mia

One reason is I like clothes. I enjoy shopping and finding cute, matching outfits and putting them together. I like seeing my children in the cute outfits.

Agreed. DD is always complimented on her clothes and 99% of the time she's in jeans and a shirt.

I love cute clothes. It's important that she's comfy but i like her to look nice, too.

[Gal]

Becuase I like it, I LOVE clothes and I love to buy cute outfits for DD while I can. She pciksher clothes 100% at the time, I've always said you can't have enough books and clothes and I bet that's not a really popular opinion here

She doesnt wear dresses everyday but she sure knows how to pick nice clothes.

[BAU3]

Originally Posted by eepster

Why I dress DS up for events:

1. I just enjoy seeing him looking so cute.
2. To show respect for the event organizers who went to trouble and expense.
3. To teach him about dressing appropriately for thing which is an important life skill.
4. To prove I'm a "good mommy" who cares about what her kid looks like (I know that this shouldn't be a motivation, but let's be honest and face that it is.)
5. So he can hear everyone tell him how cute he is.
6. I paid good money for those clothes.

I discovered that I do this when its cold, and my kids won't put a swaetshirt/jacket on, and we're in a public place.. After trying again and again to get a kid to put something on, i realize its only because i think other people will think I'm a bad parent if my kid doesn't have a coat on. Not a great thing to realize about yourself

[tanyam926]

I didn't read the other thread, so I don't exactly know what it's about but I don't have a problem w/my kids being complimented on their looks. I think the problem comes when the child grows up feeling that their self worth and value as a human being is directly related to their outside appearance. My children do not get that message at home.

I love clothes and makeup, and I dress myself in a way that I feel looks put together and puts my best foot forward. I do not however feel that the way I look determines my value as a person.

I dress my kids in comfortable stylish clothes bc I like them to look put together, putting their best selves out there. Hair combed, clean faces, coordinating or matching clothes make them look nicer, and it is a skill that they will need later on in life.

[mamatoablessing]

I never "dressed up" my kids when they were smaller (i.e. before they could communicate their opinion). When they were babies they wore onsies, jammies and comfy pants and t-shirts. We never put bows or ribbons or headbands in their hair and we certainly never pierced their ears. If I did dress them up (which was so rare I can't even remember a specific instance) it was because it was an event where grown ups were dressed up too. And even those would've been a nice soft jumper or cotton dress - never anything frilly or fancy. And tights on a baby? Seriously? The whole dressing up just sounds so tiring to me. Who needs that extra work?

All of that being said, I now have two very fancy girls who love to dress up in the frilliest, girliest, fluffiest dresses they can find. Go figure!

ETA: I'm really not talking about dressing up for an event. As I stated above I think it's appropriate to some degree if the event requires it. I'm talking more about about the day-to-day dressing up - like a dress, tights and bow on a 6 month old, just to go to the market.

[tjjazzy]

my motives for dressing both myself and my kids well? (or as well as i can for a non-rich person!) i believe that when a person looks at another well-dressed person, they see that that person takes care of him/herself and that he/she cares, which in turn says that whatever they do (job, for example), they will care about too (obviously that is not going to happen in all cases-some people care too much about themselves and not enough about the world around them!) it also tells me that they are in touch with the rest of the world. it says something about them. they don't have to be trendy or wearing couture clothing either. i just mean that they are well put together, clean, and groomed.
also, i don't want my kids to have to worry about being teased or looked down on or anything like that at school or wherever they go. that should be the least of their worries and we all know how cruel kids (and SOME teachers or relatives or whatever) can be. if they're put together, that's one less thing they can be teased for. my son loves wearing superheroes on his shirt so why not let him? he and his friends enjoy commenting on eachother's fun shirts and backpacks. i match his shirts to similarly coloured pants and shorts to put it all together nicely.
also, it's fun! they can look cute b/c they are cute so why not play it up!?

[tjjazzy]

Originally Posted by eepster

Why I dress DS up for events:

1. I just enjoy seeing him looking so cute.
2. To show respect for the event organizers who went to trouble and expense.
3. To teach him about dressing appropriately for thing which is an important life skill.
4. To prove I'm a "good mommy" who cares about what her kid looks like (I know that this shouldn't be a motivation, but let's be honest and face that it is.)
5. So he can hear everyone tell him how cute he is.
6. I paid good money for those clothes.

and all that ^

[lonegirl]

Originally Posted by zinemama

I dressed my kids to look cute because I could, pure and simple. It was one of the perks of having a young child, finding cute clothes at the consignment store and dressing my boys exactly the way I wanted to. I knew that soon enough they would want to dress to suit themselves (and they do) and I was going to live it up while I could.

Why not?

LOL I love buying cute outfits and have since he was born. He has always gotten compliments on looks and outfits. I see nothing wrong with this....I would much rather this than "my goodness your son is truly a boy....look at the holes in his knees and grubby face". LOL yes we have those days but the norm is....when we go out in public clean, nice clothes are put on (all of us).

