Shopaholic Mom Indulges Wantaholic Daughter

Lucy, who is 3 ½, is my shopping buddy. And when I’m loading up the cart at Wegmans in Hunt Valley or Target in Cockeysville and she spots something she likes, I find that it is hard to say no.

It’s not that Lucy throws a fit and cries if she doesn’t get what she wants – she’s actually amazingly good at being told no with an explanation that we just bought her a book or a toy and that’s enough for now. She’ll even take a simple, “No honey, not today” response in stride.

I’m the one who has a hard time denying her things.

It’s just so much fun to buy new toys or books for her, especially the latter because we parents get tired of reading the same stories over and over again (I have a feeling we are still going to be reading “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” on the Fourth of July). And for me, clothes are the hardest to walk away from.

However, I did just that last Saturday at Target, where Lucy spotted a red one-piece bathing suit with three Disney princesses twirling and preening across the torso. Below Tianna, Belle and Cinderella, a ruffle circled the waist. I have to say it was pretty darn cute. Of course, Lucy said, “Princesses – I want it! Let’s put THAT in the cart!” But I played it cool, and barely gave the bathing suit a glance, saying, “No sweetie, you already have a bathing suit so we don’t need that,” and kept on rolling.

The next day, she seemed to have forgotten all about it, but for some reason, I had not. So I took a cyber walk over to Target.com and discovered it was only $10. “Gosh,” I thought, “that’s cheap. For $10, I should run out and buy it for her.” So much for my resolve.

I noticed that only the small sizes were left online – what if they didn’t have any that fit her at the store here in town? I grabbed my purse and my car keys dashed out of the house while my husband hung out with my son and Lucy napped. I had to get there before anyone could buy the last one in Lucy’s size.

In the end, I wound up buying two in different sizes because I wasn’t sure which one would fit her. So yes, I’m insane and indulgent, and I obviously can’t help myself. But when she sees it (I don’t plan to show it to her until it’s the weekend and a pool day, otherwise she’ll be trying to wear it everywhere), I know she’ll be excited. I’m going to have to work harder at saying no, for my sake if not for that of the little princess.