Six style tips to keep in mind when dressing children

As a parent, the last thing on your mind is your child’s matching outfits. What you are more concerned with is they are not walking naked in the streets, they have a roof over their head, food at the table and they can afford to get a decent education.

Granted, you have most of the work covered.

But did you know that a cute outfit actually boosts your little angel’s confidence?

And here is the other thing, you don’t have to shop designer for your children. Keep it simple and functional.

As you get more children, hand the clothes down to the younger ones. Unless you have fashion forward children, they will appreciate that cute pink top from their cool big sister.

But should you want to give your kids an edge and help them stand out from the crowd, here are some styling tips you should consider when dressing your tots:

If you live in Africa, you have probably witnessed mothers wrapping their children in heavy blankets under layers of clothes. A terrible idea, this leads to discomfort, excessive sweating and skin irritation leading to other issues that could have been easily avoided if the mothers paid attention to the environment and their child’s needs.

When it is hot, dress your children lightly with loose fitting clothes they are able to run and play in freely. When it is cold, throw on the jackets, jumpers and boots.

Just because something looks nice don’t pick it over the comfort of your child. Don’t go shopping with the mentality of an adult but put yourself in your kid’s shoes.

They are at their most active stage which means they need to run around and play without any hindrance especially from their clothes.

Make sure they can bend, move and breathe properly before purchasing anything.

Don’t embarrass your children by dressing them inappropriately for occasions. If it is a birthday for instance, that is not the time to pull out formal wear but put them in shorts or a free-flowing dress.

Just because you can’t wait for them to wear the polka dot tights you just bought doesn’t mean she will never wear. Choose the right time and place to dress your children accordingly so that they are within the theme and are comfortable too.

And while at it, you also want to factor in the weather.

Clothes can get very expensive and considering your kids are growing up faster than you can count, you want to pick bigger sizes so they can last longer.

If you get sizes that fit just right it is a guarantee that a week later, they will be too tight because they’re growing.

Think along clothes like shorts and jackets that are adjustable.

The same effect jewelry has on our overall look is the same when you add a bow to your daughter’s hair or a stylish hat on your son.

You don’t have to go overboard and do it tastefully. When shopping pick for them belts, scarves, caps, sunglasses and some cute bracelets to enhance their outfits.

A cute necklace for instance hanging over your daughter’s neck to complement her pink dress will look much better than if she wore the dress alone.

An outfit is never complete with unkempt hair. Always run a comb through your son’s or daughter’s hair to ensure every strand sits where it should.

Take them for occasional haircuts, trims and braiding so they always look tidy and presentable. Then throw in those cute hair accessories on your little girl to match her outfits.