Friday, December 5, 2008

The Conundrum and The Giveaway

The decisions we make as parents for things to get our children become more and more fraught as time goes on and the children get older and develop strong preferences.

Case in point: clothes.

Mir's been the lucky recipient of many many hand-me-downs, which means that I've been mostly able to forestall taking her shopping for clothes (other than shoes which really have to be tried on). No shopping in stores avoids the "I want, I want" and the child's natural gravitation towards tacky, glittery, overwrought sleaze.

The Children's Place recently offered to send us a pair of pajamas to review - I said sure, I mean, free pajamas? What's not to like?

Well, the pajamas arrived yesterday, and I have to say that I wouldn't have paid money for them. But - the child LOVES them. She wanted to wear them to school today, she wants to have a pajama party, she did wear the accompanying hair scrunchy to school today.

So it's a conundrum.

My problem with the pajamas is really only with the top. The bottoms are soft brushed polyester knit, with a wide elastic waistband. The print is kind of gaudy, but I can deal with gaudy. The top is a different fabric, not as soft, with gewgaws galore. It's two colors, with fake layered sleeves (to look like a tee-shirt over a long sleeved shirt). The "short sleeved" part is puffy and ruffled, and the front of the shirt has a glittery, crunchy, painted-on picture. It's simply too much. A plain long sleeved shirt in a solid color to coordinate with the printed pants would have been perfect. As it is, I don't even want to snuggle with her in that scratchy shirt, much less look at her before I've had coffee in the morning.

I find that the merchandise at The Children's Place often has that dichotomy - sometimes in a single item, sometimes across the store, sometimes spanning seasons. Over the past five years, I've found lots of stuff there that is perfectly nice, inexpensive, non-offensive. I love their underwear - it has covered elastic at the waist, and it holds up well in the wash - and she loves the little bow in the front. They have a nice range of funky cotton and plain microfiber tights - and we have a constant need for tights because she's always ripping holes in the knees. Her favorite skirt these days is a tiered corduroy peasant skirt that I got at The Children's Place in the early fall. But sometimes when I go in at my lunch hour, there is not a single article of girl's clothing without glitter or sparkles or sequins or gewgaws or writing, and I turn around and leave.

But I'll go back again, tomorrow or next week, or when the seasons change, because hope springs eternal and I will find something - something that I'll like, and she'll like, and we'll both be pleased.

Would you like to go find something for your child at The Children's Place? They gave me a $30 gift card to give away to one of you. Leave a comment on this post, before the end of the day on Monday 12/8 - I'll do a random drawing and send out the card on Tuesday. Make sure I can find a valid email address.

Free will and independence - the desire of the child vs. the delicate sensibilities of the child. It's a bear.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

On the other hand, we did have this little exchange:
What does it say on my shirt?

Sleepyhead.

But I'm not a sleepyhead. Well, sometimes I'm a sleepyhead.

27 comments:

FreshHell said...

COnsider this my entry in the contest! Baby needs a new pair of tights.

InTheFastLane said...

I am so there about that store. I go to a local outlet mall and sometimes I find stuff and other times no way. But, I am all for some free stuff :)

Her Grace said...

We need clothes! So here's my entry!

Jennifer said...

We could definetly use this! I love this store too! Thanks!

jls_wss2003 at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Please enter me as well!

email: keithadanielle[at]yahoo[dot]com

Awesome Mom said...

I am so glad that boys do not have that sort of stuff going on with their clothing. TCP seems to keep to pretty classic stuff for the boys. I haven't tried their undies but will give them a look next time we need some.

Mayberry said...

I just told my mother that Jo needs new tights (as part of a list of holiday gift ideas) and she dismissed me as totally boring.

We had a great experience at CP in San Fran this summer. My husband took Jo in and a saleswoman immediately appointed herself Personal Shopper. They picked some very cute stuff!

Julia said...

I don't like the sparkles either. But I do like the seasonal sales at their outlet stores. i can get stuff for us, and stuff for presents for kiddies in the Old Country. Very helpful, that.
Oh, and I would love a gift card. :)

kamewh said...

