The Importance of Looking "Right"

Okay, I admit it - looks are important to me. I try to always look at least somewhat presentable, and although I told myself I could drop the kiddos off at school this year without doing my hair and makeup and instead show up in my workout clothes, I just can't do it. Even though I see lots of other moms doing it, and even though I want to get my workouts in during the morning. Maybe it is part of my natural resistance to developing a new habit, but mostly I think it is my own sense of vanity. Yes! I even admit that - I'm vain...!
I was still taken by surprise this summer, though, when Britt came home from his football camp one night and told me another kid had made fun of his shorts. I am one of the lucky mothers that is still able to dress her children, and so I was extremely shocked that anyone would dare to belittle my son based on his attire... Really?! Upon further examination of the situation, I learned the kid made fun of Britt because his shorts were too short. What?!
Now personally, I don't like the long, baggy shorts the boys today wear. Frankly, they look like dresses to me! Or capris. But the fact of the matter is, even though he was color coordinated and I thought he looked absolutely perfect, his shorts were a bit on the short side... And because of that kid making fun of Britt, he is now extremely diligent about wearing shorts that are only long enough to be considered fashionable.
Of course it broke my heart that someone would make fun of my child and make him feel inferior, but it's bound to happen again. That's human nature, isn't it? Now me, I do all my criticism behind people's back... At least the kid was brave enough to be up front with Britt about his opinion, right? Still, I find it in very poor taste for a kid to think it is okay to poke fun at another kid, and I wonder about his parents, of course.
Since there was nothing I could do other than dress Britt in length-appropriate shorts, I told him this: "The next time someone makes fun of you for how you're dressed, you just tell them to go talk to your Big Mama, because she's the one who dresses you, and if they'd like to take it up with her, they are more than welcome to." I relish the chance to take on some punk kid who dares to belittle my precious mama's boy...!