I feel so thankful that our community has a cotillion program to help teach the little ones manners, respect, and responsibility.  We try to instill these qualities at home but I think there is something so powerful about learning and honing these skills outside of the home with a group of your peers.  Cotillion is four weeks long and starts in fifth grade.  It goes all the way through high school and each year builds on the last.

I have started to struggle a bit with what and how much to share of this kid’s life.  He’s eleven and some of his friends are already on social media.  In the coming years he will have to navigate this world of sharing on his own and I want to be respectful of boundaries he might (should) set for himself.  That being said, here are a few pics of my first born.  As we readied him for his first class, I was overwhelmed with feeling like the days are going too quickly.  That he’s eleven and middle school starts next year and that I can count the years we have left with him at home on only eight fingers.

(No children were harmed in the taking of this photo :-) )

The Land’s End blazer has been a staple in his closet for about 3 years now.  It wears well and is affordable on sale.

I also purchased a few pairs of Land’s End pants before Thanksgiving thinking they would get him through cotillion.  Not so!  When we tried them on in January they wouldn’t even button.  Oy!  So, new pants it was.  I do love the Land’s End pants a LOT and picked these up for about $16 a pair on sale.  They wear well, wash well (do require a quick iron) and last through at least two boys.  PS. Don’t ever buy anything NOT on sale at Land’s End because if there isn’t one today there will be one tomorrow.

I picked the bow ties up over the years from Vineyard Vines and Land’s End as well.  I truly think there is nothing cuter in the world than a young man … er, make that any man… in a bow tie.  Be still my heart.  Seeing all the kids dressed up in the Sunday best each week was definitely a highlight for me.  Oh, and the girls in their white gloves.  <3

He loved wearing his watch as well.  This was his “forever gift” for his eleventh birthday.  The lacrosse belt was purchased on sale at Vineyard Vines last year.

Now, in addition to the lessons about etiquette, they also learned key steps to build a foundation in three different ballroom dances.  He might have even let me practice with him at home.

On the last night, the parents were invited to attend and even got to take the dance floor with their kids.  I had to muster everything in me to fight back the tears.  (Can you even imagine the horror of having your mom CRY at cotillion?!) Maybe because I was a dancer, or maybe just because I’m a total sap, dancing with my son that night was a moment I’ll never forget.  I was SO proud and felt in that moment that somehow, someway I was doing something right.

Dressing Boys – Tips + Sources

 DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
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