"My daughter "Robyn" is 15, and for the last five years or so, she has insisted on a ridiculous dress code. She wears nothing but black. Even her pajamas are black! She loves it and says that it's her "identity." I'm really sick of seeing my stunning daughter in nothing but black. (I have to wear black to work, so I'm sure that contributes to my aversion to this fashion choice.)"
"I'm just gonna be very real with you: You, a parent, are probably the last person capable of influencing your teenaged daughter on this matter. I'm not saying that teens don't listen or don't care at all about what we say! And there are so many things we have to try to help them think about and understand at this age; things for which the stakes are actually high."
A 15-year-old named Robyn has worn only black for about five years, calling it her identity and resisting color even for pajamas. Her parent finds the monochrome wardrobe frustrating, partly due to wearing black for work. Robyn excels academically and in performing arts, is affectionate, communicative, and well-liked. The parent asks for ways to encourage occasional color. Parents are probably the last people capable of influencing a teen's fashion choices. Teens may heed parents about high-stakes issues, but fashion serves as self-expression and independence, so parental attempts to change clothing choices are unlikely to succeed.
Read at Slate Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]