I love their sales at the outlet mall- I can find such great deals!

Thank you for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

I love the plain stuff at Children's Place, but the graphic tees that proclaim the wearer to love shopping or fashion or some such nonsense irritate me. Of course, I shop there anyway because they sure know how to have a clearance sale! $30 will go a long way on the bargain rack.

Liz Miller said...

I like the ties they have for boys (and could use some new ones since MM's ties are now about even with his sternum).
Other than that, I think they don't have enough choice of boys clothes and their Slims aren't slender enough.

Vodka Mom said...

Jesus, you are one busy woman.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a frequent CP shopper, but love their basics and the sale rack. We've had good luck with the long-john type pajamas, which I bought for my kids and about 9 cousins one year. (They all get together on Christmas Eve, and at the end of the night they all change into matching jammies and go home. It's cute!)

We have several of those tiered peasant skirts, in two colors and sizes. My youngest wears them now and they're just perfect.

I refuse to buy anything with words, glitter or colors I don't want to look at for the next 3 years. Because inevitably, something like that becomes a favorite and then I'm stuck! My rules have seeped in, and the kids seem to agree with me, so that's no huge battle. They are actually pretty fun to shop with now. There's hope for your future! :)

nonlineargirl said...

Like you, I am thankful for the hand-me-downs (and a local neighborhood thing called the "swap shop") for not having to buy too many clothes for Ada. So far, other than an obsession with purple there have been few crazy (sparkly, princess-y) outfits to cross our threshhold. I have a sense that these days are numbered.

Waiting Amy said...

I too mostly do hand-me-downs and consignment. But we got a pair of fleece TCP jamas last year and they are definitely one of the good ones. I've gotten some good boys pants by hand-me-down and at the outlets.

So ENTER me!

Stimey said...

Their clothes are really cute. Love em!

Riding With No Hands said...

I would absolutely love this gift card to give to my cousin. We had to arrange a rescue for her and her children from their abusive father/husband. They pretty much left with the clothes on their backs. We've been finding them hand-me-downs, which is great but I bet they'd love to go to a store and for the first time ever, get something BRAND NEW just for them.

my email is: mommeansbizness@bellsouth DOT NET

PsychMamma said...

I especially like their "staples" like leggings, jeans, tights, tees, and pjs. Thanks for the chance to enter!

Danielle said...

I love the Children's Place, especially their sweaters and PJs both of which my daughter is in desperate need of
yellyjohnsen@yahoo.com

susan said...

I'm with you on the need for plain, comfy clothes!

Kyla said...

I agree. Sometimes I find stuff I love there and then other times I can't find a thing! This time of year I usually get the kid's Christmas sweaters there.

NGS said...

I would totally hand that gift card off to my sister-in-law who just found out she is pregnant for the first time!! I bet she would love the excuse to just wander around a baby clothes store!!

miss muffet said...

I discovered Children's Place when I noticed that many of my daughter's hand-me-down pants came from there (and were still in really good condition). For our Thanksgiving visit to my parents' house, we bought the kids fleece Christmas pjs and have not been able to get them out of them. They put them on when they get home from school and don't take them off until morning.
OK, what a long-winded way of saying I would love to be entered!

Antropóloga said...

There's a Children's Place outlet near my grandparents' beach place and so sometimes we stop by there, but yes, I love their basics (simple yoga pants, a solid T-shirt) but then they also have all these overly complex things like those PJs. But that and Hanna Andersson are the only two places I ever buy her new things. Well, for her one NWT outfit a year for Xmas.

nanja said...

I love the Children's Place at our local mall. I would surely use the Gift card

nanja[at]comcast[dot]net

painted maypole said...

look, you have a review blog! who knew!

i just learned where there is a children's place near me, so I COULD use the card. Probably for tights, as we go through them as well. you know... if something sparkly doesn't catch my eye first. ;)

Therese said...

Please enter me!