| Advertising |
|
|
|
|
I took my daughter to buy new sneakers the other day. Her old ones were getting a bit small, and seriously ratty. When we arrived at our favorite shoe store, there were scores of cute, functional sneakers for kids. Now, in her size, most of the sneakers are no longer unisex – which stinks for the hand-me-down to brother option. Yet, with the way she uses her sneakers these days, they’re usually done by the time she’s done with them, so I was prepared to be buying a one-time-use pair of kid's shoes. So, we're there, browsing the cute sneakers when suddenly… there were these:
They’re called Lelli Kelly’s. Cute name, admittedly. She gravitated to them almost immediately. Because, hey, who wouldn’t get pulled in by super sparkly flowery shoes? So, she says to me (keeping in mind, she’s not yet 6), "I want these shoes. And they come with lipstick." (what?) Curious, I check the price. $80. Eighty. Dollars. For kids shoes – which aren’t really sneakers. They are heavy – thick-soled, like doc martens – and encrusted with jewels. In otherwords – definitely not machine washable. Oh, and yes, they did indeed come with a sparkly mini-purse with makeup. So, I say, “Wow those sure are pretty, but not really practical for the price. Plus, they aren’t really sneakers, and we ARE here for sneakers you can wear on the playground.” She thinks on that a bit, then says, “But Mom, I really want these. If you get them for me NOW, I won’t ask for any shoes for the rest of the YEAR.” Good barganining, but wow, seriously? “No babe we’re not getting those shoes, they’ll only fit for a few months, then we have to get new ones, and your brother can’t wear these in the future.” Sigh. I gently guided her in the direction of the sneakers, and she settled on a pair – still pink & cute, but lightwieght, practical, machine washable... her choice, yet, I saw her looking over towards the sparkly shoes as we left.
Now, I hate disappointing my children, and I’m all for individuality and personal choice. But it really bothered me that little girls shoes came with a mini purse of make up. I didn't like the message that was sending. Also; eighty dollars – really? These two things were troubling to me. And yet, part of me loved the shoes too. They were just so sparkly. Original. Cool. Like my daughter. I disliked the idea of influencing my daughter's opinion, or quashing her sense of style almost as little as I liked the make up. I like to believe I would have been willing to honor her choice had it been more sensible. But is that fair? I'm an artist, afterall. I appreciate, and applaud beauty. I actually LIKED the idea that she was drawn towards the prettiest shoes in the place. Is practicality the right message to send?
So. So I mulled it over that evening. The next day, we talked about it: the coolness of the shoes, why she liked them, and why I didn't like them, and together, we came up with a plan. We’d take a pair of her current shoes – white, a bit tattered, but still fitting, and make them fancy! Here’s what we did. We went to a craft shop and she picked out a fabric dye, and several stick-on gems. Grand total, we spent less than $8, and had a fabulous afternoon of fun. She decorated them completely on her own – and I think they came out really well; a successful compromise that satisfied my desire for practicality and her hankering for style and individuality! What do you think?
Old shoes before
Stirring the fabric dye
After the dye process - looking better already!
Applying the jewels
Little Bro getting in on the fun
Done!