More than once in my life, I have had another mother look at my children and then turn to me and say, in the kindest way - Well it looks like this will be the last time your child can wear that. I think they are commenting on the passing of time and how my child has grown but I always hear it as a nudge to my ineptness at knowing when my child has outgrown their clothes. It is more like - Hey wake up and get your kids some clothes that fit. Not an assault really, more of just a gentle but firm shaking.
And sometimes, my own internal voice has chastised me in this same refrain - Olivia when she was two had the most adorable jeans with little flowers embroidered into the fabric. She wore them often. And I always thought she made them look adorable. And then one day when I went to pick her up from school in the early Spring, she was standing outside with her classmates, all in a row and the visual, as it struck my eyes, smarted. The adorable jeans were at least two inches too shorter than any of the other children's pants. You could not see their socks... you could see Olivia's.. and a little bit of flesh besides. They looked like pedal pushers...except that they weren't suppose to be. I bought her new jeans.
This morning, Jack and I had the following conversation.
Mommy?
Yes Jack?
Why do clothes get too small?
Well they don't get too small, instead people grow.
Yeah but sometimes the clothes are just too little.
Well, yes but they become too little because the people get too big.
But sometimes when you are little you buy little clothes and then when you are big you need big clothes.
Jack are your sweatpants too small? Do you need new ones?
Yes.
OK.
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