Pretty soon Betsy can take the other girls shopping, and then you and Lola both get out of it! My daughters often shop together now...and my son only likes to shop if his twin sister is available as a fashion consultant.
I’m not sure this helps, but having four girls you won’t have to deal with the mean brother teasing that occurs when their sisters hit puberty. I was completely flat chested and looked like a stick figure until I turned 12. It gave my brother who was two years older, and clearly aware of girls’ changing bodies, lots of ammunition!
I’m a father to a daughter. My biggest adjustment was the extreme mood swings when she became a teenager. Nothing prepared me for that. I’m not sure how I would of survived four daughters. Fortunately she became a wonderful young lady years later.
Big props to you for going with everyone to see Barbie. And I would not take them to see Oppenheimer unless you are looking to give them intimacy visuals!
I had sons, so their dad provided the biological talks and I handled the shopping. Fortunately, when not in school uniforms they lived in t-shirts and jeans. Best of luck to you in this new phase of being a girl dad.
Ugh, newly teenage girls. My daughter was super smart always head of the class and firmly believed everything was black and white and looking back, rather unfortunately was juuuuust good enough to make the school softball team in 7th and 8th grades, playing just a bit. She was mercilessly bullied in 7th and 8th grades the "sporty" girls felt she was out of her lane and there is only so much as a parent you can do when formerly friendly girls turned into rabid badgers in 7th....
Regarding your friend who came after you many years later... We have no control of what other people think of us and what they think of us isn't our business anyway.
Middle school was a nightmare for me. Period. I’d say it was the worst time in my life but I have two ex husbands, but its just one of the reasons I wouldn’t go back to my childhood. At all. High school was better but that’s because we moved. I found the foreign exchange students, and like them, I was an outsider. It was also the first time I remember having a best friend. As for my kids. Well, I screwed up. I moved way to many times for them to get to close to anyone and for that I’m sorry. Life....sometimes, often times, you have no control.
I also don't know what people value in clothes with holes. For me it's uncomfortable and irritating, but I won't be banning it and I don't think school uniforms is a solution.
The clothes shopping was always split in my family, with mum covering ordinary stuff and dad merch for our favourite racing teams, bands, football (soccer) clubs etc., with him giving the one-on-one talk "quickly and straight to the point, as typical men should".
In my case it was my then nervous character, no sense of humour and big anxiety when talking with girls that prevented me from having any dating or experiencing teenage love in my junior high school. What's more, I've had my best friend from primary school turning into my adversary and jumping the bandwagon of those making fun of me. I'm definitely not an expert, but my advice on forming a closer relationship with classmate woud be (after observing how one of my friends ended up with a gf) "Don't rule out the introverts, for they may have better personalities than they appear, as sometimes all it takes is someone else to make the first step".
Friends turning into foes on the next day only to reappear as friends the day after is how the kindergarten days of my youngest brother could be described.
I'm sure the girls and you will manage the forthcoming relationships beautifully. And I can only dream that such wonderful girls were in my class when I was in junior high school.
Quick, straight-to-the-point talks are best for everyone involved. As for clothes, I'm not sure who actually wanted the holes in the first place. Everyone seems to be against them.
WHAT is UP with the raggedy jeans????? Yesterday I saw a young woman whose jeans had scarcely enough fabric to connect the holes. Thankfully my daughter didn’t fall for that trend and my 12-yr-old granddaughter hasn’t fallen for it either (yet).
I have to say that my daughter having to wear a uniform to school for 12 years was awesome. She had very few actual clothes between that and her ballet togs (she ended up dancing an average of 20 hours a week year round). Now that she's leaving for college she's not sure how to dress herself. I guess she'll figure it out. We just have her, but she's been a delight, through puberty and beyond (no mood swings, nothing), so I hope for the same with your 4! And they'll definitely shop together. How fun!
My mom stopped shopping with me because she got tired of the walking from store to store. Since she taught me how to power shop if it wasn't on sale I wasn't buying it. So she would give me the money for my back to school clothes. She knew not only would I have gotten clothes, but also eaten, got some books to read ( also on sale) some CDs, and maybe saw a movie too. Even my friends didn't really like shopping with me cause I made their feet hurt from my well planned out mall trip.
In the footsteps of parents everywhere, I have started going through the names of all pets we’ve ever had in addition to the kids- and sometimes I still don’t get the one I want!
Pretty soon Betsy can take the other girls shopping, and then you and Lola both get out of it! My daughters often shop together now...and my son only likes to shop if his twin sister is available as a fashion consultant.
I approve of this plan.
I’m not sure this helps, but having four girls you won’t have to deal with the mean brother teasing that occurs when their sisters hit puberty. I was completely flat chested and looked like a stick figure until I turned 12. It gave my brother who was two years older, and clearly aware of girls’ changing bodies, lots of ammunition!
They're plenty mean enough to each other already. Until they're best friends again. It changes by the minute.
