Witchling 10    ‘Are you wearing your uppy bums today mummy?’
Moi                  ‘Err, no. Not today.’
Witchling 10    ‘I won’t wear uppy bums when I get grown up’
Moi                  ‘Really? And why is that?’
Witchling 10    ‘They’re all itchy and like string up your bottom! I will wear sensible pants.’

At 7.30am on a Monday morning, this can be a bit of a strartler! But it made me think about the Witchling’s undies.  There used to be Disney Princesses and Winnie the Pooh in abundance. Along with every pastel shade. Now, there are clean crisp whites and bright vibrant affairs with polka dots or funky stars! And there are bras!

Nannnie bought the bras while the Witchlings were on holiday at her house and I have to say I had no input. But I appreciate the effort she made to make them feel grown up and help them through the pre-teen years with as few social scars as possible!

Breasts (they are still called boobies in our house) can start to develop at as young an age as 6 years old and they sometimes don’t finish growing until the early 20’s! Sadly Witchling 12 seems destined to be a ‘late bloomer’ while her younger sister Witchling 10 is off to a flying start. Thank heavens that there are so many different styles and sizes of training bra for them to try.  It means that Witchling 12 can still wear her tiny polka dotted crop-top/training bra and Witchling 10 can wear her proper little bra without feeling like there has to be more competition than there should be.

We may have been encouraged to burn them in the past, but a bra is a symbolic icon for any girl. It means maturity and growing up and for many it represents the first steps towards adulthood.  So, I’m off to the shops now, to splash out on some funky new undies! Not for the Witchlings, you understand – for me! Can’t have my saggy grey safety pants and my chewing gum coloured bras or twisted uppy bums being upstaged by the Witchlings’ new attire now can we?