I lost. I lost big.
My daughter, G, is only two. Barely. She’s two years and two months old, and she chose sneakers that are pink-and-purple tie-dyed, glittery, and rhinestoned — oh, and they LIGHT UP.
Yup, all of that’s on one shoe. One very small shoe.
We were at our local thrift shop, which is a haven for all kinds of excellent, barely-worn (and not-so-excellent, very-worn) shoes. Children’s feet grow at such alarming speeds already — why spend $50 for one pair?
I picked up some black Vans and a pair of tiny, über-hip, chocolate-brown desert boots. “Oh, hey, G, aren’t these cute?”
But she wasn’t paying any attention to me.
Her eyes had been almost-literally bedazzled by that damn pair of sneakers.
Watch: The times our kids made us cringe. Post continues below.
Really, Value Village, you put them on the lowest shelf? I thought. That’s like putting the Pop Tarts and Oreos at toddler height.
“Mama, these. Mama. Mama. Help.” She began to pull off her own shoes — green and black and perfectly basic, but also getting small (hence our search in the first place).
Top Comments
I think gender neutral is sparkles and pink and black, and grey, boots and sandles and everything in between. The idea of feminism is freedom from social constraints, not reinventing ones by saying the child must wear beige toms etc. My little ones could wear practically anything they wanted, my son wore nighties, pink, skirts - it didn't matter. Even at a young age, pre school, children will be very determined to have a little control over their lives. I didn't mind them choosing what to wear. That is one thing they could make decisions on. I find it ironic that we are trying as parents to open our children to possibilities yet there is a flash back of young women being expected to wear some very girly girl clothing. In the 1980's I remember wearing an YSL mens suit to work, no one battered an eye lid. We didn't have to wear acrylic nair, hair extensions or full make up - just a perm and some lip gloss if you wanted. The children of today will have to decide whether they want to keep the stereotypes of male/female dressing or push the boundaries and regain freedom.