Appearances are what make the first impression....should it be? No, it would be nice not to have to worry about appearances....but were that the case then people would wear sweats to job interviews.

I dress nicely to downplay the fact that I never lost the baby weight. Sloppy clothes make me feel frumpy and extra fat.

I always smile at cute, dressed up little kids. I think it is sweet.

[littlemizflava]

day to day ya they pick their clothing dd 8 ds 3.5. if we are going out say shopping i want clean, hole free and nice looking not full of stains and worn out.
if it is a holiday dd wears a dress or skirt and top. ds wears a dress shirt or rarely a polo shirt .
if it is i event like wedding/shower/furneral/birthday partys me and my children are dressed appropiately for that event.

yes i am the one it does bother that you bring you child to a wedding in play clothing. the children that are brought to a funeral in a football jersay, brightly colored play clothing. dirty clothing. this goes for a adult to i think it is disrespectful to wear dirty jean and shirt to a funeral.
i deal with it every family event we go to. i always have i think it is rude to have yourself dressed up nicely and appropiately for the event but you dont feel the longing/neeed/want to dress your childen the same way. to me our children is a extention of us. they are part of our families and should be treated the same way.

[Drummer's Wife]

I dress my kids nicely b/c I have an addiction to children's clothing. I DO want them to look cute to others (and myself). I spend a lot of money, and time (shopping, laundering, and organizing) their clothing b/c I get some weird enjoyment out of it. Kinda like a baby carrier or cloth diaper obsession that others don't get (uh, it's just something to carry baby in or for them to poop in - how can it be fun? ).

Honestly, I do like getting compliments at the grocery store when I'm shopping with my 3 yo wearing all Janie & Jack or Gymboree - people will say how cute! he's a doll! I love his outfit! etc., much more than if he were wearing plainer/raggier clothing. It's just how it is, and I'll admit to preferring him to look nice in public. I haven't always been this way, and there was a time when I didn't really care what they wore, as long as it was clean, but I do now, and I'm okay with it, even if it seems superficial or focusing on appearance. Nice clothes make me happy. Happy is good.

[Brigio]

Whats wrong with looking nice? I feel my best when I feel I look my best. I like looking together and showing off the best parts of me. I am picky about what my child wears. I buy second hand but am picky about brands. I know what works best for her body and what lasts. I dont really see a problem with it?

[Jane91]

Honestly, I think knowing how to dress up and groom oneself is an important life skill.

Kids should know how society (in general) expects them to be dressed for a wedding, job interview, funeral, a dance, graduation, and feel comfortable and appropriate in clothes correct for the most formal occasions.

If afterward as an adult they show up to funerals and weddings in a grubby t-shirt and torn years, it will be a conscious choice on their part and not simply ignorance or feeling uncomfortable in "fancy" clothes.

For example, the brouhaha over the college student who was photographed with Bush at the White House in flip-flops -- if that is a choice she knowingly made, that's one thing. However, if she was unaware that many people would consider it inappropriate and was terribly embarrassed by the whole thing -- that's a failure on her parents' part in teaching.

I think being able to dress/groom oneself appropriately is (like good manners) something that can open doors to opportunities and experiences and allow a person to feel comfortable outside their normal millieu.

[mtiger]

I think certain events warrant taking extra care with one's appearance. Weddings, funerals, holiday parties, etc.

My son's best friend recently received his Eagle Scout. My kids and I were the only non-Scouts who dressed for it. (And honestly? Not a single Scout, save the Scout being honored, had uniform that had seen an iron in months.) When he was asked why we were so dressed up? My son said "D is my best friend. He's worked really hard to get to this point, and he deserves to know that people think it's important enough to dress nicely for." Some events are just that important.

[becoming]

I love clothes. They are fun for me. I love nothing more than shopping & putting together a SUPER CUTE outfit for one of my kids, especially my daughter (because girl clothes are even more fun ). It's a hobby for me.

[treeoflife3]

I dress my daughter up because I have ALWAYS loved dressing things up. Not to say I just see her as a doll, but I get great joy out of finding really cute clothes for her to wear KNOWING she'll look amazing in anything I put on her. Of course, I look awful in most everything currently so that probably helps...

She is only 14 months old so I can get away with this. I'll happily let her dress herself as soon as she wants to (and I actually currently hold her up to her clothes sometimes and put whatever she grabs on her) but for now, I love seeing her in things I love.

I don't care at all about what others think. She didn't wear a winter coat all winter (just a sweater once it got around 40s and below) and she didn't wear shoes until she could walk and I didn't put socks on her til my feet were too cold for flip flops because hers didn't feel cold til then either. I got some looks walking around with a baby in october and november with a baby who was barefoot with only a long sleeved tshirt but meh. I knew she was comfortable and I happened to love what was on her Just like I'll love the 'I'm a booby man' shirt I'll probably get my son... I don't care what people think of that either!