She’s only 3 but you’d think she’s 13 by the specificity of her costume requests. When I was her age all I wanted to be was a princess. In fact, I think I was some kind of princess or “pretty thing” every year. I can’t remember ever being anything scary, even to this day. In the third grade I was a witch, but it was the “pretty witch” costume, with a poofy black dress laced with orange trim.

I thought maybe my daughter would follow a similar taste in costumes since I find her dressing up in her princess dresses on an almost daily basis, but this Halloween she’s told me time and again she wants to be a “girl lion, with no mane.”

I wasn’t sure if she’d change her mind, since a few months ago she said she wanted to be everything from a crab to a mermaid, to a ballerina. But she’s been pretty consistent about wanting to be a lioness for more than a month, so I guess she means it.

I’ve been searching for a costume she likes but there seems to be something wrong with all of them.

Via Amazon

The obvious lion costumes are male and have the mane she doesn’t want. However, I did decide little brother is going to be a little lion too in this costume.

The cute DIY lion costumes you find on Etsy are adorable, but unrecognizable when it comes to  actually being a lion.

Via Susie’s Korner

Then there’s the Nala costume, which she loved at first glance, but then totally freaked out about when she got an up-close look at what–to her– Looks like a lion eating a child’s head.

Via Amazon

“The mouth is too big! It’s scary!” She told me as she pretended to bite her fingernails with fear.

So I’m left trying to design something that resembles a lioness. I’m thinking brown leotard and leggings, some kind of furry paws/knee socks, ears, a tail with a tuff, and cute facepaint. If you have any other ideas let me know. Mamas got her work cut out for her this year.

Tags: halloween costumes, threenager