How to Dress Your Teen Girl Appropriately

Is It Worth the Fight

• As the parent of a teenager, you've probably already learned to pick your battles, and that will certainly help you now. Before you react negatively to every fashion choice your teen daughter is making, ask yourself whether it's really all that big of a deal, suggests psychotherapist Joanne Stern in "Psychology Today." If she's wearing something that looks ridiculous to you, but really isn't inappropriate, you could be better off simply letting the matter rest and waiting for her to outgrow the phase, says Stern.

Lean on School Dress Codes

• In some cases, you might have another ally on your side: the dress code at your daughter's school. Get a copy of the school's student handbook and look for any information in it regarding what's appropriate and what's not. It might include rules about hemlines, spaghetti straps or other dress features. If you find anything that can help your cause, review it with your daughter and let her know you expect her to follow the rules. If she still doesn't comply, have a discussion with a school counselor or any leaders who enforce the school policy to ask them for help.

Positive Body Image

• Educating your daughter in a compassionate, open way can also help. In the modern world, girls are sexualized by other girls, as well as by adults around them, says the American Psychological Association. One big way to help your daughter is to teach her about how women are objectified and sexualized in society. Have a conversation about how women and girls are portrayed in advertising, and how that can lead girls to believe their bodies are their only asset, suggests the APA. Help your daughter find good role models by enrolling her in a girl-positive social club, buying empowering women's magazines, or finding local lectures or radio and TV programs that discuss women's portrayal in society. Also consider whether you're being a good role model by the way you dress and act. In some cases, girls who dress provocatively are imitating their mothers or others around them.

Go Shopping with Her

• Armed with some knowledge, your daughter might begin to make better choices -- but if you're still having trouble, you do have the power to restrict how your money is spent. If your daughter makes her own money, it might be difficult for you to keep her from buying what she wants -- which is why education is important. When you're holding the purse strings, however, it's a different story. You have the power to avoid shopping at stores known for objectification of women, or ones known to sell inappropriate clothing. Also recognize that you don't have to be the only one to work on this problem. Grandparents, your child's father, and other aunts, uncles and trusted friends can be sources of support and encouragement. Encourage those helpful people not to lecture your daughter, but to look for those teachable moments during which they can have a discussion about what's appropriate and how to help your daughter respect herself.