Terno Madness: Why are Parents Styling Up their Kids to be Mirrors of Themselves?

Is it right or wrong to dress up kids like adults? I have not thought so much about it until my friend reminded me about the so-called “Terno Madness” or what some call “Twinning”. It basically means parents and kids wear the same outfit, whether the clothes are age-appropriate or not.

I have a split view of this trend. Admit it or not, twinning looks cute. But still, I am confused about the message it conveys. I don’t have a child, but I would be uncomfortable seeing my kid wearing the same as me. I would like my kid to look like a kid and not someone trying to look like an adult. If my kid is a genius with a mind older than me, I think that could be an exception haha.

So a question came up: Why are parents styling their kids to be mirrors of themselves?

I guess there’s no better person I should ask but my friend who sometimes indulges in terno-ing with her very smart kid. I have to do this to debunk whatever myths we have in our minds regarding this. I feel the judgment-rush towards the parents whenever this topic is on, but I am open to know what their reasons are.

The first point I got from my friend was that she loves to dress up her child similarly because she considers her as her mini-her. I have to take the credits to her because they really look like twins. However, what she does is she lets her kid decide if she wants to wear the same clothes. According to her, her kid since age one can already identify colors and articulate her ideas. I have met her kid already and she is indeed very smart.

Surprisingly enough, the mother claimed that the kid is better than her in selecting the best options for their ternos. If I am the mother, and then my kid shows an early talent for color combinations, why would I not support and encourage it, right? But if my kid suggests something unfit for her age, I guess I will still not support it. If my classmate supports it, I wouldn´t mind either. It’s different strokes for different folks. I don’t understand why such parenting ways are labeled by many as bad for the kids and quite commercialized.

Another thing that we don’t see so much in the spectrum, my classmate added, is that shopping for matching outfits is also a great bonding time between parents and their children. I guess this is a deeper take into this rising trend. As exceptional as the love of a mother for her child, bonding moments are supposed to happen as they grow. But is it a good idea to speed up the kid’s road to stereotyped adulthood? Let me know the thoughts you have about this.