4 Tips to Help Kids Find Their Personal Style

This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I was paid for this post and received the included Carter’s clothing as compensation

Oh toddlers. Good thing they’re really freaking cute, right? But oy, dressing them… most of the time I don’t look forward to this. My daughter Maddie Grace who is almost 3 has been an incredibly picky dresser since she started being able to communicate. Don’t get me wrong, girlfriend loves clothes. Since she was 1 she has loved clothes and shopping in a way that I don’t think is normal for her age. But with that she is very particular about what she wants to wear and when she will wear it. And she typically wants to wear something that is incredibly inappropriate for either the weather or the situation and throws a fit when she can’t. Then there was the dresses only phase (she’s still kind of in it) where she even referred to a skirt once as being a “Dress piece. Yuck!” At least no one will ever say she doesn’t have personality. But in some weird way I love her for being picky and opinionated about her clothing and I love that her personal style definitely shows. Here are some tips for dealing with toddlers and how to help them develop their own personal style:

–Have lots of options. If you only have one party dress chances are your toddler will say, in the words of Maddie Grace “No! Yuck! That’s gross!”  I try to make sure we have several options for any occasion, clean and ready to go, at any different time. This includes things like rain jackets, rain boots, regular jackets, pants, shorts, shirts, skirts, and tops. Also keep in mind what a toddler loves one day they will likely hate the next. That’s life.

-Let them have a say. Maddie Grace loves helping me pick out clothes while shopping. Before she was even 2 she would tell me her opinions on what we were looking at at the mall. Do not underestimate your toddler having a preference. I think that me allowing Maddie Grace to help pick the clothes I buy her is what has contributed to her really loving the clothes she has in her closet. And I love the fact that she wants to have a say in her fashion choices because I’ve always seen fashion as a form of self expression. If she wants to wear a dress every day so be it – that’s her personality and I love that it comes through in her personal style!

-Give them confidence. Sometimes Maddie Grace picks out weird things and insists they go together, and sometimes she actually picks out the cutest little outfits. Regardless I always give her positive feedback on her choices. “Girl you look GOOD!” and “You look like a beautiful princess!” – because regardless of her clothing choices I want her to know she is beautiful and it’s really what’s on the inside that matters anyways. Her taste in clothes may be different and outside the box sometimes but that’s what makes her unique and I love her for it!

-Set boundaries. While I encourage letting kids pick out their own clothes, I’m also a big fan of having set rules. For example, if my daughter wants to wear a sleeveless dress and it’s below freezing outside I put down my foot. In that case she has to at least wear a jacket and pants with it. And absolutely no party dresses to school (we argue about this one a lot but I always win).

And of course I’m sharing with you some of my favorite outfits for the kids lately, all of which I found in the Carter’s section at Kohl’s! Everything is great quality, on trend, and it’s affordable so I can really stock up. I know it’s only March but it’s already warm here so I’ve been stocking up on outfits for the kids and Maddie Grace had so much fun picking out her new outfits and even picking out some for her brother. I love my kids in all of these, and of course the links are at the bottom! Between 3/17 and 4/2 you will save $10 off your $40 purchase with the code KIDSALE!

‘super cool dude’ shirt // floral Skirt // white shirt // gladiator sandals // rain jacket // rain boots // striped dress

What is your little ones personal style like? I’d love to hear your stories below!

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