Like adults, the fashion choices children make directly reflect their
personal style and self-perception. Sometimes kids choose to dress or wear
their hair a certain way in order to get attention, so it’s important to pay
attention to your child’s behavior, his circle of friends, and the way he feels
about school in order to properly assess his fashion choices.
When your child knows that you make parenting a priority, and are genuinely
interested in their interests and goals, trying to gain attention through
unruly or strange fashion choices won’t be very common. Sometimes wearing
clothes that will grab everyone’s attention or clothes that will make them
invisible isn’t just a new fashion trend—it’s a cry for help, and you should
definitely pay attention. If your child feels comfortable expressing themselves
at home, this will definitely be evident in the clothes your child chooses to
wear for the new school year. Of course, kids also make fashion choices based
on what their friends and ‘everyone else’ is wearing. When you encourage
individuality in your kids, you’re letting them know that it’s all right to
have their own unique style, even when it comes to fashion. It seems kind of
contradictory if you want your kids to make good grades even though their
friends may not be, or to be compassionate and understanding to others even
when those around them aren’t, but give them a hard time when it comes to
fashion.
When you teach your kids that it’s ok not to be like everyone else, except
to keep this same attitude about the way your kids dress. This will also reduce
the likelihood of your kids’ adopting the fashion trends of their peers that
may not be appropriate. So, if your son comes home with a new hat (that you
really don’t care for) or pants that you think may be too big, express your
opinion objectively without being too judgmental. This way, he won’t feel
attacked, and may decide to change his outfits after a while just because he
knows you don’t like them. Of course, he’ll never admit this to you, but hey,
you can’t have it all.