Prom Shopping with Boys

Trying to get the boys to shop for a dance is like pulling teeth! I usually start reminding them about a month and a half in advance, and about three weeks before, I pull out my classic line: “If you want us to pay for it, you’ll go shopping with me by this date.” The boys like to put it off as long as possible, and I don’t think they realize they’re not just going to walk into a store and find something off the rack that fits—especially Caleb. He’s a tall kid, so finding pants that fit at Kohl’s isn’t exactly an option.

The one place I can usually get them to shop with the least resistance is Emsuds. The guy there is hilarious, and his wife is great at helping them get everything picked out. Bree had a light blue/light teal dress this year, which wasn’t the easiest color to match, so she brought it along. Bryce ended up with a gray suit, white shirt, and a tie that matched her dress perfectly. Caleb, on the other hand, still refuses to ask anyone to prom, so we didn’t have to coordinate. He went with a blue suit, blue shirt, and a tie with a little pink in it. I’m pretty sure if I had suggested that combo, he would’ve said no right away—but since the owner’s wife picked it out, he trusted her completely.

A few hundred dollars later, we had their outfits—all for a dance they didn’t even want to go shopping for in the first place. Oh, boys!