Growing up...

[shadesong]

So. My parents tried last summer to get me to buy Elayna a new comforter, saying that Pooh Bear was too babyish (it's not a cartoony Pooh - it's a swirly green comforter with the original E.H. Shepard-style drawings). So I asked Elayna, and she said no, she wanted Pooh. So I told my parents no.

This year, once again, they said her comforter was too babyish. So again I asked Elayna - and this time she agreed. :(

So we went to Target... Elayna wanted a Powerpuff Girls set, but I said no. It's too garish, and if a children's book character is too babyish, so's a brightly-colored cartoon bedspread. Mom pointed out the Laura Ashley-style stuff. Elayna and I both icked. Moved on to the kids' coordinated-room stuff; the stuff where you can buy bedding, border paper, wastebaskets, everything in that pattern. I pushed for her to choose Sketch, which is cute and funky in blues and lavendars, and is apparently not on their website; she chose Flowers, Etc. (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-1260510-5317466?asin=B00005OUBN&alt%5fview=images#images). Which works fine, as her toy bins actually match that pattern, as does her shelf/coatrack. And it's more mature than a cartoon bedspread, but still kidlike, and I can deal with the big flowers and the red-checked borders. So we got that and a matching rug and wastebasket. *I* don't know why she needs a new wastebasket. Mom was paying. Hell, yes, Mom was paying, encouraging her to get a $90 bed-in-a-bag!

So she got that, and it's on her bed now... but as she was climbing into bed, she said she wanted to replace the Pooh pictures above the bed. :( These are the four lithographs I got from preordering Pooh's Grand Adventure. They're *cute*. It's *Pooh*. How can she think that Pooh can be outgrown? I'm 28, and I'm wearing an Eeyore watch right now!

*sigh*

So we're going to leave the pictures up unless she asks again after my parents leave.

My baby's growing up. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. :(

Comments

[yendi]

The funniest thing is, she still absolutely won't even think about giving up her Pooh Bear that she carries around with her and sleeps with.

I would've wanted her to give that up well before she gave up the sheets and lithographs. But now that she's given those up, I don't want to push on her security Pooh Bear at all.

[tarpo.livejournal.com]

pooh never goes out of style.. She is all into the newness of the stuff.. Still.. enjoy having them young while you can.. because if you blink.. its over...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*wail* I don't want it over!

She's 7, by the way, entering 2nd grade. Just to give you background.

[tarpo.livejournal.com]

Then give hugs even when they cringe.. Be willing to get grass stains playing with them and every time they set foot out the door tell them to be careful and that you love them.. and she will always be your little girl..

7 years old sounds about right.. If she asks to have them taken down again.. put them up somewhere else.. Because sooner or later she will want them back..

Sorry to jump into your post uninvited.. just saw it through friendsfriends and felt like sharing my thoughts..

Love your icon

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not taking the pictures down unless she asks *after* my parents leave...

No need to apologize - I love making new LJ friends! :)

[branwynelf.livejournal.com]

I have me a 7 year old girl myself and we went through this identical episode about a year ago ... and my compromise was to keep the old comforter and sheets (Pooh Bear) ... and let my ex's girlfriend get her the new ones too (which were Powerpuff Girls - does this sound familiar to you at all?). Kids go through phases just like adults do ... no reason she can't swap back and forth, is there? Now she has some options, that's all. I just tell my kids that if they want to swap out, they do the work of making the bed etc. :)

As for your mother announcing her Pooh stuff was too baby-ish, you might point out that you're in NO rush for Elayna to grow up, and SHE will let you know when she's ready for changes, you don't need anyone suggesting to her it's time to grow up or change.

*hugs* It's never fun watching their younger phases go, but I try to take joy in watching the new phases emerge (and try not to laugh too much when I find my eyes glazing as my son recounts yet another story of what happened in his video game - knowing my parents eyes did the same with my tales of my passions as I grew up)

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think Mom thinks Elayna is less mature than she ought to be, and is trying to push the big-girl stuff. I think she only thinks that because she's comparing her to me at that age - I was already a quiet, withdrawn mini-adult, whereas Elayna is a bouncy, goofy kid. I have *no* problem with Elayna being just exactly the way she is; she can be serious when she wants to.

