As we walked into Dairy Queen tonight my son asked, "What brand are your shoes?" I replied "Reebok, why?" He replied, "O mine are Nike."
Next we get home and he picks sweat pants to sleep in. Normally he would just put them on and be done with it, but he starts looking for the tag. I with a puzzled look on my face ask, "What are you looking for?" He replied, "just checking the brand".
This is all new to me. None of my other children have cared about what brand of clothing, shoes or pj's for that matter they were wearing. Is this now a big thing at school?
Thanks to a thrifty mom and a great second hand store in a near by town, I can for the most part keep my kids in the name brand clothing for cheaper than buying clothing at Wal-Mart, Target, etc... I usually buy (within reason) the clothing, brands they want since I know it is hard enough for kids to fit in already. If I had to purchase new clothing from the mall there is no way I could give my kids all the name brand clothing they want.
You have answered and posted about brands before. I suggest the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
As my teacher friends will tell you, kids can be brutal to other kids when
it comes to brand names.
When I was in 7th grade, I distinctly remember the brands all the "in" kids
wore.
Now it's the same, just different brands.
With all the bullying going around, I would rather have my child where
brand names when we can afford it so they are not targeted by wearing
hand me downs and generic clothing.
We buy my stepdaughter all brand names & just look for sales.
It makes me feel so much better knowing that my husband will make this
one compromise.
Find them on sale, get name brands at thrift stores, take hand me downs.
Let him wear the name brands to school & the generic clothes at home.
Kids are brutal and this is just one way to help your kids not become a
target for bullying.
Your description is of a boy who has discovered brands and is curious about them. Is he asking to wear only certain brands? Brands are always a big thing in school for some kids. But I wouldn't assume he's wanting to only wear certain brands if he isn't asking to do so.
I'm confused after your SWH. Above you say your kids don't care about brands and in your SWH you say you're able to buy the brands they want.
I remember when my son was in grade 2 and I bought him Spiderman boots, and he was so embarassed that he tried to hide his boots every day because everyone would think he was a baby. He is ten now and definitely shows a preference to certain brand names.
Now? a big thing at school. Always has been. Maybe your other two did not hang with brand savvy kids. He seems to pay attention to this. Some schools have more of it than others. Depends on the socioeconomic status of the families.
This is so not a new thing. It just didn't start until I was middle school, when I was a kid. Guess, Calvin Klein, Jordache, etc. I was the kid who wore the Kmart clothes and got maybe one outfit for the new school year. It sucked.
I don't think this could be considered a new thing at all. I am almost 40 (how did that happen?) but I clearly remember middle school when Jordache jeans were a must and you were nothing if you did not have a pair or 5 or 10. In high school, the only ok jeans for boys were Levis. All the girls had to have tops/sweaters from The Limited and Express. I was glad when high school was over :-)
Anyway, my son just turned 5 and he is not brand conscience yet. I have peers with older children than my son. I met them when their children were junior high aged. I've noticed that some go through that phase and some do not. For example, with the children of our friend's that I just mentioned, it was the son that was very conscience about the brands/trends that he was wearing, but the daughter loved to go to thrift stores and put together very creative but cheap outfits. She is actually living in NYC at college, studying her second year of fashion design :-)
Mine are in 4th and 1st grade and we haven't had that concern yet, thank goodness. What is funny is that I've had to take control of what brand they are wearing when we go to visit with a few friends of ours who work for local shoe/apparel companies. We're visiting so and so, go put on your Columbia jacket! We're lucky to have a lot of employee stores in the area for the sportswear companies, so that helps with shoes and sportswear. We usually get decent gear for half price. I looked into some Nike's recently and the retail price was silly for kid shoes. We found a great pair at Goodwill for $3.
Some kids are more interested in clothing when they are young. I wouldn't stress it too much and find other ways to get the fun brands he wants. Even having one or two things to put on that makes him feel connected to other kids, can go a long way.
I'm pretty amazed that my kids don't have much of a need for brands, considering the school they go to, but those kids are some of the most down to earth kids I've ever met. The teachers and staff are doing a ton to make everyone feel accepted.
It's big at my kids school. He is 9 and we do not have much money, but the school district we are in most parents are MD's or have a big IBM jobs. We live just at the border of the zone and in a lower class then the other parents. All the kids at school have facy Nike shoes and name brand cloths. I got my son a I phone for his birthday and thought that was a really great gift. This kid in my sons class says "oh I alredy have a I phone and a I pad and a I pod........". OH my! I tell my son we cant afford that kind of stuff and he is a great kid and gets in. good luck!
you may have to get a job to afford 'brand' name clothes for your boy.
Go to the second hand store and get a few things that are name brands.
Kids are brutal. So, let him have a few name brand items w/out the big price tag.
