Parents and Teens Can Agree on Polo Shirts

Thursday 22nd of September 2011 09:14:55 PM

Parents and Teens Can Agree on Polo Shirts

Parents and teens don’t often agree on clothes. It is part of the rite of passage for teens to resent whatever their mothers suggest, and that can lead to big squabbles. This is true for both girls and boys too. Girls are exploring their sexuality for the first time and that can lead to inappropriate clothing choices like low cut shirts and too-short skirts. Teenage boys don’t like wearing dress shirts even to church or a family wedding and often resent shopping for clothes.

What’s the answer? Some mothers say the last thing a parent should do is get upset because that leads to the teens digging in their heels. There will probably be very little accomplished in the way of compromise once an argument begins. Power struggles are counter-productive. So what’s a mom to do?

The first step is to find clothes that can serve as a compromise. For example, nice sweaters, dresses with overlays that hid cleavage and shorts or slacks are ideal clothes for young women. Another step you can take to defuse the situation is to let the teen make a clothes list which makes him or her feel like they have some control over their wardrobe. You might be surprised how reasonable your teen is willing to be when not being argumentative. Young men enjoy wearing nice polo shirts because they are casual and comfortable but also nice looking.

The goal is to compromise on a neutral option. Parents who immediately say things like, “That’s too tight!” when their teenage daughter tries on clothes doesn’t give the teen a chance to make that observation independently. Most people don’t like wearing poorly fitting clothes even if they are teenagers. Parents shopping with teens should also take advantage of the store disinterested third party – the sales woman or man! They are trained in making comments about clothes that don’t fit well without being insulting. Many of the tricks parents can use to convince teens to dress appropriately include adding fashionable layers and accessories.