Parents of VSCO girls…Embrace it!

Oh the teen years!  I will come right out and say it…”My name is Angie.  I have a teen daughter and I think she wants to be VSCO girl!” 

What is a VSCO girl you ask? 

Last week I had the privilege of educating my sister on what a VSCO girl is and realized some still may not know this term! If you don’t know this term you probably fall into one of two categories.

1. You don’t have a teenager
2. You don’t have a teenager

Yep…couldn’t really think of a second category! If you have a teenager and you don’t know what this is consider yourself escaped from this current trend this time!  I can’t promise you will escape the next one though! So back to the question…

What is a VSCO girl? 

The term actually came from the VSCO photo editing app.  Some people would describe these girls as preppy but laid back.  They have also been described as “trendy but basic.” There is a list of certain things and brands that they are into.  Some of these include….

1. The Hydroflask with stickers stuck all over
2. Scrunchies (and lots of them!)
3. Friendship Bracelets
4. Birkenstocks (or in our case knock off birkenstocks – I don’t even spend $100+ on my shoes!)
5. Vans
6. Oversized t-shirts
7. Polaroid camera
8. Kanken backpacks
9. Choker necklaces especially shell chokers
10. Carmex (yes that lip balm stuff in the round yellow container!)

Those of you, lets say 35 and older, and those of you that parented kids that would now be in that 35-50 year age group…. does this list sound familiar to you!?! 

Honestly when I heard about it I thought they were describing being a teen in the late 80s and 90s!!  I also wish that I would have saved some of those said items. (Well not the carmex…that would just be gross!)  Not only would she have a wardrobe full of VSCO items they would be vintage VSCO!  I wonder if that is even a thing!  Now, if tomorrow she comes home asking for a pair of Z. Cavaricci’s or Girbaud jeans I will really know we have just done full circle!

All of this to say, if this is the worst of my troubles right now with what she is into I honestly don’t have many complaints.  There are so many more things out there that could be so much worse. 

Being a teen is hard. 

Trying to fit in is hard. 

Middle School is especially hard. 

I really think most people have wiped those memories from their brain or they would have more empathy for those going through it and for the parents going through it if they remembered how it was.  You couldn’t pay me to go back to middle school and sometimes wish I could just rescue my daughter from having to go through it too.  I can’t though and once I start thinking about it more, I know deep down that wouldn’t be the best thing to do. 

So, if it means I continue to hear about the new fads and styles and have my amazon “wish list” full of these items that is what I will do. I will cherish this time and be thankful that no, we can’t get everything on this list but we are able to get a few of the things.

I will make myself aware of what is out there instead of putting a paper bag over my head wishing the crazy and hype would just go away. 

I will embrace these moments because like the infant and toddler years they also go so fast and possibly even faster. 

I will pray and will keep on praying. 

I will encourage and keep on encouraging. 

I will mess up and will continue to mess up.

In the end, though, I hope she always knows I am her biggest fan.  I hope that when she is 40 she will remember this fad and the items she had just like I remember my Z. Cavaricci black pants and Gibaud jeans!