Editor’s note: This article was originally published on August 6, 2021. It has since been updated.
Everyone has their own parenting style, but when 26-year-old Caitlin Fladager of Vancouver said she preferred her children to wear cheaper clothes, it sparked controversy. People accused her of being a bad mother and heavily criticized her for wearing expensive clothes while buying her children much cheaper clothes. She took it lightly and defended her decision, arguing that children put more wear and tear on their clothes and that they don’t care as much about the clothes they wear as they care much more about being happy and engaged. “Your kids only wear clothes from Walmart while you often dress up. Not a good image for you as a mother,” someone wrote on her Facebook page.
Fladager, who often gives parenting and life advice, said that children wear out their clothes more, so it’s better to buy clothes that they can easily take off or throw away. The mother of two disagreed with the condescending advice, writing, “I don’t constantly spill food and dirt on my brand new clothes. I don’t walk around outside in the dirt for hours. I don’t trip and rip holes in brand new clothes.”
She then talked about her dress code, pointing out the difference. “I don’t change my mind every day about what color I arbitrarily never want to wear again. I’m not a child,” Fladager wrote, before adding, “I buy them cheaper clothes because I refuse to be the mom who yells at them when they spill a drop of ice cream on a brand new shirt.” She stressed how important it is for children to be allowed to be themselves. “I aspire to be the mom who sees them spill something and says, ‘Oh, no big deal!’ I aspire to be the mom who sees them playing in the dirt and doesn’t care that they ruin a brand new outfit. I aspire to be the mom who teaches them there’s more to life than having nice, expensive clothes,” she wrote.
Fladager is no stranger to controversy. She has previously been open about smoking weed as a mother. Recreational and medical marijuana use is legal in Vancouver, and she posted a picture of herself wearing a sweatshirt that reads, “First I smoke weed, then I do things.” After the picture caused an uproar, she defended herself, writing, “Yes, I have smoked when my kids were awake. No, that doesn’t make me a bad mom. I still remember the first time I wore that sweatshirt in public. I was at the mall surrounded by tank tops that said ‘I’m a wine mom’ and ‘Nothing gets done until my wine glass is empty.'” Fladager argued that smoking weed should be just as acceptable, The Sun reported. “It’s helped me immensely to be a more patient mom, it’s helped me gain the weight I needed, and it’s helped my sleep-deprived self get some much-needed sleep at night,” the mother of two said, before concluding, “Sincerely, a really cool mom who smokes a lot of weed.”
She also has her own parenting style when it comes to clothes, adding that nothing is more important than her kids being happy. “So yes, my kids live primarily in Walmart clothes. And they love it. They love to spill, get dirty, and outgrow clothes in a day without me minding. The dirt, smiles, and ice cream makes me way happier than a photo of them in clothes they hate and will outgrow in a week,” she wrote, posting a picture of her kids eating ice cream.
The 26-year-old has also received support from other moms for her decision. Jennifer Bohnett Morse wrote, “Don’t let anyone tell you this is wrong!!! I buy quality clothes, some of which I’ve had for 20 years! But I buy my three kids’ clothes on sale or go to thrift stores for that reason! The first time they wear it they have a stain or they grow out of it in a month! You are a smart mom.” Some added that there is nothing wrong with wearing “Walmart clothes” as some people have tried to portray it. “Walmart clothes are pretty cute too! Kids don’t care how expensive something is as long as there’s a picture on it! Whatever makes them and you happy and damn, at least they have new clothes! Or clothes, period! The audacity of some people!” wrote Faith Cunningham.
