Re: Clothing Comment/ Was Shopping for clothes-venting

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/2/2004 9:46:15 AM Pacific Standard Time,

emkelsmama@... writes:

> You did not make a mountain out of a

> molehill by expressing your frustration. That is what

> I thought the purpose was of this board to seek

> support for issues that we are having with our

> children's clubfeet and this is an issue. I know that

> some on the board may not feel that it is a valid

> concern but I didn't think this was a place for that

> to be judged by the others. If someone doesn't have

> any advice to offer for a particular problem perhaps

> they could just not say anything rather than be

> critical of someone else.

No one ever said that clothing concerns were not valid (that I saw).

I did not read anything that judged anyone, nor did I read anything that was

critical of another member. Or see where someone responded without offering

personal experience or advice.

What I did read and write was advice to look past the 3 month period and into

the future. And lots of alternative suggestions of where to shop, frustration

about clothes, what to buy, how to alter and what to do with useless items.

This is a support group. One purpose (IMHO) of a support group is to help

members with advice, similar experience, offer perspective and listen. If

everyone had responded " Oh it is a HUGE crisis, it's the end of the world " that

would not be positive support, that would be negative support. It could have

exaggerated one's frustration and focus on the issue.

All anyone did (including me) in my opinion was try to put things into

perspective. It is only 3 months...don't get hung up on this clothing thing

because

it is soon to be over. That is what the statement, " mountain of a molehill "

means. It is just a SMALL part of treatment. True it is frustrating, but

yes it is a small and not large part of treatment, hence ONLY 3 months of 3-4

years.

Yes I agree this group is for discussing, venting and grieving but we should

try to keep a positive attitude. It is ONLY 3 months, it is not a crisis in

my book, it's clothes. My opinion may differ from yours or his or hers or

whoever, but I am just as entitled to voice it as you are, sorry if you don't

like

it. Yes snappies can suck and get old but, ALL of us have gone/are going

through the 23/7 period, some more than once. But instead of grieving about the

loss, how about trying motivate each other and look forward to the day that we

CAN buy those cute non-snappy outfits? How about trying to pull each other UP

instead of reinforcing frustration.

And being thankful that it is ONLY 3 months (a molehill) and not forever (a

mountain)?

I am willing to bet that clubfoot parents enjoy shopping for baby clothes

more than anyone else in the store after brace time is reduced and those months

of snappy day clothes just become a very,very small memory of inconvenience.

Just my 2 cents. (maybe 4 cents)

Freeman