I Think More Parents Need to Tell Their Kids No

So my 14 year old daughter is shopping around for her first high school dance in a few weeks and she gives me a list of dresses that she'd like. I have to wonder if she was just hoping I wouldn't notice how inappropriate they were or if she figured if she gave me a lot of bad ones the one that was just barely against the rules would slide.

When I told her no to all of them she got a bit of a pout but went back to her room and did more looking then came out with this one

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She actually told me when I told her that was unacceptable that I was a mean mom and totally unfair because girls wear dresses like that every day around town. I told her she's not every girl and no 14 year old daughter of mine would dare wear something so reveling and short!

She did not like that and got an attitude and slammed her door. So rather than having an nice afternoon of mother/daughter shopping time looking for dresses she got her bottom spanked. Hopefully next time she'll pick out a more reasonable dress to wear.

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SW-User

Tell her to wear whatever she wants when she's an adult, 14 yo's should wear something more funky and age appropriate

Kathryn05 · 41-45, F

@SW-User That's what I told her. When we go shopping next time we're going to look for age appropriate party dresses. She of course told me that most girls her age wear things like that now.

katielass · F

@Kathryn05 If most kids jumped off a cliff would you do it too? (sound familiar?)

Kathryn05 · 41-45, F

@katielass Sounds very familiar alright. My daughter insists all the other girls her age have way more freedoms than she does. Even her friends at our rather strict private Christian school have parents who let them do things.

katielass · F

@Kathryn05 I know, my parents were the same but just like me, she will thank you later because she'll realize YOU LOVE HER. Those other girls don't know that.

SW-User

@Kathryn05 Lol, I get what you mean because my mum would not let me get dresses above my knee 😂

Kathryn05 · 41-45, F

@SW-User In this case I would say the length of the dress was the least offensive part of the dress she chose but it was still unacceptable to me

SW-User

Just tell her that every house has it's rules, and that you're not her enemy, tbh go shopping with her 😂

Kathryn05 · 41-45, F

@katielass Let's hope so. If she takes after me I've got a few more years of teenage attitude to go still!

Kathryn05 · 41-45, F

@SW-User She's been told that but she insists I have "too many rules and they are too old fashioned". We did go shopping together I trust her about as far as I can throw her when it comes to making sensible fashion choices