Should Parents Police Their Children’s Outfits? Here’s What Nigerians Think

Nigeria, being a very conservative society, is one where parents see the need to police their children’s fashion choices. Many times, even after an average Nigerian female passes her teenage years, she still gets her outfits policed by her parents. 

As every other thing parents do for their children, policing outfits has its downside and upsides. We asked Nigerians what they think about parents policing their children’s outfits, if they think the methods used are effective, and what age they think policing should stop. Here’s what they shared with us. 

Collins

I believe that every parent has the divine responsibility to guide their children in their adolescent age, and yes, that includes dressing. Giving their children a sense of what is appropriate, that their dressing might be an extension of the excellence God has placed inside them. 

When it is done properly, with wisdom and truth, I believe it will not only be effective, but it also builds up the child’s confidence.

That’s actually a difficult one, I can’t really say at what age parents should stop policing their children’s outfit choices. It’s dependent on the parent and child, I can’t say. 😁

Yep, my parents policed my fashion choices when I was much younger, they stopped when I was 16 years old. I guess by then I knew who I was, so my dress style kind of flowed from that understanding.

Samuella

I think the best way to answer this question is to give my parenting philosophy. I think parenting is in phases – instruction, guidance, and support.

At the phase of instruction, policing, and even picking out outfits, is very important. This is because at this time, they are young children and this is the time to instil proper values in them. 

By the time they enter their preteens, you should no longer be picking out their outfits anymore. They should have been part of the process before then so parents can police children, but minimally, into their mid-teens.

Once they hit 16, thereabout, that’s the stage where they need guidance. Showing them what’s right and wrong, and helping them make crucial decisions is where it’s at. That’s not the time to be policing their outfits.

That’s child’s play. It’s the time to guide then into laying the foundation for adulthood. When they get to adulthood, that’s the time where they need support.

My parents did police my outfits. Now, it’s not like they’ll punish me or any of my siblings for wearing what they don’t like, but, they still complain about stuff we wear that they don’t like.

Loveth

I think it is necessary and important for parents to police their children’s outfits because they have experiences in these things and they also help children make decisions. There is a saying that says, ‘the way you dress is the way you would be addressed’.

It’s a 40 to 60 chance these days. Policing is not that effective anymore because parents feel they don’t want to chase their children away.

I won’t say there is a specific age policing should be stopped. Age is just a number, but when they think and know that their children are mature and have experiences about these things, then, they can stop.

Yes, they did police my outfits and even as I am 19 now, they still police my outfit because they want the best for me.

Femi

I think policing your kids to wear a specific type of clothing is wrong, however, parents can guide them in choosing what to wear. Let them pick and you can veto it to make sure it’s a responsible outfit.

Fashion is more than just appearing responsible, but, also the connection between the person and the clothes makes them appear great. If I don’t like the clothes I am wearing, I will look lost. 

I don’t think it is effective because most parents that police what their kids wear are often on a loop because children have decisions to make as well. And how they appear is an important decision of theirs. 

I believe once one is getting to a teenager, a parent should let them pick the clothes to wear. 

My parents did not really police my outfits. I guess I did not have a choice then because the clothes my parents bought are what I used to wear, but, once I became a teenager, I made a few choices of what to wear.

Tosin

Policing outfit, to me, depends on the age. There are certain ages that I think parents could guide, not police, how their children dress. But when the child is about 16 years old, the child should be fine enough to know what to wear.

It is effective in a way. It helps to put in the child consciousness to limit how far the person can go in their dressing if the parents are strict about dressing.

My parents have actually have not exactly stopped policing my outfits, they sometimes have something to say but it is not as bad as when I was younger. It reduced when I was 15 or 16.

Kunmi

I think it is necessary for parents to engraft the kind of decency they want in their children from a very young age and affirming it in them as they grow into their teenage years. Not just to police them but make them see reasons why they should not wear some outfits.

Well, sometimes it is effective and sometimes it is not. I think parents should tone it down just after teenage years when their child is transforming young adults.

Yes, they haven’t really stopped but I have already developed a level of decency that is acceptable for me and also them.

Glory

Parents policing their children’s outfits is actually a good thing because it helps groom the child for the better. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he grows he won’t depart from it” .(otan, that Bible verse has said it all).

Yes, I believe it’s effective. As the child grows, he or she begins to decipher between what’s decent and what’s not. Parents should stop policing their children’s outfits when they’ve shown obvious signs of maturity. And the parents see the child no longer needs policing. Probably at the age of 18.

Yes o, they did police my outfits. And it was so frustrating, but I appreciate it now. I can’t say exactly when they stopped, I just noticed they stopped.