A NEW Take on Shopping

I know you'll find this hard to believe, but for years, our now 15 year old Teenager found it impossible to go clothes shopping. When I couldn't put it off any longer, I'd take her into a store, and she'd just stand there in the clothing section, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. I finally figured out that if I took things off of the rack and said things like, "You need a new shirt -- how about this one?" -- she would respond and I would try again with another one, saying "What do you like about it, and what don't you like?" She could do it for about 30 minutes, and she was finished. Really finished. Suffice it to say the dressing room part of it was Not Fun. I think she was just overwhelmed and maybe overstimulated. Whatever the reason, it was not a typical teenage girl experience!

Today, however, something was different. We've had a breakthrough! Teenager can shop for clothes!! Yesterday, from the 75% off clearance rack I picked up some [solid color/no outside label/suitable for Christian school] polo shirts and sweaters. Today, I took her back to the same JCP store to get her opinion on some casual shirts, and we had a blast! She was pleasant, engaged, and actively involved in choosing some things to try on. Willingly. Willingly! She put on various combinations, discussed when and where she'd wear them, and did a great job of choosing from the "maybe" group after she'd tried them all on. We went to another store for some undergarments, and even that was fun. Two more trips to the dressing room, and we were both still smiling. And . . . she's planning to pay for it all herself from her most recent paycheck! Whoo hoo!

To finish up our Girls Night Out, we ate at Applebees together, just the two of us. What a great evening!