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First Bra Buying Basics
7 Tips to Make the First Bra a Good Experience
By Melinda Copp
Too often, nervous moms just grab a bra off the rack and go. But with a developing teenager, proper fit and lifestyle are important factors to consider when shopping for the first bra. For example, if your child is active in sports, make sure she is comfortable and properly supported.
"I avoided all the bells and bejeweled bras, and went for what was practical and age considerate," Holmes says. "An 11-year-old does not need a bra from Victoria's Secret – at least that's what I told my daughter."
If your child is overly uncomfortable with bra shopping with Mom, then you can always call for backup. Nancy Kirk, a mom from Omaha, Neb., had her sister take her daughter shopping for her first bra.
"I know it sounds like a cop-out, but it's often easier and less embarrassing to have another woman, like a favorite aunt, deal with body-sensitive issues," Kirk says. "My daughter was shy about discussing her body development – her period, her need for girl stuff – with me, but she could hear everything she needed to know from my sister."
The same approach can also work for single dads facing their daughter's development. "For single dads, I recommend enlisting the help of a trusted female role model, such as an aunt, grandmother or family friend," McCabe-Maucher says.
Adolescence is never easy – for parents or kids. When you use these tips for approaching your daughter about her development and shopping for her first bra, you can help make her transition into womanhood easier and less awkward for both of you.