10 Tips for Back to School Clothes Shopping:
1. Make a budget. Have
a set amount for each child. If your child is old enough, it is a great
way to teach about the value of a dollar. Have them look a the prices
and decided when something is too expensive.
2. Shop early and shop the sales. A
lot of school supplies and clothes go on sale weeks before school
starts. Don't wait until the days before to do all your shopping. Also,
it is not necessary to do all your shopping in one day. Wait for the
stores to have sales, going to different stores multiple times weeks
before school starts.
3. Take your child with you and let them help. Don't
just pick out their clothes for them, this is an opportunity for your
child to express their personality through how they dress. Let them help
pick out clothes, but don't feel bad to say no to them. You are the
parent, and we should not let our children dress inappropriately. Take
the time to explain how to be dress modest, but to still have fun and
follow trends.
4. Be aware of children's growth spurts. It's
very upsetting to buy new clothes and shoes.. only to find out that
after they wear them once, that they have out grown it! Be aware of
their growth spurts and only buy a few essential items to last you until
their growth spurt hits and they can fit into bigger clothes and
shoes.
5. Consider the school dress code. Most
school's have strict dress codes (no open toe shoes, no pants with worn
out look to them, skirts and shorts longer than finger tips). Of course
younger children will not have such a strict dress code, but make sure
to read through the dress code and avoid prohibited items.
6. Buy plenty of pants. Especially
for preschoolers and younger kids, they tend to spend more time on the
floor playing, which makes their pants wear out faster than normal.
Younger kids will also have accidents, and spill things on their pants.
It is a good idea to set aside of a pair of nice jeans for special
occasions. These pants are not to be used to play outside in!
7. Buy lots of mix and match pieces, and weather appropriate clothes. When
you go out to buy clothes, buying outfits that will only go with one
thing, means that it wont get worn a lot, and it will cost more because
you will need more items. To avoid that, buy lots of mix and match
pieces and a few stand out outfits. Also, try to be prepared for colder
weather and rain. Buy a wind breaker jacket, a rain coat and some rain
boots to be prepared for when the weather changes.
8. Let the kids pick out a few (appropriate items) that you would otherwise not have picked out. Kids
are developing their personality and their clothes reflect that. They
also see what other kids wear and want the latest trends, even if you
don't like it. Give in on a few items.. maybe a super sparkly top, or a
fun looking shirt with their favorite cartoon character. Kids will be
happier if they like what they are wearing. Don't force clothes on them
that they will hate, let their opinion matter and try to compromise on
clothes.
9. Don't buy too much. Try
not to over buy clothes. Parents hate to buy items for kids, that they
never wear, and kids don't like to have their parents constantly nag them
about not wearing it. Try not to buy too much, that way you child won't
have tons of outfits, and wind up not wearing some items.
10. Don't feel bad about skipping name brands. With kids certain brands will become very popular for a few months. Don't spend hundreds of dollars buying name brand clothes, that kids will rip, and get dirty. Buy a few select pieces, and find other similar items a cheaper store.
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