Regardless of how they feel about school, many children get excited about shopping for new clothing in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year. As a parent, you'll want to budget for one or more shopping excursions of this nature — and ensure that you devote plenty of time to taking your child to a variety of clothing and department stores at your local mall. It's important to give your child an opportunity to try on different garments and make up his or her mind about what will work. Here are some additional tips that you should remember while back-to-school clothes shopping with your child.

Don't Feel That You Have To Like Everything

A lot of parents get worked up about what clothing their children want to wear to school, and feel that unless they themselves like a certain garment, the child should not wear it. This is a difficult situation because your child may not want to dress in a manner that you like. Remember the big picture — what your child wears to school in the fourth grade, for example, has very little impact on anything of consequence, and thus shouldn't bother you. You may not like what your child wears, but if he or she feels comfortable and confident in the outfit, this is what is most important.

You Won't Understand Every Outfit

When your child tries on different outfits at different stores, you'll undoubtedly see clothing combinations that make little sense to you. Kids of all ages often choose to dress in a way that helps them to fit in, even if these efforts seem puzzling to parents. For example, you might question your son's use of skinny jeans, assuming that they must be uncomfortable and thus less-than-desirable to wear. The reality is that many clothing manufacturers produce skinny jeans that have stretchy fabric, so this garment is more comfortable than you might expect. And, regardless of how it feels, your son may be wearing this type of pants because it's currently in style — and that may matter more to him than the comfort.

Brands Matter

Many children of different ages are conscious of the brands of clothing that they wear. You might question why a gray sweatshirt of a certain brand costs more than a similar garment of a different brand, and want to buy the off-brand garment to save money. If your child puts up a fuss about this idea, it's likely that he or she identifies with the brand and feels good wearing it. It can be advantageous to buy the child the brand name garments that excite him or her.

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