Am I being a bad parent by letting my teen daughter dress flamboyantly?
I am not a regular reddit user, so forgive me if I'm in the wrong place. Here I go.
I(35f) have a daughter(16f Autistic+OCD) who prefers to dress rather conservatively. She loves wearing frilly, colorful skirts and dresses with multiple layers. As a seamstress, I enjoy making these clothes for her because they facilitate my hobby of sewing and make her feel beautiful and confident. My mother, however, has shown concern that my daughters lack of interest in displaying her womanly features (cleavage, etc.) is a sign of psychological instability. She worries that my daughter's interest in frilly dresses is a symptom of her desire to cling to childhood. She even suggested that my daughter is severely mentally unwell. My daughter is an excellent student in school and is expected to get her learners permit soon. She even wants to get a summer job. I don't know where this concern about infantilization is coming from. I may be the crazy person here, but I don't see anything wrong with letting my 16 yr old break from modern fashion norms and be confident in herself. I just don't see how making her dress like everyone else at the expense of her self-esteem would be better for her mental health. She's never been bullied for her dress. She actually regularly receives compliments. Am I missing something?