My daughter is 18 years old. Would you believe that never once in those 18 years has she ever shopped for and bought her own clothes?

Friends can't believe that my daughter really likes everything I've purchased for her in her wardrobe. What's so difficult about knowing the right size and what a young girl will like? There are even times when she's sees something of mine and askes me why I didn't get her the same thing or one like it.

Kids at school are always asking her where she gets her clothes and she says she has to answer, "I'll have to ask my mom because I don't know." I've never had to return anything because she didn't like it. The only returns are when sizes aren't as they seem.

I think it's a real compliment to be in tune with what my daughter likes.

I stopped trying to pick out clothes for my daughter when she was about 12, unless she was with me. She always dressed in what I considered appropriate taste, but that taste was and still is very different from mine.

That seems to be changing now that she's an adult and living in another state. During our vacation last summer, we discovered we had bought the same top, although in a different color, in a branch of the same store near each of us. I don't think that would have happened ten years ago.

Jackie, it just goes to show you how much we really do influence our children's taste in many things.

Hubby and I was at the mall with the youngest daughter last night.

She hadn't seen any presents placed around the tree as yet, so I assume she wanted to make sure we remembered what she likes.
Her first store was Charlotte Rouse, she instantly pointed out the furry boots, her dad and I had purchased.
They have such cute things for young girls in there.

Next, store was Express....how many of you purchase jeans for $130.?
Scratch marks and holes in them, no kidding.
She is getting jeans, just not those.

Stopped by Hickory Farms and picked up a nice food basket for the next door neighbor's....decided to give the kid's Chatty's Popcorn Cake. Want to wrap with colored cellophane and add a ribbon so they look like ornaments.

Seemed like everyone in town was there yesterday, every parking spot taken.

Kid's were so cute...sitting upon Santa's lap.

Never purchased jeans for $130.00 a pair. I got two gorgeous pairs for $40.00 each. One pair had flowers embroidered in shades of cream and brown in a satiny looking finish and the other had pink and burgundy beaded flowers down one side of the leg. Just beautiful. I got these at Kaufmann's and get a lot of beautiful clothes there for my daughter in the junior department.

My brother's girls were told they could pay for expensive items themselves....and it got old really fast!!!

I wouldn't pay $130 for anything for myself!!!

I saw a special on 20/20 I think...about how people think something is better because it costs more money. They slipped a cheapo sweater in the pile & people went to that one more than the expensive ones.

I grew up being the poor kid in a rich area....& I always had the knock offs......*I wear my K-Mart sneakers proudly now!!

My brother found it amazing that my two children never asked for name brand items like his two girls did.

I taught them that the two hundred dollar sneakers with the athletes endorsements were made side by side with the sixty dollar sneakers and were actually the same.

My kids never asked for brand names because they knew we couldn't afford them. Heck, I can't afford them now, either. Besides, who needs $200 sneakers?

Just to set the record straight.... my daughter didn't ask for the jeans, she knows I wouldn't buy them.

It was funny, they had about 5 racks of jeans up front with a $20. save tag. So, I'm thinking $20. off...not bad until I looked at the $130. sticker.
Then I'm thinking to myself, who buys $130. jeans...for that price I'd be afraid to put them in the washer.

Do you spend more for your kid's clothes than you do for your own? I do. Can't figure out why, but I do.

I have already noticed that when my oldest son is spending his own money, he is much more frugal than when spending Mom and Dad's.

My problem is that this time of year I love to spoil everyone. Maybe it's because my parents spoiled us at Christmas.

[ December 12, 2005, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: Dotsie ]

They are always more frugal when spending their own money.
Keep telling all the men here... "that women do not like cheap men".
I mean the kind that squeek when they walk...squeeze the buffalo till it screams... open the wallet and it creaks.
We've all know one at one time or another.

My elderly lady friend has a daughter who does spend $200.00 for sneakers. This mom works but has never been married and has three children, each by separate fathers.

My friend is always helping her daughter pay her bills. The daughter is about 42 years old. The fathers never see their children or make child support payments. Each of the three children is involved in 3 or more sports per year.

It is baffling to hear the daughter cry and complain about "her life." Seems she made more than one bad decision. The daughter is really a nice person but I don't feel badly for her situation. If you are strapped for cash have each child chose one sport to play. Buy sneakers at reasonable prices as well as other things they need. This daughter has relied on her mom (my friend) just a little too much. However, I have never advised my friend not to help her daughter. The grandchildren are very good kids and they will be the ones to suffer if mom cannot make the payments on their home. They have lived with my friend in the past which caused a lot of friction with my friend's second husband.

The daughter also has "borrowed" so much money from my friend that there is no way she'll ever be able to repay it.

Charlotte Rouse, Rave, Papaya, to name a few have beautiful clothing and shoes/boots reasonably priced. Rave's clothing is cheaply made, but with the fashions changing like the national debt, quality really doesn't matter as much as price.