by: Christina Botto

For most of the country, Summer means warmer weather and fewer clothes. Sweaters and coats are exchanged with short sleeves and shorts or skirts.

Your teenager's arms, legs, and body are exposed to the warmth of the sun - and the eyes of young men.

Parents’ worries increase at the same rate their teen's clothing decreases.

Telling our teenager not to wear a particular outfit, not to dress so revealing, or to cover up will most likely be responded with: "It's the hottest thing this spring!" or "That's what today's teens wear!" - making us feel old and out of touch.

Fortunately there are quite a few things parents can do when it comes to the way your teen dresses:

Know what's hot - visit web sites such as:

Teenfashionista.com - a blog monitored by Casey featuring fashion trends, styles, and shopping advice for teens.

Fashionclub.com - an excellent web site for the teenager who wants more than just the latest trends. It has a fashion club and a career studio affiliated with the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Both of these web sites have fashions for girls as well as boys.

Look at your teen's magazines and discuss models and clothing.

Help your teenager decide which types of clothing would fit best with their individual body type, and visit websites that give advice on which clothing fits what body type with your teen.

Go shopping with your teen

Spend a day at the mall trying on all kinds of different outfits, even those you do not intend to buy, wear, or would not be "caught dead" in. Comment on how the outfits look, and what you do or do not like about them.

Besides having a day with a lot of laughs, you will also have the opportunity to find out about your teenager's taste in clothes. You will learn which tops and bottoms your daughter finds too revealing, and it will give you the opportunity to listen and learn about your teenager’s opinions.

You also will have the chance to reinforce moral standards while creating fond memories that could last a lifetime.

Fathers - explain to your daughter that the way she dresses does affect how boys perceive her.

It is not necessary to paint an ugly picture, but girls need a male perspective to understand the feelings they evoke in boys when dressing provocatively.

Make it an interactive conversation, giving her ample time and opportunity to ask questions. This is a great opportunity for a dad to protect his daughter and show how much he cares about her. She will also be more aware of the opposite gender and more careful not to provoke them or tease them in any other way.

About The Author

Christina Botto is a member of the National Writers Association and the author of Help Me With My Teenager! A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents That Works. She has also recently published a 3 volume series dealing with specific issues facing teens and parents today, Fitting The Pieces. The series contains unique insight into the minds of teens, with hundreds of interviews with teens and their parents – and practical advice on dealing with some of the biggest problems faced by parents with teens.

To learn more about these life-changing strategies to bring you and your teen closer together – and put an end to the frustration and madness of a dysfunctional parent-teen relationship, pick up your copy of Christina's Help Me With My Teenager! A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents That Works today.

“This guide is a no nonsense "how-to" that is likely to save many relationships.”

— Heather Froeschl, BookReview.com