Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Sarah's Swimsuit



Sarah picked out this swimsuit from the Little Girl section, and it brought to mind so many things when I first saw her in it. First, I couldn't believe that she actually wanted to wear it. She desperately wants to be a big kid, and I was fascinated to see her so excited about a suit that makes her look younger, rather than older. Second, I realized that this would be the last summer that she would be able to wear a suit like this. It's a 5T, and in a year, she won't be able to fit into little girl clothes anymore. (The cute "little girl" look seems to end abruptly at size 6 - why is that?) 

I was concerned she might notice that other kids her age weren't wearing tutu-skirted suits, but she loved it, and I bought it. Well, it took her a few swims, but she did realize that she was the only one and refused to wear it where she might know someone. This struck me because her awareness is fairly new - she's become self-conscious, as we all eventually do. It's just one more step towards growing up. The good news - she still loves the suit and wears it whenever she can, whenever she feels safe to be the little girl she still (sometimes) is.