It’s not easy being big. As a younger child, Big was often mistaken for an older child, iyswim, as she was always so much taller than her age peers, and much more verbal too. This has continued throughout her life, though may be at a peak now, as she appears to have had most of her pre puberty growth spurt already. At just 11 she’s the height of a 13 year old, and with her new braces in place, is easily mistaken for a teen.
Which is leading to difficulties with clothing and shoes. Well, tbh, problems with shoes have been running throughout her life. She has long feet, with particularly narrow heels and an aversion to heels – not that children should wear heels, with their malleable bones. Mary Jane styles don’t suit her as her feet are too shallow, so they gap across the top, and she doesn’t like lace ups as they take too long to get on and off. All of this makes shoe shopping difficult.
I had hoped, once she got to a size to be able to wear women’s shoes, that life would get easier. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Few shops carry half sizes – and she’s currently about size 4 1/2. And the prices have gone up, since children’s shoes don’t carry VAT while adult ones do. What do ppl do about these things? I really have no idea.
So I will continue, every 2 – 3 months, trekking around shoe shops in the nearest towns. Or even further afield, searching for that elusive perfect shoe. The one without itchy seams, or scratchy material. The one that fits beautifully, while leaving room for growth. That looks beautiful, while being smart enough for Guide parade events. The one that Big likes.