Comments on: Kids, Clothes, and Image http://www.christian-parent.com/kids-clothes-and-image/ Parenting resources for Christian families Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:45:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: ALICIA http://www.christian-parent.com/kids-clothes-and-image/comment-page-1/#comment-23822 ALICIA Sat, 12 Mar 2011 21:02:34 +0000 http://christian-parent.com/wordpress/?p=137#comment-23822 Thank you for that wonderful article. I completely understand how you feel. As a mother of 7 children ( four now grown, one going off to college and an 11 and 14 year old at home ) money is always tight. My husband is disabled and I have a small home business that helps me make ends meet. Up until my husband became ill we worked very hard and always had extra money to spend . We ate at restaurants, vacationed etc. The recession also did us in financially until we lost almost everything, no credit cards left, no savings etc. We basically live on a month to month basis. My own health declined due to the stress of it and menopause and I too spent a year soul searching how to reinvent myself so I could make MORE money to spend. In these past few months my mom passed away and I spent some time in Florida with my dad who has CHF. I took two months off my life to tend to her till her passing and to figure out what to do with dad. We did not work. We lived off of the rest of our savings until they dwindled away. When the funds got low we decided to still find ways to have fun. We went to Florida for two weeks and toured the GoodWills and walked on the beach and went to the park or sat in a hammock or rode a bike. I realized that we had more fun in those two weeks. I spent more time with my children than I normally do since I work from morn till night and it was a lesson in the important things in life. Since our return my nice normal 11 year old who is a very creative child and dresses in a very colorful fashion has changed dramatically. She is very concerned with what she wears and what stores it comes from eg the brand name. I know she is having trouble in school with the other girls who make comments on her style and I tell her is ok to be different. She does not have to be a clone of everyone else. My son who is 14 feels the need for 10 different sneakers too because the other kids do the same. I wonder what the parents of these kids do for a living that they can afford all these 150 dollars EACH sneakers. We live in NY and these children are so concerned with their appearance its ridiculous. The kids in Florida walk around in Good Will attire and there is not that finger pointing. I told my 11 year old. Did we not have fun in Florida when we ran out of money? She said Yes. I said and how many kids did you see in GoodWill picking out wardrobes? Did you not pick up a few things yourself? She said Yes. I told her " Grace , people are not defined by what you wear but by who you are and you are awesome just the way you are". She smiled......Walked away.......and I felt like I had finally gotten through to her. Well,,,,,,,,,,, the next school day came around and she informed me she needed new glasses because those frames were just too big and not in style??????????????? Lost round one........wish me luck on round too......aghhhhhhhhhhh! Thank you for that wonderful article. I completely understand how you feel. As a mother of 7 children ( four now grown, one going off to college and an 11 and 14 year old at home ) money is always tight. My husband is disabled and I have a small home business that helps me make ends meet. Up until my husband became ill we worked very hard and always had extra money to spend . We ate at restaurants, vacationed etc. The recession also did us in financially until we lost almost everything, no credit cards left, no savings etc. We basically live on a month to month basis. My own health declined due to the stress of it and menopause and I too spent a year soul searching how to reinvent myself so I could make MORE money to spend.
In these past few months my mom passed away and I spent some time in Florida with my dad who has CHF. I took two months off my life to tend to her till her passing and to figure out what to do with dad. We did not work. We lived off of the rest of our savings until they dwindled away. When the funds got low we decided to still find ways to have fun. We went to Florida for two weeks and toured the GoodWills and walked on the beach and went to the park or sat in a hammock or rode a bike. I realized that we had more fun in those two weeks. I spent more time with my children than I normally do since I work from morn till night and it was a lesson in the important things in life.
Since our return my nice normal 11 year old who is a very creative child and dresses in a very colorful fashion has changed dramatically. She is very concerned with what she wears and what stores it comes from eg the brand name. I know she is having trouble in school with the other girls who make comments on her style and I tell her is ok to be different. She does not have to be a clone of everyone else. My son who is 14 feels the need for 10 different sneakers too because the other kids do the same.
I wonder what the parents of these kids do for a living that they can afford all these 150 dollars EACH sneakers. We live in NY and these children are so concerned with their appearance its ridiculous. The kids in Florida walk around in Good Will attire and there is not that finger pointing. I told my 11 year old. Did we not have fun in Florida when we ran out of money? She said Yes. I said and how many kids did you see in GoodWill picking out wardrobes? Did you not pick up a few things yourself?
She said Yes. I told her ” Grace , people are not defined by what you wear but by who you are and you are awesome just the way you are”.
She smiled……Walked away…….and I felt like I had finally gotten through to her.
Well,,,,,,,,,,, the next school day came around and she informed me she needed new glasses because those frames were just too big and not in style???????????????

Lost round one……..wish me luck on round too……aghhhhhhhhhhh!

]]> By: stephanie johnson http://www.christian-parent.com/kids-clothes-and-image/comment-page-1/#comment-468 stephanie johnson Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:35:21 +0000 http://christian-parent.com/wordpress/?p=137#comment-468 Thank you for this wonderful site! it has helped me to know I'm not alone with my teen and to explain to them that money's short is hard to do. My teen always says ya I know no money! it hurts but I know she will understand with the help of God, her dad and I helping her through our struggle and as well her and her sisters. Money isn't everything but to them it seems so important to have an identity. Amazing children I thought figured that out when they got older but now days it's so important to establish an identity and hopefully I will be able to mold her character into one she will be proud of and I can smile and not be so stressed out LOL Thanks again Thank you for this wonderful site! it has helped me to know I’m not alone with my teen and to explain to them that money’s short is hard to do. My teen always says ya I know no money! it hurts but I know she will understand with the help of God, her dad and I helping her through our struggle and as well her and her sisters. Money isn’t everything but to them it seems so important to have an identity. Amazing children I thought figured that out when they got older but now days it’s so important to establish an identity and hopefully I will be able to mold her character into one she will be proud of and I can smile and not be so stressed out LOL Thanks again

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