Every parent has been there. A screaming, crying temper tantrum because you won’t let your kid wear their Halloween costume in July. Or wear a tutu to pre-school. Or match those rainbow shorts with that leopard print top.
Every kid hits that point where they want to assert their independence and pick out what they get to wear in the morning. And often, it leads to some of the worst fights that you have with your child.
But you know what? It’s okay if little Zoey wears her tutu to school. Or if Max decides he wants to wear his cowboy costume to the doctor. Know why? Because that means they’re growing up!
It can be a headache to give up control over your child’s wardrobe choices. But here’s why you shouldn’t be so concerned with what your child wears and why you should let your kids dress themselves.
Your Kid Has Opinions and They Need to Develop Their Own Taste
Choosing an outfit is about so much more than just picking what goes on your body. It can give your kids a chance to express (and develop!) their likes, dislikes, and opinions.
When it comes to letting your child choose their own clothes, remember that in the beginning, it’s going to be all about experimentation. You may find they have totally different taste in clothing than you do – or that they mix and match things together that you would never do.
But that’s okay! It’s all about allowing them to develop their preferences and taste and allowing them to express their own opinions. You want to teach your child to have a voice and this can very easily start with handing over control of what your child wears.
It Encourages Independence
You don’t just want to encourage your child to have opinions – you want to foster in them the independence to express those opinions and the independence to complete everyday tasks on their own.
Fostering a sense of independence in your child is an important part of helping them grow into a full and whole person. Independence is about your kid learning to do things on their own, which means taking on more responsibility and learning to make decisions – which is an important part of growing up.
Allowing your child to pick what they wear will help with fostering independence. it will teach your child how to be responsible for getting themselves ready in the morning and will teach them how to make appropriate decisions.
Sometimes It’s Just Easier Not to Care What Your Child Wears
There’s no reason to create unnecessary stress for yourself and your child if you can avoid it. And sometimes, that means that it’s just easier to let your child wear what they want.
Is it really worth the fight that’s going to ensue if you won’t let your daughter wear jeans to church? Do you really want to go down that road?
Sometimes it’s easier to give up control of this aspect of your child’s life. It can save you both a lot of anger, frustration, and fighting. Plus, especially with kids, no one is going to make a big fuss if they’re wearing something silly or unusual.
This is something every child goes through and it’s often easier to just give in than to fight it.
It Saves Times
Many of you parents out there with younger children know what it feels like to have that daily morning battle about what your kid is going to wear. Not only is it exhausting, but it takes up a lot of time! And it often makes you late for school, daycare, work, etc.
By giving up control of what your child wears and letting them choose for themselves, you can save a lot of time in the morning. And it will greatly reduce the number of headaches you get!
It Can Teach Older Kids How to Budget…
Teaching your kids the skills to manage a budget is one of the best things you can do for them. And focusing on a fashion budget can be a great way to teach them this very skill.
If you give up control of what your kid wears and let them pick out their own clothes then you can set up a budget of how much they’re allowed to spend and let them figure out how to buy what they want to wear within that budget.
It’s a great way to teach kids responsibility and money smarts. By giving up control of what they wear and letting them choose their clothes instead, you are giving them the opportunity to figure out how to dress the way they want without overspending.
…And Younger Kids Will Wear What You Buy
And then when it comes to younger kids you know, if you let them pick out their own clothes, that they will wear what you buy.
Ever had that happen? You buy something for your kid and it ends up stuffed in the back of their closet or dresser and never gets worn? Basically, you ended up buying something your kid doesn’t like.
If you let your kid have control of what they wear and how they dress then you know that you can avoid that problem. You know that whatever you leave the store with will be something they like because they’ll be the ones who picked it out.
Whether you’re shopping Lacoste for Kids or Gap Kids or Old Navy or anything in between, letting your kids choose their own wardrobe eliminates the headache of buying things your kid won’t wear. You know that they’ll wear what you buy.
Final Thoughts: Continuing to Encourage Independence
Now that you’ve gotten over worrying about what your child wears, it’s time to continue encouraging that independent streak. Check out this post for a bunch of easy breakfast ideas that kids can cook themselves.
