You'd think I would have learned my lesson last year after taking my daughter swimsuit shopping with me and enduring her very.....ah....let's say....honest comments. (See my 2009 blog entitled "Self-Esteem in the Hands of a 9-Year-Old.)
This year I decided to go swimsuit shopping during the week while she was in school.....it just happened that way....but I decided to take her along with me while I went summer blouse shopping. One would think that's a pretty benign and safe article of clothing that would lend itself to minimal criticism, right? I mean, you wear blouses on the upper part of your body, so no brutally and insultingly honest comments are warranted, correct?
Maybe in an ideal world with a more diplomatic daughter, that is.
Please don't get the wrong idea. Natalie is a very sweet, demure, and polite kid under most circumstances. She is not rude or hateful in any way whatsoever and we have a great relationship. She just happens to be cursed with our family's creativity, perfectionism, and critical thinking skills. This is especially true when it comes to her mom embarrassing her by wearing clothes that are not up to her standards.
Below is a selection of direct quotes. I wrote them down while I was in the dressing room so I wouldn't forget them or misquote her. I know, how many people DO that?
"One comment.....Grandma" while I was pondering a floral blouse.
"Maybe when you were younger." That hurt.
"Some things just aren't meant to be." Stated with a sentimental sense of compassion.
"Can you even fit into that?!" while I was about to try on a sun dress that caught my eye.
I wish I could have photographed her facial expressions when I selected clothes from the racks and held them up to me. I didn't even have to look at her directly to know that she was pursing her lips and shaking her head ever so subtly. Maybe she IS more diplomatic than I realized. To her credit, she did do a wonderful job helping me choose flattering colors and prints, telling me, "Mom, I know your color sensibility." Where does she come up with this stuff??
At the end of the day, she didn't let me walk out of the stores with anything that would embarrass me (or her, for that matter), so maybe, just maybe I'll let her tag along with me again.
