Should a 9 year old boy be fashion conscious?

I can't get my head around this, maybe it's just me and I'm just getting old and times have seriously changed, but a nine year old BOY saying he'll only wear Next boxer shorts or only wearing certain clothes and making sure his hair is looking good - his Mother held up a pair of jeans and said to me 'he likes jeans like this, this sort of shaped leg' wtf I was thinking.....a difficult day for me today and had to ask views on this..

Not as bad as the pics of Tom Cruise's 3 year old in high heels today.

She is said to have a £2mil designer wardrobe and wears make up.

You think you have problems?.

^^that is sick...what's it coming too, ffs, I'm off to bed :/

galenkia


Not as bad as the pics of Tom Cruise's 3 year old in high heels today.

She is said to have a £2mil designer wardrobe and wears make up.

You think you have problems?.

True, but saying that the biggest problem in that situation is Tom Cruise with his delirious scientology bull crap.

nope

Yep it's pretty important for a kid of that age to be fashion conscious. Far more important than for an adult TBH

That's about the age where kids start to single out outsiders for targeting, if your kid is not wearing what the other kids are wearing that will be a disadvantage for him

Now if the question was: "Is it a good thing that my son is really camp and spends four hours a day on his hair" then my answer would be different lol. But to be fashion conscious at that age definitely is important, because it will actually help him in his day to day life

I went to the pub earlier in tracksuits, was anyone there going to beat me up and steal my lunch money because of that? No. But that's because I'm a 30 years old and not 9

Yeah, but not that much detail to what your son seems to have. That is a little extra to what I'd expect.

Yeah Next boxer shorts is a bit too far!  Do the other kids at school do pants checks?

When I was 9 I was desperate for some Nike Airs and knew what clothes I liked and did not like.  

yes definately - the child has no choice and cannot work and pay for what he / she wants - if he wants something, whether you like it or not if / when I am a parent I would definately listen to what they are asking for

I remember being 6, 7, 8  . 9 years old, quite strange maybe as some people I speak to cannot remember being this young

Going into primary school with a pair of velcro fastening shoes was not very trendy when my primary school buddys were sporting LA Lights, and classic Nike Air Max / Reebok Classics and Fila / Kickers shoes

I was brought up by quite a poor family so buying designer clothes was out of the question - I could only wish for what they had...

Anyway I ended up with a pair of Nike trainers which did not fit me, but they were the only size left - I curled my toes over inside just so that I could wear them for school (I was only 8 years old) - it may seem young but at this age you do have a mind of your own!!

I remember so far back into my childhood that I have a completely different outlook on what we do and say around children

They are young, but they have a memory and can possibly remember negative things , I am lucky - I have moved house every 2 years, so if I have a memory I can pinpoint that direct to where I was living at the time, and work out how old I was - I can recall what I was doing when I was 4 years old.

I can remember what the people around me were saying - and even now I could quote something that was said by my auntie to my cousin whilst I was in the back seat in the car....

If he / she is asking for something they are not asking for Next boxers to be "different" - why would they do that, they are asking because they want to be the same as the rest of the people they are with / go to school with.

I am really strong on this subject, so much so that people do not agree with me - every action plays a part on a childs future/upbringing

I would say, buy them whatever they want - be it boxer shorts, trainers, jumper, or jeans...

Make them aware that not everything comes so easily, - they may have to wait until Christmas for the Nike Air Max - but the boxers and socks arent that expensive so give them,

Who we are when we are young has a big impact on how we fold out to become the people we are today, - 9 years of age is quite old in my opiniion, its normal to be wanting things  - not so much following fashion but just fitting in with the people they spend their day with..

kids arent dummies, they know, see, hear, breath and remember things, just like we do..

if he doesnt get his Next boxers, and he wants them, he will remember it, trust me ;)

Peace

Sadly peer pressure is all at that age.

Well put Otto

He prob just wants to get girls and hes not going to do that in M&S pants!

Or you could argue that by not getting the your kid the same stuff as everyone else will teach them that they don't have to follow the crowd and could be their own person.

Its a risk though as they could either turn out to be a strong person who knows their own mind or gets bullied.

Its a bit like that Jonny Cash song 'Boy Named Sue':

Like OTTO I moved schools a quite few times growing up. I definately remember boys on about trainers and labels at the school I was at aged 7 to 10 (late 80's) and picking on the boys who didn't have the 'right' ones. It only takes for there to be a few kids like that in the playground for the rest of them to feel the peer pressure.

I have a 9 year old stepson now and he couldn't care less but I think in his school most kids wear tesco and the peer pressure is more computer games-related!

Faux Real


Or you could argue that by not getting the your kid the same stuff as everyone else will teach them that they don't have to follow the crowd and could be their own person.

And thus ensure your child is a socal outcast for the whole time they spend at school lol.

Thanks for those replies....OTTO, I can see how a lot of things have stayed with you and your opinion was appreciated..
 
I have to add that the kid in question isn't mine, I've been seeing his mother for a few weeks now - as you can probably tell already, this subject isn't my 'swim' and I was just a bit shocked that we were shopping for a 9 year old kid who really shouldn't(in my eyes)give a to$$ about whether the leg of the jeans had that outward sweep, a bit creepy in my eyes, but I'm now thinking that I'm so out of touch! She bought a top which had a matching scarf with it(again Next)which I also thought was wrong as you've probably guessed, is this all about peer pressure then? If that is the case then I find that pretty shocking, at 12 or 13 yes but at nine this shouldn't be the case....but obviously it is..
 
Parents don't help, he's the only child and his father is on huge money, my friends son is the same age and this lad and has to do with the very basics, I think this is another reason why I find it all a bit awkward.

Those pics of Tom Cruise's 3 year old daughter in high heels made me feel sick.  WTF is wrong with people??!?!!!

Tell your son to man up.

My youngest brother is the same age, but could beat up all the other kids, so therefore doesn't need to worry about these things...your son should be taught the same IMO

Yes - to a degree though. Any child of that age should be aware that it's not the be all and end all.

Pandering to the pressures of his social group is plain wrong - far better in the long run that he realises who his real friends are.

Even children of that age should be taught right and wrong and that it doesn't matter.

RedHotF


Those pics of Tom Cruise's 3 year old daughter in high heels made me feel sick.  WTF is wrong with people??!?!!!

I agree, in fact if they are dressing their girl up in high heels and putting make-up on her then I have the right to judge them for the reason that they'd want to do that!!! There has to be a line and if that line is crossed then people should be within their rights to take a certain view on that - you know what I mean....we surely owe that to ALL kids!