I don’t know about you guys… How do you decide what clothes to buy for your kids?
Are you the #buylocal-parent or the #budgetconscious-parent?
The Buy-Local-Parent is the type who only purchases local kids garments from “baby online boutiques” or farmer’s markets and which are only made from natural fabrics and hand-dyed with nature’s colours.
You will purchase a small shirt or mini shorts for your 6mo who can barely sit up by themselves, for anything between R200-R500. They wear it maybe 6 times before they grow out of it.
And your little one has a whole closet full of expensive baby boutique items, just waiting to be grown out in 5 seconds.
Then we have the Budget Conscious parent. They go to a super cheap chain-clothing store in a mall and purchase a tiny t-shirt for R25.
The parent is not concerned when that tiny shirt gets dirty, gets a hole in or gets out-grown in 5 min. It’s ok! Want to know why… Because that tiny shirt only cost R25!
We only buy Joy’s clothing in bulk at these super cheap chain-clothing stores. I would go at the beginning of a season, purchase toddler basics.
Three of the same in different colors or styles, and I walk out of there with a whole season wardrobe all for R600! Because I know, that kids grow like nothing you have ever seen, and that this mini seasonal wardrobe will never last till next season!
I have been observing parents on social media, and there is this new trend where parents post a picture of their kid in some kind of local natural fibre outfit and then they tag the brand.
Are they doing this to show off their status? Are they tagging the brand in hopes of becoming Ambassadors of the brand? Or are they just so proud of that their child is wearing brands at such a young age?
Whatever the reason… We are All going through tough times, and there is absolutely NO shame in buying “off the rack”.
And well done for you if can by boutique clothes for your kid and make your ends meet. But there is no reason why it should be flaunted and waved in front of people’s faces.
Fast Fashion isn’t something that needs to be promoted, but these days us parents have ‘fast’ kids (growing and developing), and if I have to purchase a R25 top from the cheap chain-clothing store in order to make sure our ends meet, then so be it.
Also… Making your kids use to the brand names that they wear only leaves the door open for a very expensive spoiled teenager…
Mom's Life 