Mom Who Was Shamed Because Her Kids Wear Walmart Clothes While She Dresses Up Hits Back With The Best Response
Would you buy expensive clothes if you spent your days playing in dirt and spilling food?
@caitlinfladager / Instagram / Facebook It seems as if mom-shaming never ends, from what they feed their children to how they dress, someone is always going to critique their parenting style.
One mother on Facebook shares that she often faces backlash for dressing her children in clothes bought from Walmart while she treats herself to clothes from more expensive and high-end stores. However, she has the perfect explanation — and it makes a whole lot of sense.
The mother claimed that she dresses her kids in Walmart clothes since they are always growing old of clothes and often get them dirty.
“Your kids only wear clothes from Walmart, while you get dressed up a lot. Not a good look for you as a mom..” This is the statement that Caitlin Fladager opened her Facebook post with and one that she receives quite often.
The mother of two is not ashamed to admit that she purchases her own clothes from high-end stores while taking her children shopping for their clothes at Walmart. To some people, this may appear selfish and cruel. Although Fladager defends her decision with concrete examples as to why mothers should not buy their children expensive clothing in the first place.
“I am not constantly outgrowing them like my kids are. I am not constantly spilling food and dirt all over my brand-new clothes,” she writes. “I am not outside running around in the dirt for hours on end. I am not tripping and ripping holes in brand-new clothes.”
Unlike her children, who she calls messy, and says that they enjoy playing in the dirt and spilling their food, Fladager ensures that her expensive clothes will not go to waste. Instead, she encourages her children to be children and make messes to gain new experiences without having to worry about their clothes.
“I refuse to be the mom who yells at them for spilling a drop of ice cream on a brand-new shirt,” she proclaims.
"I strive to be the mom who sees them spill, and says ‘oh no big deal!’” I strive to be the mom who sees them playing in the dirt, not caring that they are ruining a brand-new outfit. I strive to be the mom who teaches them there is more to life than having nice, expensive clothes.”
Fladager, who is also a regular poster on TikTok, frequently pushes back against people who try to shame her for her own fashion and notes that being a mom shouldn't dictate how you dress.
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As for Fladager’s children, she happily reports that they love their Walmart clothes. “They love being able to spill, get dirty, and outgrow clothes in a day with me not caring,” she writes. She shares a photo of her son and daughter sporting their Walmart purchase while chowing down on ice cream. The photo is a reminder to Fladager that despite the mommy shamers, she is doing everything just right.
“Here’s them covered in dirt, spilling ice cream, and living their best life. That’s all I could ever want,” she writes. “I will not feel bad for buying my clothes for them from Walmart. Because when I look at this picture, it reminds me of why I do that. The dirt, the smiles, and the ice cream make me way happier than a photo of them dressed in clothes they hate, that they will outgrow in a week.”
Other Facebook users praised Fladeger on her decision. “Nothing wrong with Walmart clothes! The kids are happy and you’re a great mom!” one user commented.
“I'm a grown adult and I wear Walmart clothes every day for all the same reasons. What's wrong with that? They're clean and they're paid for with my hard-earned money,” another user pointed out.
Fladeger’s children may not have Gucci pants or Abercrombie T-shirts, but they will have a lifetime of happy memories — and lots of ice cream!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.