Even the most laid-back people can get too controlling when they have children. It’s okay, it’s our natural instinct to protect our young, however, sometimes we can get too tightly wound.
While it’s our responsibility to keep our kids on the right track, we also need to learn how to lighten up and choose our battles.
A great place to start relinquishing control is when choosing kids outfits. Seriously, let your kids choose their own outfits for the day.
Ultimately, it’s not that big of a deal, and what does it matter if people give you the shifty eye because your kid’s outfit doesn’t match?
Keep reading for our top reasons why you should let your kids dress themselves!
Why Kids Outfits Should Be Chosen by Kids
As a responsible adult, you can’t let your kids wear dirty or raggedy clothes. Nor should you allow them to wear clothes that hardly fit or are wildly inappropriate.
However, while there’s certainly a line to be drawn, letting your kids choose their own clothes can be rewarding for you and for them.
It can also help them grow mentally and emotionally, all while helping you practice the art being a laid-back, yet a responsible parent.
1. Foster Creativity
Allowing kids outfits you buy to be chosen by your children helps stimulate creativity in them.
Alternatively, if you choose their clothing for them and dress them every day, getting dressed becomes a thoughtless act for them. It’s simply something they have to do, like a chore.
Letting them choose their own clothes presents a large spectrum of choices for them to make each day, helping them develop decision-making skills. And, if you’re buying kids designer clothes, you know your children will walk out i
2. Encourage Individuality
When kids outfits are chosen by our children, it allows them to be different, it allows them to be individuals.
Now, in some circumstances, such as schools who require uniforms, weddings, or funerals, you may need to explain to your child why it’s important to adhere to a particular dress code.
However, in most day-to-day scenarios, why not let your kids be unique and dress the way they want?
Letting children choose their own clothing encourages them to explore who they and encourages them not to worry about the pressures of fitting in and trying to conform to societal norms.
3. Teach Self-Expression
Similar to creating individuality, when kids outfits are chosen by the kids wearing them, it teaches them a way to express themselves.
When in our control, we often dress based on the way we feel. Why shouldn’t our kids’ outfits allow them the same freedom?
If they’re feeling fun and upbeat, let them wear every color of the rainbow. If your daughter wants to be a princess today, let her! Fostering a healthy allowance of self-expression in our children helps them learn how to share their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Letting them pick their clothes for the day is a small step toward raising emotionally intelligent children.
4. Allow Kids Outfits to Be Fun
When you let your kids choose for themselves, kids outfits can be fun and exciting.
Every time they get dressed can be a new experience for them and they can look forward to it each day. Additionally, when they are required to dress specifically for an occasion, it can make them feel important and special.
Rather than fighting your child into church clothes or a suit and tie for a wedding, they’ll be excited for something new, even if something new is being told how to dress.
5. Getting Them Dressed Won’t Be a Battle
While it may seem like taking the easy road, leaving kids outfits in the hands of your children can make your life worlds easier. Additionally, at the end of the day, it’s not really a battle worth fighting.
While it’s vital that children listen and are disciplined, they shouldn’t grow up in an environment where every aspect of their life is controlled. This type of environment doesn’t allow nature to take its course, nor allow our children to learn organically.
The best lessons are learned taught by the school of hard knocks, the ones we learn by doing.
6. Encourages Them to Practice Getting Dressed
Every kid likes playing dress-up.
When kids outfits are chosen by them, getting dressed is fun, which encourages practice!
You can make it even better by timing them or even jump in on the action yourself and make it a race! Either way, they’re learning to get dressed and get dressed quickly.
Risks of Being an Overly-Controlling Parent
Parents who choose kids outfits for their children and tell them what to wear every day aren’t bad parents, they’re not even necessarily controlling parents.
It’s just a matter of choosing what things you want to be a stickler with, and what things can be left up to the kids. Letting them pick their own outfits is an easy win for both sides, which is better than the alternative.
Being overly-controlling can have several negative, unforeseen consequences for children.
For example, like animals, kids can sense stress and tension. You may not know it, but by having a manic approach about controlling every little detail of their lives may be stressing them out just as much as it stresses you out.
Secondly, when kids feel like you’re too much in control, it makes it difficult for them to make a decision. Children with overbearing parents are afraid to make mistakes and often, don’t even try.
Finally, aside from hindering the development of your child’s unique personality and expressions of creativity, you may even cause them to acquire mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
Start Practicing Today
Aside from a snooty neighbor or another parent from the kid’s daycare who may not approve of your child’s outfit, what harm does it do to let them choose how to dress themselves?
Leave the kids outfits up to the kids! It may even be wildly entertaining to see what they come up with!
Heck, even take them shopping this weekend and let them pick out a couple of new outfits for themselves. It could prove to be a great experience for everyone!
