Let’s face it, women love to shop. But, mothers and daughters shopping together on Black Friday could lead to family hormonal havoc. If you want to preserve the feminine hormones in your family and still get some great deals, here are my recommendations!
First of all, let me give you a bit of backstory. For years, my mom, my grandmother, my sister and I would hit the Black Friday sales. On the surface, this would look like a lovely family outing. My grandmother, who turned 90 earlier this year, loves to shop to this day, and measures her physical fitness by how many stores she has the endurance to hit before she gets tired. My sister also loves to shop and is very into all things trendy and girly (much like my own daughter!) My mom, on the other hand, hates to shop, but she held the purse strings and the fashion veto power. I always enjoy finding a great pair of boots, but I don’t have much shopping endurance, and my body doesn’t do well after a shopping marathon that doesn’t include a lunch break. (My mother and grandmother could easily survive any famine given their very limited need for food.)
Perhaps you’re reading this just after returning from a shopping trip with the women in your family. In my family, heading out to the Black Friday sales of the ’80s often didn’t actually look like a lovely day of feminine family bonding. Instead, the Black Friday event eventually dissolved into headaches, exhaustion, and someone crying in the corner of a mall bathroom over a pair of Guess jeans.
Years later, I now have the tools to make Black Friday more successful. (However, I now avoid it if I can and stick to the Cyber Monday shopping, or simply supporting my small business-owning friends.) But, if this year is any indication, I don’t have much time left before my own daughter is intent on hitting the malls for the blessed Black Friday event.
How will I make the day more successful for this generation?
- Bring snacks. Let’s face it… eating at most mall food courts is not hormone friendly. Instead pack a lunch bag filled with chopped veggies, fruit, nuts, olives, nitrate-free cold cuts, Mary’s Gone Crackers, and hummus. Bring a kleen canteen filled with water.
- Bring a list. Deciding in advance on the plan of attack will surely make the day go more smoothly, and may minimize the begging for high heels from your 10-year-old. (Of course, it might not.)
- Have a veto list (my mom was a trailblazer on that one), but DO encourage your girl to find her own style. In my Powerful Puberty program, I will introduce you to many teen fashion bloggers who promote individuality when it comes to style. Knowing that more and more girls are bucking the in-crowd trends and finding a style that suits them will help your girls to feel more comfortable in their own skin as they navigate the tween and teen years. Melanie Martinez of The Voice, and Alanna J. Wall of Polished Girlz are two great role models for living from a place of style, courageous self-expression, and fierce generosity. These girls are great examples of living from a place of feminine beauty and strength.
- Enjoy the journey. Practicing living in the moment, and taking it all in, no matter how frenetic the situation is a practice that over time will reward both you and your daughter with better resilience and enjoyment of the little things.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become events of their own. But, don’t forget, they are actually just a small slice of the holiday season. Shopping for gifts for those you love can be a practice in getting a great deal, or it can be a time for sharing your love. Most of the people on your list (including your daughter) just want more of your love. Well, ok, and maybe a hip pair of boots.
Share with us your favorite mother-daughter shopping stories in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear about your adventures!
Happy Black Friday!
xo,
