I’ve had so many comments or emails asking about the skirt my daughter was wearing in the Mooo Giveaway photos that I thought I should just dedicate a post to the story of the rainbow skirt.
It was her first fashion lust. We were looking for a skirt to wear with tights and boots, and I found a nice corduroy layered skirt at a good price in Myer that did the job nicely. Of course as it was mid-winter, the new summer stock was just arriving on the shelves and she fell head over heels in love with the light weight, colourful, swishy skirt. I understood the attraction as it was a gorgeous skirt, but she really didn’t need it and I don’t want my kids to think that they can always have something just because they like it. Especially at full price! (LOL) So she reluctantly agreed to try on the sensible winter skirt instead and I talked her into it. I also said that we could see if the other skirt came on sale some time.
From that day on, every time we went to the shops she would ask if we needed to go to Myer. And every time she would seek out the rainbow skirt and check the tag to see if it was on sale. She would touch the layers of fabric and I just knew she was imagining herself in the swirly colours. Really, I could have bought it for her there and then, but I was teaching something important. We must have checked those skirts half a dozen times, and even I was beginning to wonder if they’d sell out before they were reduced!
She had been such a good sport about waiting for her skirt that I decided I had better go and get one and put it aside for her as a present. And wouldn’t you know it? That very day her rainbow skirt was on the front page of the Myer catalogue, drastically reduced. I threw the kids in the car and we went straight there. We didn’t wander slowly in… oh no. I pushed the stroller at light speed and dragged my toddler straight to the children’s department. Before my daughter could even say, “Mummy please can we check to see if my skirt is on sale…?” I had one in my hot little hand. Her jaw nearly hit the floor.
She didn’t get it immediately. We had already made a star chart to encourage her to stay in bed til 6:30am as she had been getting up particularly early. I don’t usually go for big rewards, but this was perfect timing. I hung the skirt up in her room, and she had to stay in her bed til 6:30am for TEN sleeps to finish the star chart and take down her rainbow skirt. She was so very proud of herself when she could take down her skirt, and I think she wore it for a week straight.
Lessons she learnt:
- Just because you like it, doesn’t mean you get it.
- Good things come to those who wait.
- It feels great to work for something and earn it.
Lessons I learnt:
- Practical skirt = 5 wears
- Rainbow skirt = 50+ wears
- Sometimes it’s ok to be frivolous.
PS – you’ve still got til Sunday to enter my Mooo giveaway and win a $50 voucher. But no, the skirt is not for sale…