Your thoughts//opinions....

[lmags]

Me and a buddy were talking the other day. Do you think your kids should have nothing but brand name clothing? Or is this just spoiling them and giving into the mainstream horse hockey. Does giving them nothing but top labels or brands teach them anything or would you rather give them the lesser brands and explain why and try to teach them the true value of a dollar?

[Stickler]

I would teach them the value of a dollar. Sometimes brand name stuff is better than the no name stuff and vise versa. I have had the same pair of Adidas shoes for about 1.5-2 years and they are JUST starting to tear apart at the inside of the heal and only because I slip them on and off. Those shoes cost me about 100 bucks. Turn it on the flip side. Before I got those shoes, I bought a cheap pair from a department store that starts with a "Z" and those were wrecked in 4 months under the same conditions. Those shoes cost me about 20 bucks.

Now on the other hand, a tshirt from a discount store may be a better bargain than a t shirt at a brand name store.

[SusyQ]

Same here because as they get older and go on their own they may not have the coin too buy it and that in itself is a sour lesson taught by parents.

[westend mama]

When my kids were young, they got alot of "hand me downs", I was a stay at home mom when the kids were young, and only living on hubbys income. I didn`t go back to work until the youngest was in grade 3. They did not grow up with brand name clothing. As they got older and wanted $90.00 jeans, they also started babysitting, or got a part time job. As I told them, I have NEVER spent that much on 1 pair of jeans for myself, even when I was single and could afford it. One daughter found out quick that brand names weren`t "all that", and to this day, she still is looking for a good deal. The youngest(16)has to have almost all brand name stuff. Most she orders on-line. That`t where her pay cheques go. But she is great about taking care of all the clothes she buys. She was looking on-line again tonight, and I said to her that I couldn`t believe how she is so into BRAND NAMES. I told her that she is just paying for the name on most things. She said she knows, but she don`t care.

[H.E. Pennypacker]

save their money, get their own clothes

[westend mama]

When the kids are little, why on earth would you spend so much money on brand name clothing? And they grow out of them so fast. Buy cheaper clothing, and put that extra money towards their future.

[kuietgrl (got lost)]

I don't think there's anything wrong at all with buying brand name clothes. As long as you're teaching your child about life being more than looks, I don't see a problem. It's the ones that reinforce the fact that everything you do in life is based on how you look...I don't agree with that. But my daughter has mostly brand name clothes. So? lol

That being said...I, myself, could care less about brand names. I don't wear make-up, don't care what name is on the tag of my clothes...meh. But if my daughter wants brand name, I will buy it for her.

[westend mama]

I taught my kids early the value of a dollar.

[SusyQ]

My nine year old now knows that $30 can get you 1 pair of jeans from Walmart or 3 pairs from Valu Village. What does she choose Valu Village because of the fact that it was taught too her at young age. She would sooner save her money for something she may need than spend it foolishly. She's dressed just as well as any other child in her school.

[NoName]

Definitely better to teach the value of a dollar, because the kids who grow up with brand name clothing and a fairly luxerious lifestyle as children are the ones most likely to have problems when they are out on their own and have to buy everything themselves. Especially if they end up in a situation where they don't have the highest paying job in the world. The ones who realize that there are more important things in life seem better able to manage their money, and have more money to spend on things that are important (food, etc)

[Dreamin]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: *kuietgrl*</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't think there's anything wrong at all with buying brand name clothes. As long as you're teaching your child about life being more than looks, I don't see a problem. It's the ones that reinforce the fact that everything you do in life is based on how you look...I don't agree with that. But my daughter has mostly brand name clothes. So? lol

That being said...I, myself, could care less about brand names. I don't wear make-up, don't care what name is on the tag of my clothes...meh. But if my daughter wants brand name, I will buy it for her. </div></div>
I agree. Small kids don't care about what brand they're wearing, as long as they're comfortable. When they're young, they learn it from the parents who instill it.

As they grow, if they have the proper morals and values instilled, it won't matter.

With that said, as long ago as it was I remember being a kid, and kids will always want the latest fads. I don't see anything wrong with giving them what they would like, if it is deserved, earned, and affordable.

[Chaotic Chick]

I tell my kids they can have the name brands, but they can get a lot more for the money I am willing to spend if they choose not to get name brands. If my oldest daughter (she is 17) would rather have one pair of jeans for $75 than 3 pairs at $25 each, that is up to her. I used to buy her tennis shoes that were $100 to $125. If they wore out, she would have to wear her other, cheaper shoes until I could buy another pair. With 3 younger siblings, she is lucky I was ever able to do that lol. I give them the choice because I would rather my kids have one pair of jeans they love, than 3 pairs sitting in the closet under everything else.

I don't care about name brands. I have a lot of clothes; enough for about 5 other people but I don't think any are name brands. And I bet everything in my closet was on sale lol. When I took my 9 year old son and 12 year old daughter clothes shopping last week, my son came to a revelation. "Mom! You can buy me LOTS of shirts if they are only $10 right?" My husband and I told him that was right. He said, "So if they are on sale for $7, I can get even more right?" (My son recently grew out of everything and we were replacing all of his clothes lol). We told him that he could and he walked out with 6 shirts, a sweater, jeans, shoes and a new snow suit (he goes through 3 of those a year :|). He learned well from me I guess lol. I love sales. Even my 12 year old daughter only bought one name brand thing, from Garage. She heard her older sisters grumbling about their worn out shoes, ticked off that I wouldn't buy them new ones until school started. She heard me argue that it was not my fault they shrunk a $60 sweater, when I TOLD them it did not belong in the dryer. She is happy with anything my husband and I buy her and appreciates it all. She even says to her little brother at times, "They don't have a money tree, you know," when he asks for an expensive video game or something. [img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif[/img]

[westend mama]

I agree with SusyQ, VV`s is a favorite place to shop on a buget, for young and old, and middleage, lol. Go there first.

[Chaotic Chick]

My oldest daughter actually asked me to buy her a (name brand) sweater from Valu Village on Sunday. I was surprised but more than happy to save about $40 on a sweater!

[SusyQ]

It doesn't feel as bad too throw a $5 pair of jeans or a $20 pair of shoes in the garbage if they develop holes etc. As a matter of fact my 9 year old would rather give her clothes toys books etc. too the yellow boxes instead of Valu Village because the boxes don't charge people as much as Valu Village. She is a peach.

[westend mama]

Kid`s do learn by example.

[SusyQ]

I agree with you 101%.

[heintzman]

it is all about fitting in, they know that the price is outlandish, but they don't care, all they care about is fitting in, and having the stuff that all the other kids have, like when i was a kid all i wanted was 'land lubber' jeans , from the jean place on bruce st. ,, so we do indulge, to a point. some plain t's , some scrub jeans for the weekends,

[Dreamin]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: westend mamma</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Kid`s do learn by example. </div></div>
They sure do.

[Lance]

Buy the counterfeit knock offs from China,you get the brand names but with the dollar store prices all in one.