They say boys will be boys

Speaker in heels wrote a post last week about Back to School which reminded me of shoe shopping with my boy and I thought I'd tell you more about him.

He is nine years old with the body of a 6-year-old and the feet of a baby giant. He looks a bit like Mickey Mouse. Some people say that he will start growing faster when he gets to high school. I hope his feet will then be more in proportion to his skinny little legs!

Shoe shopping with him is a nightmare. He simply cannot make up his mind as to what shoes to get and maternal suggestions are brushed off with an impatient "Oh mom, you just don't understand us men." Right, of course I wouldn't - men are so complicated. *Eyes rolling*.

But besides me not understanding men, my little man is so very set in his nine year old ways. He's about as flexible as a toothpick, with aspirations of becoming a lawyer, there's simply no way I can win an argument against him and I have to make him feel that it was his decision. I simply can't say no to this little guy as he is probably the easiest child on earth (in every area other than shoe shopping!).

When he enters the shop, he runs for the sneakers. I have to gently coax him towards the sandal lane using a technique my husband refers to as corrective nudging. It's the same as when he refuses to swim with his sister and I then ask him to please watch her from the balcony to make sure she's okay, knowing full well that she won't be in the pool before he grabs his towel and joins her outside. It works like a charm for everything, except for shoe shopping. See, JR has a very peculiar sense of style.

He will never wear flip-flops...

Reaching the sandals, he can barely look at it. "If I HAVE to have sandals, I want ones like Dads." (and Dad is even MORE difficult to shop for!) Did I mention that he's a little Daddy-clone? He copies all his dad's worst habits.

He insists on the same sneakers he had before, but of course they will never have it in his size. I then have to explain to him why we do not wear shoes that are too small. Thankfully they don't have it in a bigger size either, as I can just see how he will want to buy a pair of shoes 5 sizes to big. Just as he put his shoes back on (he will not walk barefoot in public), that little freckly face will light up at the sight of a pair of Ben10 shoes! But sadly, they are 3 sizes too small.

Finally we'll settle on something that fits and is semi-cool and my Mommy heart is broken for my little boy who loves little boy clothes, while his feet are racing into big boy shoes.