Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Kids
  3. Fostering Responsibility
  4. Teaching Kids About Shopping For Clothing

 

 

Teaching Kids About Shopping for Clothing

It benefits children to spend their own money on necessities -- they will learn to budget their money and to spend it wisely.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Teaching Kids About Shopping for Clothing

Whether your child pays for his clothes out of an allowance, spending money specifically for clothes, or personal earnings, having the responsibility of purchasing his own clothes will teach many things.

  • Budgeting money. If your child has to buy a variety of clothes, she'll have to learn that she can't blow it all on a fancy pair of boots, leaving nothing in reserve for underwear. Or, he'll have to decide whether to spend a lot on one good pair of pants or several less pricey ones.
  • Shopping for values. If your child knows that there's only so much to spend on clothes, he'll become a better shopper. He'll look for sales, compare prices, and avoid impulse buying. Today, it's easy to buy even name brands at a discount through outlet malls, through catalogs, and even on the Internet.
Watch Your Step

Don't be overly critical of your child's taste in the clothing she's bought (as long as it doesn't involve choices that you really object to, such as bustiers for a 14-year-old). This is part of her chance to express herself. In general, limit your comments to the financial aspects of her choice. Did she spend too much for what she bought? Did she find good value?

Piggybank on It

Suggest that your child try on what's in his closet to see what still fits and then make a list of what's needed. This will keep him from spending all the allotment on jeans and sweat shirts when what he really needs is a new sports jacket.

Big Things Versus Little Things

According to a survey on teens and money by Weekend USA, only 9 percent of teens thought they should be responsible for the cost of their clothes and shoes. As a parent, you may feel differently. Clothing is a big category, and you might want to shift some spending responsibility to your child without dumping the whole category on his shoulders.

Here are some arrangements you can use to split clothing purchase responsibilities:

  • Start little. Let your child shop for one needed item, and see how well he does. If he needs sneakers, you might give him a spending allowance of up to $100 and then let him decide on the pair to buy. Maybe he'll find a $50 pair he wants, or maybe he'll find a $100 pair on a 50 percent sale. Or, maybe he won't find anything in the price range you've targeted and will have to face doing without what he wants.
  • Season by season. Consider giving your child a wardrobe allowance for a season (for example, $500 for back-to-school clothes, if you can afford this amount). She'll have to decide what she needs and how to fill that need.
  • Split responsibility. Maybe you'll pay for the big-ticket items, such as a coat. Your child then becomes responsible for the smaller things, such as jeans or socks.
  • Extras. You might agree to continue paying for needed clothing, such as a new pair of shoes. If your child wants anything above and beyond the basic wardrobe, he's on his own.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

What's hot

  • Attention Seeking Behaviors KidsHow to Handle an Attention-…
  • an age-by-age guide to teaching kids about "the birds & the bees" KidsAn Age-by-Age Guide to…
  • How to stop bullying KidsHow to Stop Bullying: Real…
  • Treating Burns KidsFirst Aid For Burns: How to…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.