Sunday 26 July 2009

Millie's Clothes

Photos are copyright of Maggie May.

Both Millie and Amber have some lovely clothes and both of the girls have been given a free choice as to what they should wear each morning. Amber usually matches her clothes up very nicely, but Millie (being younger and more inexperienced in the ways of fashion) has some really weird ideas about what to wear. I have been told to let her pick out her outfits and not to influence her in any way and this is what I usually comply with.
The same thing happens with hair styles. She says what style she wants and I fix it for her. However before Nursery, she often adds things. Huge hairbands and lots of unusual objects and combs. One day, I thought she had gone too far as she had her head wrapped up in a scarf just the way women from the Muslim faith do and as there are children and mothers who go to the Nursery who might get offended......... I thought it best to change the headdress into a pirate style instead.
I had tried to explain that the first choice could cause offense, but she is only four! She spent a good while crying and said, "But I want to be a Buslim...... I don't want to be a pirate. I think I distracted her by the time we left for Nursery and the scarf was hidden away.

Another day, I noticed that Millie had the same clothes on as she had worn the day before. "Oh, you forgot to change your clothes," I remarked and quick as a flash she told me she had two sets of clothes for every design that she possessed. Her face was quite serious and she looked me straight in the eye. She will always be able to stand up for herself, I think.

On another occasion, I had taken Millie out shopping before Nursery and I thought that the tights clashed a bit with the dress, but never mind, she could wear what she liked. However, I did notice that the dress seemed to be a bit bulky and when I asked her what she had under it, she flashed it up and showed a frilly pink tiered skirt underneath. "I like it," She insisted and she had obviously been unable to choose between two outfits and had decided to wear both.

I sometimes go into the classroom to hand her over and say, "I had nothing to do with the clothes she is wearing or the hair-stye today."
Everyone laughs and one of the assistants sometimes remarks, "Did Millie choose her outfit again?" And that is before I have even mentioned the word *clothes.*



I am going to seriously miss them while they are in Japan for a whole month and I hope that the computer doesn't play up either now that my technical support has gone missing.
If you are reading this from Japan, Sam, keep your fingers crossed for me!





17 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, Maggie, i think it's very brave and very sweet of you to let her choose her own clothes. Kids need to be able to explore in a safe venue who they are and what they are capable of, because that's how we grow as people. And i think Millie and Amber are lucky to have parents and grandparents who allow them to do that. :-)

-TimK

P.S. Having recently rediscovered blogging, I've been following your blog on and off. I guess I just decided to post a comment today. :-)

Akelamalu said...

LOL this made me laugh because my grandaughter, Gracie, often chooses what she will wear and the results are very endearing and funny! :)

Suburbia said...

I can tell by your writing that you are going to miss them. You need to fill your days, that's not easy when you have the whole school hols ahead is it?

Lovely photo :)

Unseen India Tours said...

I agree with Suburbia !! You need to fill your time now..Great post..Unseen Rajasthan

Reasons said...

Oh bless. My boy once came down in vertical stripes, horizontal stripes and clashing colours and when I asked him to go and look in the mirror, he said "What?" Well why not, you're only young once!

Rosaria Williams said...

How fun is that? Choosing their own clothes tends to help them get their own style and confidence. Style is all about confidence.

Granny Smith said...

When my grandson was small and living in woods ten miles from his school, he was picked up down at the end of a long driveway by the school bus that served all of that rural area. He was supposed to be waiting by the road when the bus stopped, but it was sometimes a job to get him there because he kept returning home to put on another set of clothes, never quite satisfied with what he was wearing. At least Millie has no hesitation about what she wants to wear!

SandyCarlson said...

As the mother of a young girl, I laughed myself silly with this one. I have a fashion maven who loves the dos and tries to emulate the craziest of styles that the movie girls wear. Egads.

I loved this domestic adventure.

MarmiteToasty said...

Girls are just to funny, dont get that same laff with the clothes with boys.....

love it that she is allowed to choose her own gear :)

God help you when she is a teenager LMFAO...

x

Jeni said...

Oh Maggie! It is such a comfort to read about Millie's antics in her dress and hair stylings! Maya is quite the same way here too. Usually, if Mandy isn't going to be home and Maya has to get dressed for school or some such event, she will lay out an outfit for her to wear and "usually" she's pretty agreeable to wearing what Mommy has selected. But, when left to her own devices, some of her outfits are definitely on the clashing side at times and over-the-top in selecting inappropriate tops and bottoms, and the like. The hair -unless she finds scissors and takes to snipping it again (cross your fingers on that one, please) right now isn't a problem as there's only one way she can wear it right now as it's pretty short! Kids sure can be a trip, can't they though?

Working Mum said...

Bless! She could be a fashion designer in the making.

Mickle in NZ said...

Dear Maggie, what a gentle, soft and funny post. I think Millie will keep everyone in the family guessing.

I was dressed in my sister's cast-offs for many years. And never had the choice of what I wore when little.

Liz and Mum have blue eyes, so much of the clothing dear Mum nade was blue...my hazel eyed self rebelled in my late teens about all the blue, and I am still not comfortable with blue near my face!

At least little Millie's clothes are of pretty and 'almost' matching hues!

care and huggles, Michelle with a snoozling Zebbycat

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Ahhh Maggie I loved your wonderful post!!!
I laughed at Millie's little ways and the photos too... what a wonderful Grandmother you are! and I can only imagine how much you are going to miss them all!
Big Hugs! XX

Anonymous said...

What a totally beautiful photograph. I still chose most of Amy's clothes but it sounds like your little ones are getting along just fine!

CJ xx

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

This is adorable. Millie is creative and I think her choices are neat.

Nessa said...

Her outfit looks lovely to me.

Sandi McBride said...

I sense a sense of style, but more importantly, fun! I think she looks perfectly wonderful!
Sandi