Tween Clothing- How to Nurture Your Pre-Teen’s Fashion Identity

Young kids often pay a lot of attention to themselves, and they are always dressing in a way that makes them look stylish and keeps them happy. They will also choose to do things that make them happy. But once they grow older, they start to care more about what their peers think about them, and this is the age when they want to look cool and fit in with the other children. This is usually between the age of 8 to 12 years old, and even some of the most confident children become oversensitive and insecure during these years. 

woman standing while wearing pink jacket

You might notice that the confidence they once had when they were younger starts to fade as the body changes. Girls face this more than boys do as they start seeing an increase in their hip size and develop breasts. They become self-conscious about how they look, and a lot of pre-teens often start to reject clothing items like t-shirts, skirts, or even sleeveless dresses. Girls become more concerned about how pretty or skinny they are and are constantly under pressure to look feminine. Even boys go through hormonal changes and begin to show less emotion to appear masculine and stronger in front of their peers. It could also hurt the confidence and self-esteem of your child and force them to change themselves and dress or act in a way that is liked by their peers. 

As parents, you need to be cautious in guiding your children to become their most confident selves. One way to do this is to nurture their fashion identity, and here are three ways you can do it. 

  1.  Let them be themselves 

Pre-teen is a stage that gives an opportunity to your child to fully develop their sense of identity and style as they transition from a child to a teenager. If you do not allow them to fully express themselves, it can have a negative impact on their development and also prevent them from truly discovering themselves as well as their preferences. No matter what your opinion of your child’s fashion sense is, you need to let them make mistakes and learn from them. Only when they have an opportunity to experiment with fashion, will it allow them to see what suits them and what they are comfortable in. You need to consider how you would feel if you were in their shoes before you forbid your pre-teen from wearing something like short skirts. If you forbid them from wearing something at a young age, they are more likely to do it. Hence, let them be creative with their fashion choices and allow them to use their imagination.

2. Let them discover more about fashion  

With pre-teens, you do not want to push them into doing something but allow them to discover things themselves. The world that your child is exposed to is limited by what you give them or allow them to see. So if you only dress your child in a dress for girls or your boy in shorts, this is the only choice they will be aware of. Do not keep them in a fashion bubble. Take them on a fashion discovery to a store like Hayden Girls and see what the world has to offer them and how they can style their clothes the way they like. If they grow up without this opportunity, it will prevent them from learning about their body and what suits them. If you give them a chance to see and try new things, they will grow up knowing what looks the best on them, like skirts or a pair of T-shirts that does not suit them or how well a dress suits them. When your pre-teen looks good, they will feel good, and it will build confidence. You have to become a part of their journey and be an advisor to them. You should look like someone they can go to for fashion advice, and this will not only help you bond with them but also help develop their sense of self-expression. 

3. Help them manage their emotions 

As a parent, you need to help your child manage their emotions. If your pre-teens’ fashion sense is criticized by peers, it will crush their confidence, and they might feel discouraged. If this happens, you need to help your child better manage the emotions so that it does not become a self-esteem issue. You need to help them understand that there is no right or wrong about fashion, and it is very subjective. If their peers consider something to be unfashionable, it does not mean that it is, and they should not change themselves in order to fit into what society considers to be normal. 

Help develop self-confidence in your child and get them started on their journey. Take them shopping and let them experiment with new clothes and styles. 

Krystal | Sunny Sweet Days
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