We’re not going to sit here on our high horses and say that all fashion trends are bad and that you should teach your child to go out of their way to do the opposite of what society says. Trends are trends for a reason, and there is virtue in looking presentable, as well as knowing when it’s appropriate to fit in to a crowd. However, there ought to be limits to the extent we’re willing to be sheep to certain trends, and it’s important our children understand this.
Teaching Them to Think for Themselves
Fashion is a mere byproduct of countless other cultural trends that take place in every generation. And yet, as a tool of expression, it can have a very strong impact on the way your child thinks of themselves.
Teaching children to looking presentable, as we mentioned, should be the bare minimum. Teaching them to look their best is also a skill that goes a long way.
However, if you really want to impart wisdom in your child’s fashion habits, teach them to think for themselves. Make no mistake, your beloved son or daughter will often feel consumed by the way their peers dress, especially in high school. They’re going to want to fit in. You shouldn’t discourage them from feeling a part of a collective. But you should also strengthen their individual character enough that if, for whatever reason, they have a bad hair day, or all their “trendy dresses” are in the laundry and have to wear their “boring clothes” to school one day, it’s not going to be the end of the world.
Allow them to feel connected to something greater. Heck, we all had fashion styles growing up, and it’s not the worst thing in the world. But you don’t want them to lose themselves in the process, and it’ll be up to you to remind them who they are when they’ve lost their way.