Caitlin writes in her post that she gets this "a lot."
She acknowledges that her kids' clothes mostly come from Walmart, while she buys nicer stuff for herself.
Why?
"Because I am not constantly outgrowing them, like my kids are. I am not constantly spilling food and dirt all over my brand new clothes. I am not outside running around in the dirt for hours on end."
In short, Caitlin sums up her argument: her kids are messy, they're hard on clothes, and they'll just outgrow them eventually, so expensive clothes can wait until later.
"I buy them cheaper clothes, because I refuse to be the mom who yells at them for spilling a drop of ice cream on a brand new shirt."
Caitlin concludes her post with a photo of her kids in their Walmart clothes, happily eating ice cream while spilling a bunch of it on their shirts.
"The dirt, the smiles, and the ice cream makes me way more happier than a photo of them dressed in clothes they hate, that they will outgrow in a week," she wrote.
I had trouble believing this at first, and so did several commenters.
Of course, I remember classmates being judgmental towards others based on what they were wearing, but parents talking like this to other parents is on another level entirely.
I think most parents understand that the value options are often what works best for kids who play hard.
Additionally, the 'coolest' clothes for kids often are Walmart clothes anyway. That's where you're likely to find t-shirts featuring popular characters, for instance.
While she shared the story about her kids' clothes on Facebook, she also maintains an active Instagram presence — @caitlinfladager where she shares her thoughts about parenting and relationships in the 21st century.
Is it fair for other parents to shame parents who wear nicer clothes than their kids? What do you think of cheap kids' clothes versus 'Walmart clothes'?
Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section!
