The kids of the present generation are surely a smart lot. Even at their young age, they can get very particular about their clothing and insist on their own choices, whilst preparing to go out. At times they can get really fussy about it.

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For some parents it can be a mini- battle with kids, when it comes to the point of selecting their outfit. As a mother, I've had to face these problems, especially while getting my son ready for his kinder classes. On most occasions, his choices were exactly the opposite of what I had originally decided for him. Eventually I had to give in to his choices, and even got annoyed at times.
Over a period of time, I have learnt to manage this better and have found out a few ways to control this behavior:
1) Make them select from the outfits that you would like them to wear. You can do this by arranging the clothes in a set, to suit a particular occasion. Put all the clothes that you want your child to wear at the top for them to choose one from. The clothes which become old or will not fit need to go back into the wardrobe shelf or better still, sorted out for storing or the charity shop. When the kids get to choose one outfit from the 3-4 outfit choices at the top of the pile, they feel that they have made a choice themselves and feel happy about it!
2) Take pictures of your kids in the outfits you would ideally want them to wear. Use encouraging words about the clothing and make them feel that it really suits them well.

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3) Organize the outfits with a reason. It is a good idea to organize a set of clothes together for a purpose. I usually involve my son to choose his clothes for the week. Most of the time, kids are unable to finalize a particular dress from a choice of their favorite ones. By following this practice, the kids get to choose multiple favorite dresses for the week. Also, as the kids themselves have chosen them, we save on the time spent on convincing them to wear it.
4) Choose the material of the cloth carefully. While purchasing outfits for young kids, we must ensure that the texture of the dresses is comfortable for them. Children have a tender skin and naturally are likely to prefer comfortable clothing.
5) Divert their mind. On some occasions even after trying, children may get a little fussy about their outfits and refuse to budge. On such occasions, try to get them engrossed in some kind of activity while getting them dressed.

Photo by David Castillo Dominici, http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
The choice of outfits that a child makes, generally has a linkage to their personality. Hence, it becomes important for us, as parents, to understand their personality and develop their sense of style accordingly. This will help in nurturing their choices and may benefit them in the longer run.