Why I’m Still a Good Mom Even Though I Don’t DIY My Kids’ Costumes

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Halloween is one of my kids’ favorite times of the year. As a family, we love dressing up and trick-or-treating. I’ve always envied other moms who seem to whip up elaborate creations for their kids each year. I’m sure I’ll never be perfectly accepting of the fact that I’m not a Pinterest mom, but I’ve finally, finally started to come around to it.

I Don’t DIY My Kids’ Costumes

Our first Halloween as a family of four began innocently enough. I had grand aspirations of creating costumes for all of us that year (what was I thinking?), but I ended up only “creating” costumes for myself and my husband and buying the girls’ costumes from the Disney Store. I should have known right then that I was not cut out for that DIY life.I Don't DIY My Kids CostumesThe following year, DIY ideas flew right out the window after my kids found the costume aisle at Target. The only other place I have to consistently drag them away from is the toy aisle. Who would’ve thought they would be so costume-obsessed?
I Don't DIY My Kids Costumes

Trying and Failing

We continued in our pattern of purchasing costumes from the store, but every year I still had this nagging thought in the back of my head.

“Just make them something, why don’t you?”

“You’re kinda being lazy. It’s not that hard.”

“Why do you keep pinning that DIY stuff if you’re not actually going to do any of it?”

I let that bitter, ugly voice in my head have too much space until it finally caught up with me this past year. We had a last-minute opportunity to take our kids to the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World, and I just knew I had the best DIY idea ever. Fast forward to two weeks before we left on our trip, and after spending countless, unfruitful hours combing thrift stores and attempting to assemble the necessary parts for each costume, I admitted defeat and just ordered them online. Thank you, Amazon Prime.I Don't DIY My Kids Costumes

Finding Joy in Every Circumstance

After the stress of the previous year, I was done. D-O-N-E. Done. I was so uptight and anxious about those stupid costumes, and for what? My kids had no idea we were even going on the trip, so all of it was a total surprise! Do you know what they appreciated? They appreciated the surprise trip and the special party. They could have had no costume to wear, and it would have been fine because we were at Disney World, for crying out loud! Sometimes, it’s so easy as a parent to get caught up in the parts of life that don’t matter and miss the things that actually do.I Don't DIY My Kids Costumes

Making Memories Our Way

This year, my girls told me what they wanted to be for Halloween, and, as soon as the costumes began appearing in stores, we went and picked ours out. The other lesson I learned from my experience last year was not to wait until two weeks before Halloween to buy a popular costume. It will be sold out, or only available in sizes that don’t work, and you will have to pay a premium on Amazon to get it!I Don't DIY My Kids Costumes

I’m Still a Good Mom

It’s hard not to feel judged in our culture these days for every single parenting decision we make. There is room at the table for all kinds of moms. If we would just start affirming one another’s choices instead of trying to “one up” each other, think of how revolutionary the next generation of parents could be. Moms who DIY, you have my utmost respect and admiration. Moms (like me) who buy, you have my respect and admiration too. Both kinds of moms are important in this world. We each bring value to our kids in different ways, and, yes, we are both showing our kids that we care about them. How your kids’ costumes come into your possession doesn’t matter as much as the why behind them. Don’t find your value in others. Be confident in who you are as a mom and know that you are enough.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. (Thanks, Ferris Bueller!)

 

1 COMMENT

  1. Great post! As a fellow mom that has great pinterest ambitions, I’ve had to let go of the self-imposed guilt. My kids are always happy with their store bought creations, and that makes this mama happy!

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