Dressing Your Kids to Build Confidence and Empower
The clothes we wear can have a lot of power over us and could change how we act and even make us more confident. This is something that occurs regardless of our age or our status in life. This is the same scenario for kids, as well.
Even at a young age, kids are well aware of what clothes mean to them. They are affected by the different clothing they are dressed in, which could determine their mood throughout the day. Eventually, it would also help define a crucial part of their identity as they grow up.
How Do Clothes Affect Emotions and Attitudes in Kids?
For adults, how clothing affects one would depend on the latest fashion trend, what they feel most confident in, or what they overall see as aesthetically pleasing. However, for kids, it is all pretty simple and boils down to being able to wear what they like.
Regardless of what it looks like on them or if it is a look that they will eventually outgrow, if they like something, they must be able to wear it. Otherwise, it has the ability to make change their whole mood and perhaps even make them feel less confident about themselves.
What Clothes Should I Let My Kids Wear?
Kids are still learning about their own identities and their preferences. It is best to let them explore different kinds of clothing. One day they may want to wear glittery and sparkly clothes, then the next, they may choose graphic tees with prints of their favorite cartoon characters.
Your role as a parent or guardian is to help build their self-esteem and confidence, and one way to do this is through clothing. It is important that you rid yourself and your child of any social norms that may affect their point of view. Let your kids wear whatever color or piece of clothing they want.
What Clothes Should I Avoid?
It is important to note that there are already clothes that assign gender roles and force conformity in newborns, as young as they are. Colors like blue and pink should not be assigned genders, and neither should cartoon characters.
Let your kids wear clothing that should not be gendered and whatever they are confident and comfortable in. For boys, allow them to wear clothes that defeat the toxic masculinity norms, while for girls, let them wear clothes that they are comfortable in without encouraging bodily objectification.
How Does This Benefit My Kids or Me as a Parent?
For kids, this builds their confidence and helps them create an identity other than what media dictates them. This would also encourage them to become members of society who do not propagate gender and social norms.
As a parent, this will put you at ease knowing that your kids will become valued members of society and that they will help create a society without gendered stereotypes. This will also make you feel better as a parent, knowing you helped your child gain confidence.
Conclusion
Whatever clothes your children want to wear, they should be given the opportunity to do so. It is important that you allow your kids the freedom to explore identities and express themselves. This will help build their confidence and enable them to create themselves without conforming to gender norms.
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