First Communion Dress Shopping - Avoid the Tears and Create Good Memories (Even for Tomboys)

Shopping for her First Communion dress and veil can be a wonderful bonding experience for mother and daughter - and grandmother and/or godmother too. But it can become a very stressful time if not approached carefully and thoughtfully.

One developing trend is girls who don’t’ want to wear a Communion dress. We believe this stems from the fact that most children never dress up anymore making them completely unfamiliar with the whole experience. This is SO sad that a girl doesn’t know the wonderful feeling that being "dressed up" can be!

So then parent and daughter go to a store and then say to the young child, "Tell the lady what you want, honey", the result is "deer in the headlights" terror. She is put in the position of trying to figure out what it is you expect her to pick, and she probably doesn’t have a clue. So she says she doesn’t want to wear a dress, and tears develop.

Another phenomenon we see is that children today think that they have to make a choice between "being girly" or "being athletic". Our first models informed us at around age 10 that they loved modeling for us but, unfortunately, they’ve decided to go out for sports so they couldn’t do it anymore. Somewhere – some how – they got the idea that it was an either-or situation. Again – how sad! Girls can have it all!

So before you begin to shop, talk openly and frankly with your little First Communicant. Find out what she likes and what she absolutely abhors. When armed with this information, it is likely that you can find something that will meet both her sense of style and preferences along with the needs of the day (and no, girls do NOT wear pants for First Communion).

The easiest and most productive way to do this is to go on line to look at Communion dresses and headpieces. You’ll find a far better selection on line. Find out if she has a preference for an A-line dress or the frothy ballgown (gathered at natural waistline) styles, to start. Hint: tomboys usually prefer the simple silhouette of the A-line dress without gathers.

Once her preference has been determined, begin to consider those styles that are more likely to meet with her acceptance. Explain to her what you’d like to see, what absolutely must be part of her choice (for instance, are sleeves required?) and work toward a solution both of you can love.

Always keep in mind that she is a young child making her first and only First Communion; she has never gone down this road before. While you need to be sensitive and not pick something she absolutely hates, you may not be able to please her developing (and possibly questionable) sense of style entirely, either.

In the process, you learn a lot about each other and personal preferences. It is a time for parental guidance as you discuss what is appropriate for the occasion and help guide her towards developing good judgment in apparel. This is a recipe for long-lasting good memories. Tears of joy are desirable – tears of frustration are not and can be avoided.

Your daughter’s First Communion can create warm, happy memories for both of you. For more tips visit: www.ThePerfectPear.com/Communion_Dress_Shopping.asp

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