by JenJen

Created on: April 27, 2008

Shopping with preteens can be just as easy or hard as you make it. The key thing is to prepare. Firstly, give your child the budget. Tell them they have 30 to spend on clothes, but that's it. As they are younger, thirty pounds will seem like a LOT, and hopefully, they will enjoy having control over the money.

You could offer them a reward at the end- however much of that 30 they don't use, they can keep. Make sure they know exactly what they'll need to buy though. Run through the list of clothes that they will need to buy with them, and make sure they understand roughly how much each item of clothing will cost.

Encourage them to check out charity shops, explaining that this could save a lot of their valuable 30.

Take regular breaks, as children of that age tend to get tired easily, and stopping and having a bite to eat could give you time to see how much of the budget your child has left.

With this budget, make sure the budget is under what you actually do have to spend, so that you can help them out at the end, if they don't have enough.

As the adult, it is your job to make sure the outfit they are buying is appropriate for their age group, fits well, and is of good quality. If you don't think it is a good fit, or right for their age, explain to them the reason you don't want to buy it. Honestly is generally the best policy, and you could try saying, "I'm only telling you this, because I know you are a lot more grown up than a lot of children, and so will understand." By comparing them to other children, and showing that they are better than most children, they will feel flattered, and so less likely to argue.

If they refuse to budge about one particular piece of clothing, consider buying it for a birthday or Christmas, and if this is an option, tell them so. If it is just a bit too expensive, why not offer to buy it for them in return for chores. If they say no, then you will save money, if they say OK, then you can get some help in the house!

Another idea is to get together with some parents from your child's class, and find a style of clothing that is affordable, and that you all think is suitable, and then each buy your child it. They will be happy because their friends have it too, and so will feel like they fit in, so you can have a happy kid, without having to spend extreme amounts!

Lastly, it is OK to spend more on some 'key pieces' for your child's wardrobe. Things that won't go out of fashion, and that will go with everything. This could be anything from coats, to a bag. If it looks a little bit posh and grown up, they will be very wary of damaging it, and so will look after it.

Happy shopping :)

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