A Girl, A Mom, And Prom

Michelle Bullock
3276 days ago.

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This weekend I will have the wonderful task of being my daughter’s chauffeur and credit card holder as we walk into somewhat familiar territory: dress shopping. This time it is on a much larger scale. It’s prom dress shopping time. I have always been proud of my frugal daughter; when she enters any store she almost always makes a beeline to the sale or clearance rack. To my sadness, this time she’s pulling out all the stops. Heart stops that is. From the price tags to the “where’s the rest of the dress” moments, I may not make it! Senior Prom is one of the most important things to a teenage girl and now that I am a mom, I have come to the conclusion that it’s one of the most heart wrenching times for a mother. Besides the chunk it takes from your pocketbook, seeing your daughter go from a chubby little blessing to a beautiful woman in just a blink of an eye will make any mom tear up every time.

In thinking about her prom and what a special time this is for her, it got me thinking about my prom and having a great time “Under the Sea” with all of my friends. Mehlville Senior Class of 1993 rocked and we were spectacular! Thankfully I have not found a picture of me at my prom (probably burned them). Looking at the dress styles in 2015 and remembering back to the style of dresses in the 1990s, I noticed a definite evolution. This prompted me to look into the Prom Dress Evolution from the 1950s to 2015.

            1950s                              1960s                            1970s

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1980s                              1990s                            2000s

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2010                               2015

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We have come a long way, not just in style but in the entire experience of prom. I recently read an article about teens and their $1200 Prom price tags! The cost is mostly in the dress, make-up, and hair. Does my daughter really need a make-up artist? A more expensive trend in recent years is called the Promposal – the unique way someone asks you to prom. Yes, I said Promposal. Back in my day, you had a boy come up to your locker after 2nd period and ask if you were going with anyone and if you wanted to go with him. No big deal. Now kids are spending major money to create an elaborate way just to ask someone to prom. Oh my, I feel hyperventilation coming on already.

The advice I have for mothers that will share in this wonderful time with their daughters is to have fun but remember you were born to be their mother, not their friend. Giving in and giving them the world will not benefit them and it will not make them your friend. That will come later in their life when you become smart again. Make sure you understand this may be one of the last times you have to spend with your little girl before she leaves to start her journey into adulthood. I will most definitely have an awesome day of shopping, lunch, and making memories with my daughter, but my daughter is already aware that there are some things I will not compromise on. That is how I will keep my sanity through this process.

cool mom

Since it is prom season, is there a fond memory that you have about your own prom? Any awesome pictures of that fabulous dress or that baby blue tuxedo? Were you the kid that skipped prom citing that it was just not that cool? Let us hear your prom stories!

 

 Mills Properties

Michelle Bullock

Michelle was born on "The Hill" in St. Louis and currently lives in O'Fallon, MO. She pretends she can cook fine cuisine, but can actually bake what her husband calls "Five Star Desserts". Her two greatest joys are her very cute but very evil children. She has made meeting Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam number one on her bucket list.

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