Cropped hoodie…check. Neutral clothing…check. Stanley Cup…check. Nike Air Forces that match the backpack…check. Charged iPhone with matching background…check. Aesthetic on point…check. Using the word aesthetic all the time and in the wrong context…check, check.
If I had to guess, this would be the inner monologue in my eleven-year-old’s brain. The last part would be a snippet of what’s going on in my 42-year-old head. When did kids start using the word aesthetic so frequently and often incorrectly? I blame Roblox and TikTok for all the new trends. My daughter also uses the word preppy to define a look that is certainly not the preppy I remember.
When I tried to tell her that preppy actually meant plaid skirts, button-down shirts, and Mary Jane shoes, she looked at me like I was nuts. “No, Mom, preppy means cute and trendy!” I tried to explain to her that I went to a Catholic high school with the actual word prep in the title, and if anyone was an expert on knee-high socks and a preppy look, that was me. She wasn’t listening.
Even though she may not believe I know all about what the kids are saying these days, she knows I love clothes and following the trends; she’s been raiding my closet lately.
Of course, she only steals the neutrals, but she’s even helped herself to my shoes and bags. When she asked me if she could take my Stanley Cup to school, I asked her why it was so important to have one. She said it’s because they are so cute. When I pressed her and asked if it was really because the other girls all had them, she admitted it. When I finally got her a cup of her very own, she hugged me so tight, as if I had bought her a new car!
One day, she asked if she could walk to the store with friends after school to grab a few things she desperately needed: face masks, candy, you know, necessities. I said sure and to text me when she got there. She replied, “Thanks, bro.” Well, I have to admit I did laugh, but then I reminded her never to call her mama bro again.
Along with bro, some of her favorite words and phrases these days are slay, yas, vibe, sus, glow up, spilling the tea, mood, and receipts.
If you don’t know what these mean, I suggest you look them up because some explanations are hilarious. I’m not going to lie that I get a kick out of these words, but if I use them in her presence, she always seems shocked that I know what she’s talking about. Um, hello, Mommy loves scrolling Insta. If I use them too much, I’m sure I’ll look cringe, but whatevs.
So, if you want to keep up with the not-so-little ones, grab your Starbees, throw on your Lulu leggings and cross-body bag, and head to the mall with your mini. But don’t try too hard. You don’t want to look thirsty.