[edie22.livejournal.com]

Pooh is not babyish! I want Pooh Bear on my comforter.

Maybe it's not about being babyish. You said all she did was probably watch tv. Maybe your mom left on HGTV or TLC and Elayna got addicted to Trading Spaces and feels the need to coordinate everything in Garish Colors. If she starts wanting to paint the hard wood floor I think a deprograming may be neccessary

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Ack! Eeeevil....

Re:

[edie22.livejournal.com]

That is evil. It would subtley evil something your mom would totally do. Watch for it. Seriously.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with bright cheerful colors? Maddie's bedroom is bright bright yellow, our bedroom is excessively purple, and ou computer room is excessively brightly blue. TLC is good for you.

Now, if she spent a lot of time watching battlebots and wants to modify her clock radio to attack her lamp, then you have trouble.

[azurelunatic]

Hmm. I don't know... if she was willing to do the mods herself, and would make sure no glass got broken... could learn a lot about electronics and mechanics.

[lynnv526.livejournal.com]

I love that new comforter, but I also don't see why the classic Pooh is too babyish. One of my friends is 30 and has Pooh, both Disney and classic, everywhere in her house. People like what they like, regardless of age.
My goddaughter is 3 1/2, and I'm totally unable to deal with the fact that she is not a "baby" anymore. I can relate to your concerns about your daughter!

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Right. Cartoon Pooh is a bit youngish, but classic Pooh isn't, in my opinion!

[tikimama.livejournal.com]

WEll, obviously I don't have kids, but I think her wanting to change her environment is exciting! She's entering a new stage, becoming a new person, expanding her horizons. It's a thrill, you get to help this person through the next stage in her life; it's a gift.

And I think you should have let her get the PPG bedspread. It's what she wanted, it's her room, she should be able to have it however she wants. Her room doesn't have to match! She's a kid, let her be free of societal-imposed matching a little longer. :)

As for Pooh being outgrown, I can remember from about 8-13, being very concerned that something was too childish. After that, I discovered the joy of "kids" stuff. Hello Kitty, etc. But before that, you were trying so hard to not be a baby, that you didn't want that stuff. After you get a little older, it's cool again.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

The changing-her-environment thing is great - my favorite example being when she taped a tiger poster from Zoobooks over her bed. :)

The thing with the bedspread isn't that I wanted it to match, though - it's that I can't afford to buy her another bedspread next fall when she decides that PPG is too "babyish". I wanted her to pick something, matching or not, that I could see her using throughout elementary school. She does need to be conscious of the fact that things cost money...

I *never* stopped loving Hello Kitty. :)

[ariadnesthread.livejournal.com]

Tikimama's point is a good one. My (non-parent) suggestion is this--do what you do elsewhere in her life. Let her explore the possibilities of things, but keep boundaries set for her.

I would say that you oughta hang onto the Pooh stuff (if you have room) if for no other reason than her likelihood of wanting to take it to college if she goes/has a dorm room. Lots of Pooh stuff in my college dorms.

Of course, I've always been a Pooh fan. It's been a Mom-bestowed nickname since I was a baby.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Oh, we're definitely hanging on to the Pooh stuff - I'm having another baby someday, I hope!

It's just so weird. She had a cream-colored classic Pooh set on her crib, then the green twin-bed set... this is the first time she hasn't had Pooh. :(

[azurelunatic]

I was never much into Pooh. I liked the books, but the stuff associated with Pooh was never a big hit with me.

Mama always made us these fun sleeping bags... Narcissa's was this really cool fish pattern. I gave up mine after a while and claimed my father's favorite couch blanket instead.

When I went off to college, I found a Star Wars bed set, and convinced my mother that this was what I wanted, as it was just so excellently cool.

[maltor.livejournal.com]

Wow, Pooh is too babish for a 7 yr old? I'd hate to think what your parents would say if they came across a 29 yr old man with a Toy Story comforter on his bed. It's a neat reversable one with Woody on one side and Buz on the other.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it, man. Our entire house is littered with toys, and only half of them belong to Miss Kid...

Pooh...

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

cindygerb tells me that I am a Pooh at times. I love pooh-bear.
But then, I'm still upset that my parent got rid of my snoopy wehn I was 12. It wasn't -really- their fault but they are my parents, so they get the blame. :)