So here we are with just a week until Halloween, and guess what? My "11 year old going on 17" year old daughter has not gotten her Halloween Costume yet. Why, you ask? Because every darn thing she has picked out online I, the crumedgeony-ish mother,(yes, I just made up that word, and I do believe it is a much more pleasant word than my daughter would use to describe me!) have vetoed immediately.
The Halloween ideas themselves have been fine, such as " The Little Red Riding Hood" she thought of. But when I went to my daughter's room the other night to check the costume out on her computer, I sadly had to inform my very excited daughter that she would not be wearing that outfit come Halloween night ( and no other night except maybe her Honeymoon night some day in the very distant future!) Does that pretty much give you an idea of just what the costume looked like?
So what is it with these Halloween Costumes for tween girls? And how are moms supposed to say OK to their little girls wearing these vampy renditions of Pirate Girls and Cheerleaders? I wonder if the designers of these costumes have daughters, or if they just are so desperately trying to make a profit they decide to lure young girls with these sexy costumes?
My daughter and I have gone toe to toe all week. I am way out of the "cool zone" and am dangerously near the "ancient and knows nothing at all" zone in my lovely daughter's eyes about now. But I am standing my ground. I will not waver. I may lose ground as she gets older, but dang it, this year I am still in full control (I think), and my little girl will not prance about on Halloween dressed like she is going trick or treating on Hollywood Blvd.!
I think what bothers me most of all about this whole Halloween costume debacle though, is the way my daughter looks at me when I tell her no way can she wear something like she has picked out. Her eyes are wide and her face looks like I just said the Jonas Brothers have just quit singing for good and are becoming monks. She cannot believe that I find something wrong with a costume that barely has a skirt, has a shirt with shoulders totally bared, and fishnet stockings to finish off the look. Mind you, this is not a Halloween Costume my daughter found online at Fredricks of Hollywood. Oh no. This is from a "kids Halloween site" and this is from the section for girls. Yea, um, ok. It comes in a size 8? Great!
So the clock is ticking, and Halloween night is nearing. How will this stand-off between my daughter and me end? Hopefully with a great compromise and a fun-filled night. Sigh. I so miss the days of Disney Princesses and cute Witches.