We then went shopping. You could call it retail therapy (a treat for being good for the nurse) or you could call it last-minute-panic to get ready for Saturday, it depends on whether you are Mother or Daughter, I suspect.
You see, in a rash moment of parental concern I enrolled our daughter in a drama class that meets every Saturday morning. Concerned as we are about her speech, I thought this would be a great activity for her: it will force her to speak, in public; it will improve her confidence with her peers, adults and strangers; and it will be active and physically challenging as well. Ticks nearly all the boxes for helping her develop without her realising it!
Week 1 was great and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Week 2 we had to miss. Week 3? We received a list of what costumes she needs over the term.
Oh yes - costumes! Why didn't I think it through about the consequences of drama? Stuff the improved speech and self-confidence: now I am a mother with a weekly outfit to prepare, where (of course) I cannot possibly be outdone by any of the others. Pressure!!
Moreover, I have been reading others blogs about this - following Troy with his son's Roald Dahl day at school and Diary of a Mithered Mum, with her eldest's Story Book character at school. I should read and learn. But no, I am now caught up in a term full of costumes.
This Saturday she is a spider.
Next week Princess Jasmine or character from Arabian Nights.
Later, she has to be a giant turnip - yes, a giant turnip!
Another week she can be Cinderella (that, I know, is easy: there is already a costume in the box!)
By Christmas she needs to be an elf or a reindeer or something.
So our retail therapy session was to buy cheap, monochrome outfits that can be adapted with ease. (Brown top + trousers: add on some antlers and I have my reindeer, for example.) We were specifically told not to go out and buy outfits but that puts additional pressure on finding the mother-with-sewing-machine-and-imagination. Besides, most of my daughter's trousers are now pedal-pushers so I justified it on the grounds she needs new clothes anyway. I threw in a couple of pink tops and the little girl was happy.
So, now she has some basics - just how do I adapt them?
The photo is not of my children, nor of any children I know, and I'm sorry I've lost the link to the website that was using it to promote their costumes.
6 comments:
How can you conjure up these outfits without buying something?
Sounds like a lot of hassle and very expensive!!! I'm in the process of trying to make a few tutu's they look fairly easy but i can't sew to save my life and i don't own any type of sewing machine or even a needle and thread? The main thing is she's enjoying it though, but who are they kidding when they say there's no need to buy anything ha. Goodluck x
We do theatre too and the girls love it. I could do without the costume bit though. Stressful.
Yikes. My idea of a personal hell. I hate making costumes etc. Absolutely hate it. I can see I am going to have to confront it though, as the boys love it. Deep breath...
Welcome to the club! At least ours wasn't a weekly committment. I think Mrs Troy would have had a nervous breakdown in your circumstances.
Aaargh! Don't mention the whole costume palaver to me. I had four days' notice last year to produce a ladybird costume for assembly (two days I was at work and one was Mother's Day). I went for the 'buy one' option and e-bay came to my rescue, but only just, thanks to Royal Fail.
At least I know not to sign my daughter up for drama lessons now. Good luck!
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