My small person guide, Basically Kelly

So I thought I would share my own survival guide to being really small because let’s face it, there’s at least 1 person or situation a day that points it out. It’s a lengthy post but it’s a bit more personal than usual, so I hope you like it and find the fun in what we go through as smallies.

Everyday, either hear someone say some dumb thing like, “shouldn’t you be in school?” or “Where’s your mom?” so this brings me to tip number 1. Fake laugh, roll eyes, move on. There’s really no point in dwelling on some idiots comments.

Next up, is the fact that we can’t reach things, so I say don’t be afraid to climb. From a very young age I had been climbing on counters to reach something from the top shelf and believe me, I still stand on counters, chairs and even draw handles or books if I have to. I have a terrible situation with the aircon at work, so every morning I get on a chair and switch it off because it doesn’t affect anyone else. I’ve had a really bad chest infection from the aircon and nobody seemed to care so I took matters into my own hands and just get on the chair every morning. If nobody is going to help you, YOU gotta help your little self. Stop waiting for someone to say “oh you’re so small I’ll do it for you.” NO! Being short doesn’t mean we are not independent.

This however brings me to my next tip, or more so excuse. I’m not afraid to use my littleness to my advantage, when people are trying to blame me for things, I sometimes throw the “I can’t even reach there” line. This line has gotten me out of some awkward situations.

Still on using your littleness to your advantage, I fit into some crazy spaces and am able to worm my way through a crowd of people, I also don’t have to duck under lower hanging branches or under the half opened garage door. Also, I’ve mentioned before, don’t be afraid to buy in the kids section. But also, don’t be buying a Justin Bieber or Frozen t-shirt at the age of 23! Buy neutral items that people would never guess are from the kids section. Like this dress I’m wearing in this post.

Littleness also saves me money, because I can buy sneakers in the kids section and save at least 200 bucks on them. Then I can use that 200 bucks to get another 2 tops and maybe throw in 1 or 2 packets of ice cream mallows (I love those).

My next tip is to learn to sew. I feel like this doesn’t only apply to smallies but everyone. For me it’s important because I always find myself having to alter some items of closing. Sometimes I alter it not because it’s too big but because I feel like it might look better on me if something wasn’t how it originally was, or something will fit my body better if I just make a slight change to it.

On the topic of altering clothing, tip number….next (I lost track) is to find an affordable dressmaker or seamstress. Yes, I just said learn to sew but some jobs are bigger than others and hand sewing can’t always conquer the bigger jobs. To be honest, I like to have items of clothing made for myself for occasions like graduation etc. or even if you just can’t find what you’re looking for in the shops. I feel like its better for me because in the past I’ve purchased an item that was out of my usual budget and then still have to have it altered and pay for that as well. At the end of the day I’d paid more for buying something and having it altered than if I were to have it made. Sometimes you can achieve the same look with a cheaper fabric that could even be better quality because let’s face it, most times you’re actually paying for the brand and not the material quality.

My next tip is to dress for your body, this also applies to everyone. Whether we like it or not we can’t always follow every trend just because we want to. You can however, change up the trend to fit your body and personal style.

Then lastly, and most importantly, remember the phrase “Dynamite comes in small packages”. I may look like a chihuahua but if a bulldog is what gets it done and gets the attention then a bulldog you will get. I’m really tired of people underestimating me because of my size and I decided a while ago not to let that bother me anymore and I’ve found that being that way has earned me respect from others. So don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself even if you have to stand on a chair to get noticed, I promise it will be worth it.

I hope you enjoyed this read. Let me know your survival tips to anything and if you can relate to any of the above.