Tween Style: Clothes, Gear, Ideas for Middle Schoolers

These are the years that your childen will be caught in the squeeze. They’re not little kids, but they’re not grown up, either. Their friends become the center of their universe. The occasional sideways glance or the most well-intended comment can send them wailing to their rooms.

This, too, can be the time when labels are placed on them — or they place labels on themselves. Sometimes those labels are hard to remove.

Clothing becomes a very big deal, and is one of ways tweens establish their sense of identity. Bags, backpacks, shoes, what their friends wear, what the “popular” kids wear, even the way their rooms look: all of that becomes of paramount importance. How do you find the sweet spot between helping them fit in vs. seeing themselves as individuals? How much is too much money to spend on clothes and other things your child says she or he absolutely must have?

To smooth the process, we’ve gathered fashion trends for the middle school crowd, some ideas about accessories and gear they might like, and some advice from recent middle school grads about what works and what doesn’t. We’ve even got the top three things you’re probably going to argue about.

Middle School Style: Look Like the Big Kids, Only Cuter

Tweens this fall will follow the same fashion path they always have: Trying to look like the high school kids (in, for example, a mini-skort from Limited Too, left). But parents must take steps to keep them from wearing the racy, edgy and sometimes revealing styles worn by older teens. Another wrinkle this season is layering, which extends the life of their wardrobe and saves money, too. The Story

Middle-Schoolers Just Can’t Live Without These Basics

Sure your child needs a backpack. And shoes. And some accessories. But what do they “really” need for school? A laptop? Probably not, but an inexpensive one for home doesn’t hurt. An iPod? No, but there are inexpensive ones for use at home. Consider our list of back-to-school extras before you shop. The Story

Some Wardrobe Advice from Recent Middle-School Grads

We know they’re not listening to Mom or Dad when it comes to clothing choices and makeup overkill. But perhaps they’ll listen to some kids who just emerged from middle school. Their advice? Don’t dress too young, or too old. And ditch the rolling backpack. The Story

No Grown-ups Allowed: Teen Bedroom Makeover Ideas

OK, Mom and Dad, step aside. Yes, you get to set some ground rules about what isn’t allowed (be open-minded here, such as with the “Hanging Dolly” mobile, right), and what is too expensive. Then let your teen take the reins and work with him or her to bring some fresh ideas and interesting expressions of identity into the bedroom. The Story

The 3 Things You’re Probably Going to Argue About

The topics won’t surprise you, but the reasons underlying the conflicts are what matter most. This is the stage of your child’s life where you need to listen to him or her carefully, because sometimes you will have to read between the lines, experts say.  The Story