The Elements of Style

Mornings can be tough with little kids. Getting them ready for school and yourself ready for work is a challenge. Moms learn short cuts to save time in the morning: make lunch the night before, put backpacks by the door the night before, and lay out clothes the night before.

Selecting clothes for your children can be difficult if you don't see eye to eye regarding what should be worn to school. Joseph almost never approves of the clothes that I select for him. He has had strong opinions about what he would like to wear since he was two. He is four now. These are the things I have learned about Joseph's style over the past two years:

Joseph hates jeans. Jeans are too scratchy, pinchy, and hard. These are Joe's words, not mine.

Joseph likes elastic waist bands. Joe is a man on the move and active men need to be comfortable.

Joseph likes sweatpants. No, actually, Joseph likes sweatsuits. No, that's not it either. Joseph likes track suits. Like this:

This is not the way I would dress or have dressed Joseph, this is not how his brother dresses, this is not how the other children in his preschool dress, yet this is Joseph's fully realized vision of style. Have I mentioned we live in South Philadelphia?

Joseph likes pajamas. When Joseph comes home from school, he often goes right to his room and changes into pajamas. Joseph has been known to change his pajamas once or even twice in a night. Joseph will happily wear pajamas all day on Saturdays and Sundays. And this past Valentine's Day, his class had a pajama party at school. Joseph reminded me everyday for two weeks that he would be having a pajama party at school. Joseph checked in on the status of the laundry the day before the party to make sure his favorite pajamas would be clean. That morning Joseph heard Jesse and I discussing something loudly, he walked into the room and said, "Mommy, Daddy, please! Please do not fight on my special day. Don't you know that today is Pajammie Day?!?!"

And lastly Joseph likes to look like...

a tiger...

with tiger claws...

and tiger stripes.

This is probably the most consistent aspect of his style. I know this because two years ago I found this little tiger at the top of the steps one morning (five minutes before we had to leave for school.)

And this little tiger came over for dinner just a few months ago.

I think this look is destined to become a classic.