When I knew I’d be raising multiracial children, one of the things I worried about was that they’d constantly stand out. I was scared my babies would never fit in or have identity issues because their mom and dad chose to fall in love and have a family. It feels like forever ago, but when I was a new mom, these insecurities would nag me often.
Now, with a Kindergartner who wears a uniform all week long in a diverse setting of a Spanish immersion program, I worry a WHOLE LOT LESS. Part of it is just my motherhood maturing, but a bigger part is learning how resilient and strong my daughter has turned out to be. Alina really is such a cool kid! But it wasn’t until a recent shopping trip for new boots that I realized how my fear of standing out was actually her goal at school.
On Trend Fashions We Love At Payless
A few days ago, now that cooler weather is here, Alina and I set out to Payless to buy a pair of boots she could wear to school. Combat boots are so on trend right now and with my little girl really coming into her own, she has a strong opinion on her style. Especially with wearing a uniform, she insisted on making the most of her winter boot selection.
After perusing the aisles, she ultimately decided on the Girls’ Descendants Foldover Boot. The Disney Descendants line brings such a fun style to this lace-up boot and features an optional foldover design with pretty checkered lining. She loves that she can wear them folded over or laced up high. I love that the ankle zipper makes the boots easy to put on. The strap with buckle and stud accents gives the shoe plenty of edge, too.
I just can’t believe how grown up my baby girl looks! They seem to bring some sass to her stroll, don’t you think? Plus, we had such a great time shopping together, just me and my big girl. I was pleasantly surprised at the up-to-date styles at affordable prices, too.
I must admit though, the combat boots were not my first pick. Fringe is really on trend right now as well, and these Olivea Fringe Boots for girls in black suede are just SO DARN cute! As soon as I spotted them, I had Alina try them on. I put both pairs of boots side and side and we talked about each trend, thinking of ways we can style each shoe. We checked out the Payless on Pinterest for ideas. One of the reasons I liked the fringe boot was because it could go with more styles, but Alina loved that the black foldover boots were “spunky” and wanted to wear them with a black and white dress on Thanksgiving.
Of course I let Alina pick which boot style she wanted. I want her to know that I trust her ability to, not just pick shoes she loves, but stand tall in them too. And while I lamented the fact that she always chooses the opposite of what I pick, I’m understanding more and more that my baby girl is excited to stand out. She wants to be unique and different.
And what’s so scary about that?
