...until Patrick checks into his dorm room. You'd think with having two boys, clothes would be the least of my kid worries. Turns out that clothes are going to drive me to an early grave. Tonight was the last straw...tonight was the last time that Patrick changed his shirt for no reason other than to wear as many "cool truck shirts" in one day as possible. Tonight was the last time that I am going to have to tell him to go put the other shirt back on and hang that one up, only to go upstairs a half-hour later to find him in yet another shirt with five more on the closet floor. Tonight I have implemented a three-step program:
1) I have confiscated all--and I mean all--of Patrick's clothes. They are now sitting on my bed waiting for their new home in my closet, which is groaning at the mere sight of them, seeing as how there is not enough room. I will have to make room, which means a trip to the Salvation Army soon. I figure if I use my space for his hung-up clothes, Luke can clear out a drawer for his folded clothes. It's either that or empty my lingerie drawer--you pick, Luke.
2) From now on, Patrick must come to me for all of his clothes. My closet will have a child-proof door handle on it, so there will be no more sneaking behind my back to change. I will dress him in the morning with the shirt and pants that I pick out for him. I hope he realizes the consequences of his actions when we are still doing this in fifth grade.3) Being a firstborn child, Patrick gets an entirely new wardrobe every fall and spring. I think this is where I made my mistake. Last fall, I bought him only truck shirts because that's all he wanted to wear. What I didn't realize was that he wanted to wear every one of them every day. This spring, he will get the clothes I want him to have, and it may well be seven identical red shirts and seven identical pairs of khaki shorts. If they are all the same, there will be no more temptations to change seventeen times a day.
Now, anyone out there think I'm being unfair?