I’m a father to a daughter. My biggest adjustment was the extreme mood swings when she became a teenager. Nothing prepared me for that. I’m not sure how I would of survived four daughters. Fortunately she became a wonderful young lady years later.
They've had big emotions their whole lives, so I'm used to that part. Although those are likely famous last words.
James Breakwell talked about puberty in her newsletter. Hold on, I gotta go make an appointment to color the gray hairs I got reading this.😱😱😱😱🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
You and me both. I am now a million years old.
Big props to you for going with everyone to see Barbie. And I would not take them to see Oppenheimer unless you are looking to give them intimacy visuals!
I had sons, so their dad provided the biological talks and I handled the shopping. Fortunately, when not in school uniforms they lived in t-shirts and jeans. Best of luck to you in this new phase of being a girl dad.
They liked Barbie, but it was pushing the limits of their attention spans. There's no way they'd make it through a three-hour movie.
Ugh, newly teenage girls. My daughter was super smart always head of the class and firmly believed everything was black and white and looking back, rather unfortunately was juuuuust good enough to make the school softball team in 7th and 8th grades, playing just a bit. She was mercilessly bullied in 7th and 8th grades the "sporty" girls felt she was out of her lane and there is only so much as a parent you can do when formerly friendly girls turned into rabid badgers in 7th....
I can't keep track of who are the friends and who are the rabid badgers any more. It's safest just to lock the door and keep them all out.
Regarding your friend who came after you many years later... We have no control of what other people think of us and what they think of us isn't our business anyway.
Very true. I'm just happy he didn't use up all that time to craft better insults.
Middle school was a nightmare for me. Period. I’d say it was the worst time in my life but I have two ex husbands, but its just one of the reasons I wouldn’t go back to my childhood. At all. High school was better but that’s because we moved. I found the foreign exchange students, and like them, I was an outsider. It was also the first time I remember having a best friend. As for my kids. Well, I screwed up. I moved way to many times for them to get to close to anyone and for that I’m sorry. Life....sometimes, often times, you have no control.
My wife and I also moved a bunch in our childhoods. That's just life. If it helps, we're raising our kids in one spot and still screwing them up.
But you know, if you would have had 4 boys, you'd have had to take them to Oppenheimer.
I actually liked Barbie quite a bit. I'd take the girls to see Oppenheimer, but I don't think any of them can sit through a three hour movie.
I also don't know what people value in clothes with holes. For me it's uncomfortable and irritating, but I won't be banning it and I don't think school uniforms is a solution.
The clothes shopping was always split in my family, with mum covering ordinary stuff and dad merch for our favourite racing teams, bands, football (soccer) clubs etc., with him giving the one-on-one talk "quickly and straight to the point, as typical men should".
In my case it was my then nervous character, no sense of humour and big anxiety when talking with girls that prevented me from having any dating or experiencing teenage love in my junior high school. What's more, I've had my best friend from primary school turning into my adversary and jumping the bandwagon of those making fun of me. I'm definitely not an expert, but my advice on forming a closer relationship with classmate woud be (after observing how one of my friends ended up with a gf) "Don't rule out the introverts, for they may have better personalities than they appear, as sometimes all it takes is someone else to make the first step".
Friends turning into foes on the next day only to reappear as friends the day after is how the kindergarten days of my youngest brother could be described.
I'm sure the girls and you will manage the forthcoming relationships beautifully. And I can only dream that such wonderful girls were in my class when I was in junior high school.
Quick, straight-to-the-point talks are best for everyone involved. As for clothes, I'm not sure who actually wanted the holes in the first place. Everyone seems to be against them.
WHAT is UP with the raggedy jeans????? Yesterday I saw a young woman whose jeans had scarcely enough fabric to connect the holes. Thankfully my daughter didn’t fall for that trend and my 12-yr-old granddaughter hasn’t fallen for it either (yet).
Also - All schools should require uniforms.
Uniforms would solve at least 90 percent of the problems in my life. Selling clothes with holes in them should be illegal.
I have to say that my daughter having to wear a uniform to school for 12 years was awesome. She had very few actual clothes between that and her ballet togs (she ended up dancing an average of 20 hours a week year round). Now that she's leaving for college she's not sure how to dress herself. I guess she'll figure it out. We just have her, but she's been a delight, through puberty and beyond (no mood swings, nothing), so I hope for the same with your 4! And they'll definitely shop together. How fun!
My mom stopped shopping with me because she got tired of the walking from store to store. Since she taught me how to power shop if it wasn't on sale I wasn't buying it. So she would give me the money for my back to school clothes. She knew not only would I have gotten clothes, but also eaten, got some books to read ( also on sale) some CDs, and maybe saw a movie too. Even my friends didn't really like shopping with me cause I made their feet hurt from my well planned out mall trip.
In the footsteps of parents everywhere, I have started going through the names of all pets we’ve ever had in addition to the kids- and sometimes I still don’t get the one I want!