Noah has issues…
with his clothes. Or more accurately, I have issues with his clothes. Season changes are really hard for him. You know, going from short sleeves to long and back again. It was 75 degrees the other day and he was wearing a navy turtleneck and black jeans. All last summer he refused to take his socks off. He was wearing sandals and these enormous white socks.
He’s very picky about the way things fit — nothing too “fluffy” and the sleeves need to hit within a certain parameter on his wrists — and his range of comfort isn’t very wide. It’s frustrating for me. We’ve been arguing about it a lot.
The number of shirts and pants that he’s willing to wear keeps shrinking and he’s not exactly open to expanding his wardrobe. He has these favorites that are starting to look really ratty. He has only two pairs of pants — both black — that he’s willing to wear. I stupidly didn’t put iron-on patches on the knees of his jeans and he won’t wear them now that they have holes and he won’t wear them if the patches don’t exactly (as in impossible to detect) match the jeans themselves.
(I know some of you are nodding your heads in recognition.)
I got him to open his mind up to short sleeves by buying him a Pokemon t-shirt on ebay. It was a peace offering really because we’ve been arguing about his clothes so much. I don’t know what’s wrong with me; it’s like I can’t shake this stereotypical domineering mother schtick or something. How would I feel if Brett bought me a bunch of clothes and then tried to make me wear them?
“I’m not getting rid of these! I paid good money and you could at least try them on! What do you mean you don’t like the color? It looks fine! You have a sweatshirt just that color and you wear that!”
Can you imagine? I’d kill Brett if he talked to me like that so why in the world do I allow myself to talk this way to Noah??? I promise not to nag him, I promise to shut my eyes to the reappearance of his faded, shabby, almost-too-small red sweatshirt but then I open my mouth and harangue him.
Anyway, the Pokemon shirt was an apology and also a way for him to feel more comfortable about changing to short sleeves. He was very grateful and he’s wearing a t-shirt right now so it did help him switch to the season.
Yesterday we went through his clothes and sorted out what he would wear and what he wouldn’t for the summer. I had to grit my teeth as he rejected things for reasons not clear to me but clearly of great importance to him. (”I don’t really wear that kind of green anymore.”) He rejected all shorts and said he would not be wearing shorts this year. Did I say, “OK” and leave it at that? No, of course not. Evil controlling mother took over my brain.
“Noah, it’s just that you’re not used to shorts and it might take some practice. Maybe if we found some shorts that have super heroes on them. How about if you try these long ones? These shorter ones? You know, when it’s 90 degrees out you’re not going to feel too comfortable wearing those black jeans. (And then, unforgiveably) I saw your best friend A. the other day and he was wearing shorts. Didn’t he look nice?”
I suck.
Noah, fortunately, will not be pushed around. He said, “Mommy, I said I was done discussing this and it’s none of your business!”
Then I muttered something about heatstroke before I turned away ashamed of myself.
I don’t know why this is so hard for me. It’s his own goddamn body and if he gets too hot when it’s 90 degrees it’s not like we won’t be able to buy shorts then. Sheesh. I have got to get a grip!!!!
oh my dear…you are becoming more TCS than you thought you were