I have been having an internal debate this week on what I am prepared to spend on clothes for a 13-year-old teenage boy. Up until now his designers of choice has been sportswear. Pulling on a pair of joggers and a Nike hoody has been about as much as it takes to get ready. Yet that seems to have changed, he still wears the hoody and joggers but has asked for a new brand.
A brand not on my radar. Now to be fair to him, he asks for very little. I have spent much more on the girls over the years. Chloe had a pair of Ugg boots at his age that cost me about £100. I spend £70 ish on trainers as he needs them and I don’t pull a face about it. Before our holiday I bought some Converse for him and to make sure I don’t pay over the odds I always look at an online store like Love the Sales. They use a nifty bit of software that can hunt out the sale items for you. I like getting a bargain but it seems bargains are limited with the new brand he covets.
I opened the discussion up on my Facebook page because £200 for a jumper does seem a lot. Especially when you say it out loud. However, we do spend money like that on other things. Erin’s birthday party, for example, will cost a similar amount. The responses varied as I thought they would. Many said not a chance, others say they would go halves and some saying, yes if he really wanted it they would buy it.
We can afford it and no doubt come Christmas I will be struggling with ideas for him. Therefore should I just get it ready for Christmas? Or is it just too much to justify on one jumper?
Am I setting a precedent that I will regret? However, I am not very good at saying no to my children, although I only really buy expensive things for Christmas and birthdays. The clothes themselves are very plain and I know we are just buying a name. The jumper is no better than many other brands. How important is it do you think for a teen boy to have the brands that make him feel special?
Honestly, I often think parenting little ones are so much easier. You control what they do and wear. Negotiating parenting with teens is so challenging and there is no rulebook.
Would you spend £200 on a jumper?
2 Responses
Ooh, this is such a difficult one because I do appreciate that this kind of thing is SO important to teenagers! The issue for me is one of cost per wear – will he wear it more than 200 times? If so, £1 per wear is looking a bit more reasonable. But if he’s only going to wear it a few times, well, I think I’d say no. Parenting doesn’t get easier, does it?!
When my son started secondary school, he began to ask for designer clothes. A lot of his new friends wore them and he started to feel left out, like he wanted to fit in.
He has always played an interest in the clothes that he wears, but mever before asked for an item of clothing that wasnt from a high street store. I never really bought him sports clothes neither as I find them too expensive forvwhat they were and was just paying for a label. But, this time, he asked for a coat that cost a few hundred pounds. I said No and bought him one that cost 100 instead. And, I’m so glad that I did as it got stolen in school after he had it for 6 months.
Now, he is 15, I buy him designer clothes but fur Christmas or birthdays and I always get them in the sales. He isn’t too fussed any more, and although he is very happy with the clothes that I but him, he more often than not chooses the cheaper products.