Awhile back, I read this guest post on CupofJo.com: 21 Complete Subjective Rules for Raising Teenage Boys. It’s funny and sweet, but strangely enough, one of the tips that I ended up finding most salient is the one I quoted in my title:

Pick your battles. Personal style is a pretty low-stakes form of self-actualization; if the way they wear their hair or jeans (hello, bum crack!) is not your very favorite, complain about it to a friend.

– Catherine Newman

My boys are young and easy-going as clothes go, happy to throw on whatever is on top of their clean clothes stacks in their drawers, and generally acquiescing to my suggestions for length of pants or shirt sleeves per the changing temperatures during Michigan’s fall.

But today, I had to photo-document. Not only did J & O dress themselves in these outfits, but they were, in fact, pleased enough with their selections that they made a point to highlight them to me over breakfast.

Featured on J: Paw Patrol sweatpants, an under tee, Mickey sweatshirt, and a pizza print button-down collared shirt.

Featured on O: a Star Wars tee, his favorite pineapple-wearing-sunglasses button-down shirt, and his speedy light-up shoes.

Personal style. It begins.