Making your niece/ daughter/ little cousin/ God child a diva

January 19, 2010 -- You have one of two choices: Let them dress trendy on their own pretenses, or show them the way to tween fashionista-hood.

Now, option one could go either way, but if you've seen what some designers are making for juniors world-wide, you might want to reconsider option two instead.

• You do not want your niece, daughter, little cousin or God child to wear skirts that could be tube tops.
• You certainly don't want them breaking their ankles on four-inch heels just because their foot fits into your shoe. And in that same token, you don't want her breaking your four-inch heels either just because her foot fits into your shoe. That said, she cannot wear them.
• And you don't want a high school senior asking your sixth-grader to the prom.

I'm not a mother. I'm a daughter, a big sister, a niece, an aunt (sort of) and a big cousin -- the first. So I had to pave the way for all the female munchkins in my family, and all my friends' munchkins as well.

Rather than fight to the death with her as she decides what she wants to wear to school, remember three things:

• She's not a toddler anymore.
• She wants to look nice for school.
• If she doesn't, she should look nice anyway, because girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice. Not dirt.

You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on clothing and accessories, or promise anyone your first-born, to dress her cute, fashionable, professional or for play. Here's some ideas to give you assurance that she, too, can wear designer stuff.

Wal-Mart has a great line of clothing for young girls that brings mainstream pop music together with high-end fashion. Ladies, Miley Cyrus is growing up. And she looks adorable. Face it -- she's been on the cover of Vogue Magazine and she works with an absolute fashion mogul on a clothing line. How much better does it get for a teenage girl? It gets this good: All her followers want to wear what she designs.

Miley & Max Azria for Wal-Mart sells items that are trendy, still juvenile enough for a girl who wears junior sizes, and inexpensive -- nothing is over $20. That in itself is a reason to shop their line.

Another great place for affordable girl and pre-teen clothing is Justice (formerly Limited Too). Everything from leggings, costume jewelry, trendy sweatsuits and sweaters to skinny jeans, leg warmers and yes, undergarments. She's going to need a bra sooner or later. Your little cousin can be a mini-me (or you) without looking like she's 8 going on 19. And at Justice, prices are quite reasonable. While they might not beat bargain-basement prices, you are definitely paying less than you would in a mall juniors department for tiny versions of your jeans and skirts.

But if you do want to shop a mall juniors department, go to Target, where the clothing is already a nice price. Designers from Mossimo Supply Company, Xhilaration, Rodarte and Go International have provided some sensible and fashionable teen and tween wear that won't break your wallet -- or your heart as she walks out the door and onto the school bus.

Hilary Duff's Stuff by Hilary Duff clothing and acessories line has prove fruitful since its launch in 2004. You can find her stuff in Target, K-Mart, and even Claire's. By the way, I think she's headed to Wal-Mart later this season. To secure your updates, her fans put together a website with advice on dating, shopping and even protection from muggers. Visit Hilary-Style.org for clothing, tips and more. But bring the mini with you.

Now you've been armed with important information. Take heed and remember that she's a kid, but she's not a little kid, and she's certainly not an adult. Let her dress that way, but give her the option within reason -- fun, fashionable, affordable and appropriate sounds like a nice standard to work with.

And stop crying. She'll be back home from school after 3.