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Gracie was so excited when she moved up to the 4th grade. At the beginning of the school year I heard nothing but proclamations about how she was entering into the “pre-teen” years (she’s 10) and was no longer a child. I was instructed to acknowledge and appreciate her new maturity.
With that maturity came a “pre-teen” (and just when is one officially a “pre-teen” anyway?) rite of passage: It was time to shop for the first bra. Gracie was so excited about her journey on the path toward being a woman.
The two of us ventured out to the store, loaded up with all kinds of bras and headed into the fitting room. The day was wonderful and my daughter was delighted with her bra choices.
Three days later reality set in. Wearing a bra isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s not terribly comfortable, it can be itchy and you have to pay attention to what color bra you’ve chosen to wear under a particular shirt. Gracie quickly learned that a purple bra isn’t the best choice under a pastel pink shirt. She also doesn’t like bra straps. Just wait until she actually has something to fill up those bra cups and realizes just how uncomfortable a bra can get.
So we are in the “bra negotiation” stage at our house. Gracie feels that if she wears a bra on schooldays she shouldn’t have to wear one on the weekend. I informed her that there are no bra holidays once you reach the age where you actually need to wear one. If you aren’t in the bath tub, a swimsuit or pajamas you need to wear a bra.
For Gracie, being a pre-teen has lost some of its magic.
To read more from the Two Loons, check out the book Cookies for Dinner.
