Messy kids. Let kids be kids

[ParentPanda]

Aibu to just let my kids be kids (and ourselves). They play out and come home covered in mud and all sorts. We're quite an outdoorsy bunch so always have muddy boots and clothes etc. If we nip to the shopping centre in town we go as we are. It seems everoyone else gets dressed up in their sunday best just to go shopping! Wtf! Should we be getting dressed up, are we wierd? Don't like the way we get treated just because the way we look especially by shop workers in fancy shops. Truth is we're ok for cash and could probably buy anything in the shop, We even got our bags searched once by shop security guard!

Tbh, you don't sound very live and let live in your judgement of others.

NoCryLilSoftSoft
True

If you also work in "high end" retail, YABVU and discourteous to walk crap into someone else's shop AND you know it. How would you feel if it was your shop?

And show me a shop assistant at any level who doesn't judge by appearance. I currently work in central London in a crime hotspot. We make judgement calls on who to watch because we think they're shop lifters/trouble for any reason. It's partly demeanour and partly whether they look like they can afford to be there. Not saying we're right or it's failsafe, but it's a deterrent.

YADNBU to want to let kids be kids. Mine rolled in mud at every opportunity for the first 10 years and I loved going out with them, dam building and cycling in the woods. Always came back caked.

But bath and clean clothes before going into town. I think it's worth teaching DC that people will treat you differently if you don't look like you can be bothered to make an effort for them. Shouldn't be true but is, and it's helpful to them to know it.

Why would you have to be a clean freak to wonder why the hell someone is happy to have her walls covered in pen marks, Leaves?

The irony is the let kids b kids brigade are the judgiest, most competitive parents of all.
No one is taking any notice of you op, unless you're tramping mud everywhere in your quest to show how cool you are.

I never understood how this happens. DC very rarely seem to get muddy. Probably about 5% of the time (I mean a bit here, a bit there). The last time I remember them getting properly muddy was on Avery wet day well over a year ago when we went on a walk with very deep puddles. I think that as long as you are practical (talingbkthraon gear and spare shoes, having some things to wipe mud off in the boot etc) then you unlikely to get particularly grubby-think a few spots of mud between welly line and where cost would end but otherwise clean clothing.

I don't get dressed up to go shopping.

I do remove my gardening clothes (and put on clean clothes). Why would you not? Dress appropriately for your activity. I wouldn't wear a sparkly ball gown to go hiking in, or shopping in. Nor would i wear pyjamas to go shopping.

Dress unusually and you will draw looks.

Put on clean clothes and shoes