by Stephanie Durden Edwards

Created on: November 02, 2009   Last Updated: November 03, 2009

Shopping is so much easier for a little girl, while they are still little. They sit in the stroller, happy to babble to passers-by or sip the juice from their trainer cups, all the while Mom is free to ooh and ah over the cutest dresses and delicate frills to her heart's content.

Then something happens, and as the birthdays come and the dress sizes increase, so do her opinions and that ever-emerging eye-roll reflex.

Congratulations. You are now the parent of a preteen daughter.

There are many wonderful milestones that accompany the age (generally from 9 until 12.) Slowly, the young girl begins to emerge and take on the image of a graceful young woman. As a parent, your heart swells with pride as you see your little girl make choices based upon justice and fairness; she helps the outsider at school because it is the right thing to do. She is experimenting with independence, and beginning that long road that will someday, fingers crossed, lead to you watching her walk at her graduation, choose a good college, maybe eventually walk down the aisle with an undeserving young man (no one will ever be quite good enough for her) and begin a life and family all her own.

Shopping with your preteen is not one of those wonderful milestones. Nor will it likely go down in history as one of your finer moments in parenting either. Preparing to shop, especially clothes shop, with your preteen daughter should be approached with caution and respect.

Think of the rigorous training special ops soldiers receive for hand-to-hand combat. Not even that would be enough; but it would help.

You must begin your day well rested. It is crucial to the survival of the mission that you go in awake and alert; anything else is an exercise in futility. Your daughter will change and turn into an almost unrecognizable creature the moment the department store doors swing open before her. You are in the jungle now. You must be ready for whatever comes.

In your mind, you will be telling yourself what a fantastic idea this is, how excited you are to share this special day with your growing and changing daughter! At first, she will be merely excited and enthralled by the racks of clothing and choices of colors. Slowly, you will notice a disturbing pattern. One pair of awesome jeans will lead to the need for an even more awesome belt; the sparkly one is the best.

But, then while she is gazing at the belts, a sweater will catch her eye. The sprint begins. She will run to the sweaters, desperately looking

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