*post contains affiliate links
I’m the mom of 2 precious, crazay little boys who take their mission to teach me patience very, very seriously. But growing up, I always wanted daughters because I had only sisters and I love all that girly stuff – the dresses, the hair, the makeup, the ballet lessons … I would never in a second trade my boys for anything. They’re the best things that ever happened to me, hands down.
But there is one thing about not having a daughter that still gets to me. I try my best to avoid it but every now and then I just can’t. Because when I need to buy clothes for my boys, there it is, just a few inches away. The sweet toxic siren call of the little girls’ department.
And so begins the tale of a boy mom in the girls’ department: the 5 stages of grief.
Denial
This boys’ department is fab. The whole entire 4ft x 4ft of it. Everywhere I look, there’s blue, blue and more blue. And jeans. Lots and lots of just awesome jeans. Denim ones. I don’t even see the entire rest of this floor that’s dedicated to every color of the rainbow and every sequin ever discarded by the show Toddlers and Tiaras. Dresses? I don’t see any dresses. I don’t see those mary janes over there either. The black ones. That look so cute with white tights.
Anger
Why the hell is that department taking up so much room? The boys’ department is the size of an Arby’s bathroom stall. And why is everything blue? This boys’ department is sexist. I’m going to complain to the manager. In fact, I’m stepping out in this aisle and heading that way right now. Right after I check the price tag on this dress.
Bargaining
Oh, look at all the dresses! Don’t touch that. Keep walking. Why would you even check the price? Who’s gonna wear it – the dog? OMG. OMG. A tartan plaid Christmas dress with embroidered bloomers!! I really don’t want any more kids. But God, if you give me a little girl, I swear I’ll do anything. I’ll go to church every single Sunday. Except when she’s really little because you know how that is. And probably not when she’s 2 because you don’t want the terrible 2s in God’s house. And not when we’re sick or tired or don’t have anything to wear. But every other Sunday. Lord, just give me someone to wear this dress. And then make my husband not divorce me over it. Amen.
Depression
I should leave here. I should put all these dresses back and walk out. But suddenly I’m so tired. I just need to sit down and cover up my head with this soft plush pink chevron blanket. (sob) Excuse me, do you have any ice cream? I’m ugly. I don’t even know why my husband married me. Don’t look at me. I’m hideous.
Acceptance
Oh I didn’t really want a girl anyway. I’d spend $749,234 on clothes and ballet lessons for her and then she’d pay me back by screaming “I hate your face!” at me for the entirety of her adolescence. It’s really awesome to be a boy mom. I have men fighting over me every day. Little men who look amazing in blue, thankfully. And red.
Yes, I’m ready to check out.
Are you a boy mom too? Join me on my Facebook page and let’s laugh through that special boy chaos together.
As the mom of 2 girls, I have the reverse point of view. While I respect the fact that there are more socks on my floor than there are boys clothes in the stores, at least the boys are covered. You never see a boy walking around in a midriff top (unless he’s grown too tall for his shirt) and Daisy Duke shorts. I can’t find anything to cover hoohaas and tatas in the stores. Here’s my thinking: There are so few boys clothes in the stores because smart moms of girls have bought them all up, sewed a bow or 3 onto them so that their daughters can wear them and have their junk covered!!! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Makes sense to me, Teri. When I think about having a daughter, I do admit that I get scared thinking about dating and all that stuff. I’d FREAK if I had to watch her walk out the door with her buns hanging out of her skirt!
I have two girls and due to my age, I had a tubal after the second one. I’m still not completely comfortable with that decision and I feel like my Dr pushed me into it. I long for boys. I want to see the little boys that look like my husband. I want that mother-son bond that my friends with boys have. Don’t get me wrong, my girls are wonderful, smart and loving. But, the DRAMA!!! Oh my goodness the Drama. I live in my own soap opera. Want some quality entertainment? Be at my house from 3-8pm. I would absolutely have my eggs harvested and fertilized and implanted if I could be guaranteed boys. Of course, the way our luck runs we’d have quadruplets and they’d all be girls!
That’s what would happen to me too, except they’d all be boys.
Cute article. But the site is so flooded with huge advertising and popups that I won’t be back. I really hate popups. Don’t you?
How were you looking at it? Desktop? Mobile? Tablet?
I have a 12 year old girl and she refuses to wear anything girly. She dresses in basketball shorts (sweat pants when it is cold) and t-shirts. She almost passes out in horror at the color pink. She likes being a girl, she just doesn’t care for the clothes and I have discovered this is a great thing. It saves me money (she has a brother that things get passed down to) and anxiety (I see other girls with their skin tight yoga pants and midriff tops and colorful bra straps hanging out and bless my daughter for her taste). While her grandparents buy her fancy dresses they hang in her closet, tags attached. So, having a girl is no guarantee you get to actually see her in girl clothes!
My daughter is 14 and shopping is zero fun now. So console yourself with that.
You can also try this–when my daughter turned 4 we invited all her pre-school classmates to a picnic. One of her presents was a couple of complete head to toe outfits of maximum cute-osity from one of her male classmates. I looked at the mom and she was a little sheepish, but she told me she had four boys (all under 8) and couldn’t control herself once she started.
I totally relate to this. I’ve spent many an hour longing to be able to shop in the girls department. I love my son with all my heart, but at 9 he no longer tolerates it when I pick out pink and purple items for his room. (It;s just a lamp, your friends won’t know) The clothes department is bad for me, but the SHOES, oh, the adorable little girl shoes. But hey, we can always pray for granddaughters, right??? Then we could fill our sons homes with every frilly, girly thing imaginable. Rock on, Boy mommy!!!
Gah! this is the story of my life! Just look away. Don’t even acknowledge the presence of the girl section. Then walk directly to the ice cream section and buy some Ben & Jerry’s. and then thank God that you don’t have a daughter because then you wouldn’t have the money for that delicious ice cream. I feel you!
Yep, it continues to be a battle. I just try to online shop as much as possible and bypass the whole girls’ clothing/accessories thing. Solidarity, sister.