How Would You Handle This Teen Clothing Issue?

Updated on May 04, 2010
M.C. asks from Ann Arbor, MI
10 answers

Hi Moms,

I have a 15 year old daughter who lives with her dad. Well, yesterday I called her and asked her how her weekend went. She is very upset at her Dad because of her cousin, Mandy. Here's the story: My daughter is small framed and owns some expensive hoodies. Her cousin, who I will call Addy, who is also my daughter's size, called her and asked if she could borrow a hoodie and my daughter told her okay. These two girls exchange clothes all the time, no problem there as they are the same size. Well, Addy's sister, Mandy, who is large framed, came over also and without asking my daughter, sneaked one of these hoodies without my daughter noticing and wore it, stretching it out so that it doesn't fit my daughter anymore. My daughter told her dad, but he thinks it's not a big deal. This is not the first time so I'm told that Mandy has pulled a stunt like this. I told my daughter to contact her uncle, Mandy's dad, and tell him what happened. So she did, but he sees it as no big deal either. My daughter wants me to do something, but I'm not sure what I should do here since she doesn't live with me. I'm thinking, is there a way to shrink a hoodie? I don't know. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

Thanks:)

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So What Happened?

Thanks for the great advice Ladies. Dawn--I just love your suggestion about my ex-husband's suit. That is a great idea, maybe this will be a wake up call for him.:) I'll mention it to my daughter. Unfortunately, these two cousins do not have a mom. I'll suggest that she try to shrink the hoodie and in the meantime, I'll have my daughter deal with this on her own. By the way, I'm the one who paid for these hoodies, so it's personal for me, however; I've always warned my daughter about lending out clothes. I think she's learned a lesson here. Thanks again:)

More Answers

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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2 moms found this helpful

L.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Your daughter is old enough to deal with this herself and it sounds like she tried. We don't always get the results we want, unfortunately. There is nothing else to be done, especially by a parent. If I were your daughter, I'd ask that Mandy not come into my room anymore. Nothing else that can really be done.

1 mom found this helpful

C.M.

answers from St. Louis on

Don't interfere. Tell your daughter to talk to her cousin. Wash the hoodie in hot hot and put it in the dryer for a long time. Tell your daughter that the only way to prevent this is to not allow the cousin into her room, but other than that, there is no way. Does she really want someone in her room who is going to sneak things out anyways? Tell her also this is the possible repercussion of someone borrowing something (staining it, stretching it, losing it).

1 mom found this helpful
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S.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

Your daughter needs to talk to her cousin. At this age she shouldn't be running to you to fix her problems, especially small problems like this.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

It sounds like the feelings of your daughter are being invalidated. By her dad, by her cousins, by her uncle. No it isn't something that should be made into a huge deal, but she's being taken advantage of and no one's standing up for her.
First order of business is to tell her to stop lending her hoodies out. Or at best, with the explicit request that if it gets loaned out without her knowledge or permission and stretched out, her cousin will replace it. If that causes a rift, boo hoo, too bad. Sounds like the cousins haven't learned the art of treating other people and their belongings with care and that "what's yours is mine" attitudes.
I would present the issue to pops, too. Like "Is there a reason for not standing up for her?" Concede that "no this is not the monumental issue to us, but it is to her, and her feelings should be considered", and then see what pops says. If he's incapable of changing and being supportive to his own daughter, then that will say a lot to a lot of people. But if he doesn't budge, then the clothes sharing has to stop. Those are your daughter's alternatives. Or if she wants to continue the swapping, make it a rental. There's a rental fee. I can't suggest anything for a sneaky person who has no regard for others' property and sneaks in to borrow without permission. She's the one with problems. That can escalate into stealing real easily.

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M.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I would stand up for your daughter and talk to the uncle yourself. However it might not get you anywhere, but at least try. If he is unwilling to deal with his daughter's sneeky stealing behavior, you'll probably have to put a stop to the clothes sharing in general, just explain to your daughter that either she needs to deal with the other cousin borrowing without asking, or no longer share anymore, and see which thing she'd rather live with.

Best wishes, this is tricky, but its good to address things before its a HUGE deal.

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A.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Tell your daughter to tell mandy that if she gets anywhere near her stuff while visiting that she will be checking her pockets to see if she has "borrowed" anything, and if she has it wil be taken back. Also advise her to remind addy that whatever mandy borrows of hers from her, which get stretched out, will no longer fit either of them, so it would be wise of her to keep Mandy from this habit at their home in the same manner otherwise she sees no reason, regretfully, to go on sharing with addy.

If your daughter is really concerned she should be able to handle this on her own.

V.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

If Mandy's mom is around, talk to her about it... She will probably be more understanding of the situation.

Or tell Mandy's dad that you want Mandy to pay for another hoodie (The exact same hoodie if possible or one that has the same price as the ruined hoodie) for your daughter. If Mandy has to start paying for stuff every time she ruins it, she'll learn not to ruin it. And if her dad has to start paying for it because Mandy doesn't have any money... Then he'll see that it isn't something he can just shrug off.

Also, McMama's suggestion of how to shrink the hoodie will probably work.

Good luck :)

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

At the risk of sounding old fashioned, I would give out the rule of no lending out clothes. I have 3 daughters and when they were teenagers, I told them they were not to lend to eachother or anyone else. It ALWAYS causes some sort of problem...the item gets ruined, lost, stained, whatever. After putting this "rule" into place, it was no longer MY problem. If they did lend an item out and something happened...oh well! Mom did no replacing of lost or otherwise ruined articles of clothing. If enough of their precious, expensive wardrobe gets lost or ruined and you do not replace it or get involved in fixing the problem, they will stop lending things out. They own the problem. Natural and logical consequences work very well!

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M.P.

answers from Detroit on

Speak with your ex husband. Mandy needs to know that everything is not hers and she needs to respect other peoples clothes/property. Sounds like Mandy is spoiled and your ex and Mandy's dad are encouraging it.

If she is taking your daughter's clothes could she be taking other things that don't belong to her? There is an issue here and it needs to be resolved. Sooner than later too.

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