As parents, we want the best for our children. We attend to their needs, and every now and then we indulge their wants. Be careful though—indulging too much can spoil kids.

You may feel that you need to buy expensive items, but it’s not necessary to buy designer brands of dresses, shoes, and hair accessories for children, especially if it eats up too much of the budget. Some brands cost lot! It’s perfectly fine to indulge once in a while, but only when you decide that it’s really necessary.

It might seem that buying famous brands will better allow kids to fit in with their peers, or make them feel that they "belong". But think about what kind of values our children learn if this is the normal approach. Besides, there are budget-friendly brands in baby boutiques that can just as easily make your little tots stand out. A perfect example is No Slippy Hair Clippy, which is run by a mom herself. These hair accessories are guaranteed to be non-slip, are made with high-quality products, and are affordably handmade in the US. This brand has even become a favorite among celebrity parents like Halle Berry and Salma Hayek.

There are many ways to keep your children’s wardrobes fresh and fun without having to spend too much. You can try sewing clothing for them, making baby gifts from arts and crafts, or using clothing from older siblings and updating them with new accessories. Personalized items like these can be very special and meaningful to them.

As for shoes, while it is important to keep quality in mind, you do not have to splurge on expensive brands. As you may have noticed, children grow so fast that what fits perfectly today may suddenly be too small a month from now! There are plenty of cute, comfy and affordable brands from which to choose which are available in most baby boutiques.

Of course, you may be wondering how to resist those pretty eyes and that sweet smile when your little one begs for the expensive dress or the pricey toy that other kids have. It really boils down to whether or not your budget can support it, and whether you want to take this opportunity to teach a value lesson. Moments like these are perfect opportunities to teach your children about values, decision making, money management, and saving.

If you’re a mom who tends to give in, you may unconsciously be teaching materialism as a means of competing with, or fitting in with their peers. Ultimately, you might end up raising a child who will have difficulty adjusting to the ways of the real world. Teaching little ones good values and skills isn’t easy, but over time, it has proven to produce young adults who become productive citizens.