I DON'T DO TEENAGERS â—½ HOME
Teens are expensive, that’s a given. Especially all of their extra-curricular activities, the massive amounts of food they consume, and the gifts they want to buy for themselves and to give their friends. Oh, and the clothes! Even finding the time to take them clothes shopping, deciding where to go, and how to budget, just seems nearly impossible. Ordering on line is definitely an option, but sometimes the fit is off, and…you’re missing an opportunity to have the best fun ever!
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She’s not quite a teen but close enough, and an evening shopping with her reminded me of some good pointers on why a shopping spree is so fun and necessary and a blessing…to both the teens…and you:
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We started in the car with a snack, because we went after school and she was hungry. A mini bundt cake was the best. This way, she was full and satisfied and ready to walk the aisles to browse.
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She had already looked online at Target and seen some outfit inspo that she had on her phone. This helped a lot, as we were focused and looked for specific trends and things she loved. For example, hair bows. They’re everywhere and she found some!
I had an amount in my head, and she knows that I do when we shop. So we pile all the clothes in the cart, she tries them on and chooses yay or nay, and then…we add up the total. I then communicate if we’re over or under budget, and she chooses a few to put back.
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This time, I did splurge a bit more, because she needed a couple pair of sandals!
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Let me stop here and give kudos to Target, because their teen clothes are still mostly very affordable. We found multiple summer tops for only $10 each and the cutest skirt on clearance for nine bucks!
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We chatted while we shopped, she thought about practicality (like if she’d need shorts underneath or a tube top, etc.), we laughed at ugly styles and swooned over the cutest dresses. Of course, we both love fashion so much, so our connection while shopping was the best.
I enjoyed watching her pair her tops and bottoms, and then pick out the hair bows to go with. And it made me smile to remember how she used to long for the time she could wear “adult” shoes and that time is here! She’s in a size 6!
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Later that evening, her brothers and parents joined us for dinner and then we stopped at Dicks for the boys a new pair of kicks. That’s all they wanted.
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Yes, it was a lot of money, but we only do this a couple times a year, and I come home tired but happy and smiling at the memories, the conversations, and the photos I snapped as she posed in her new looks.
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Maybe you only have $50 to spend a month, or you too save up for a big haul and spend it all in one night. But shopping with your teen, enjoying a snack beforehand, and knowing what you want before you head inside (and what you need by looking at your closet before you go), makes for such a fun experience.