Nice Threads: 'Gossip Girl''s Ed Westwick (left) and Taylor Momsen
James Devaney / Getty Images (left); Soul Brother-Film Magic-Getty Images

Fashion consciousness isn’t new to the schoolyard set. But with more and more TV shows about wealthy teens, like the CW network’s “Gossip Girl” and MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” on the airwaves, parents may find themselves bombarded with an unprecedented number of requests for $140 Coach bags and $60 Abercrombie jeans. Here’s how to balance the desire to make your kids happy with the need to avoid bankruptcy.

• Ask why kids want designer duds. Usually, the motivation is to fit in or acquire social status. Christine Feiler, whose kids are 6, 9, 12 and 14, says she regularly hears: “Everyone else has it!” One strategy is to talk about alternative ways of accomplishing that same goal, says Dee Shepherd-Look, a clinical psychologist who specializes in children and families. Parents can encourage their kids to more actively call friends and organize gatherings. “Studies on adolescent popularity show that popular kids are the ones who reach out, make things happen, who tend to be complimentary to other kids,” says Shepherd-Look.

• Lay out the financial picture. If a kid begs for pricey apparel, “the parents can smile and say, ‘That would be grand, but we can’t afford it’,” says child psychiatrist Elizabeth Berger, author of “Raising Kids With Character.” Then kids will understand a “no” is “not that the parents are just being mean,” says Brad Sagarin, an associate professor of psychology at Northern Illinois University. Don’t dwell on the electric bill and the mortgage with younger kids. Instead, ask if they would give up a birthday party to buy an Abercrombie shirt.

Rent “Dirty Sexy Money,” the complete first season. If you need to be convinced to watch this show, you probably can’t be sold. But here goes nothing: Family secrets. Torrid affairs. Dirty deeds. Not to mention a stunning ensemble cast. You’re still reading this instead of watching?

See “Richard Avedon: Portraits of Power” at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition features five decades of rare and never-before-seen photos of prized activists, entertainers and political figures taken by America’s portraitist (through Jan. 25, 2009; corcoran.org).

Surf smartertravel.com and click on “travel advice” for tips on how cash-strapped college students can save money on flights home (or that upcoming winter break in Cancún).

Does your child complain that math is his least favorite subject? Jo Boaler, a math-education professor at England’s University of Sussex and author of “What’s Math Got to Do With It? Helping Children Learn to Love Their Least Favorite Subject—And Why It’s Important for America” (Viking/Penguin, $24.95), and Rod Pierce, creator of mathis fun.com, offer some advice.

• Make it fun. To practice geometry, try tangrams, seven-piece puzzles whose pieces can be put together to form different shapes ($7.95 at etacuisenaire.com); or the card game Set ($12 at setgame.com). To develop number skills, check out Equate, which is like math Scrabble ($25 at conceptualmathmedia.com), or Cribbage ($24.99 at target.com).

• Boost their confidence. Never say “You’re wrong,” says Boaler. “There’s always some logic in their thinking. The key is to find the logic.”

Should you discuss salaries with your co-workers? Sure. When you know the guy in the next cube is raking in an extra $500 every month, you can use that knowledge to try to bump up your own salary.

Younger workers are far more comfortable sharing this info, and many companies have become less restrictive about letting people talk, says Robert Hohman of glassdoor.com, a new Web site that offers company-specific salary details. You have to post your own pay to see the info on the site, which now has at least some salary data on 11,000 companies. You can get more-general information at Web sites like payscale.com and salary.com, and check for salary surveys through your own professional association. Or wait until the boss is on vacation and try the old pass-an-anonymous-memo gambit.

The Ford Flex is one of the few crossovers that truly marry the generous passenger space of a minivan with the ample hauling room of an SUV. The boxy look might put some people off, but a long wheelbase provides a nice, smooth ride.

Interior: “Business class”-style front seats are wide and comfy and have stylish contrast stitching. And third-row riders get skylights overhead, which makes the cabin feel even more spacious.

Capless fuel filler: The fuel door pops open and doesn’t require muscle to twist off a tight gas cap. And you won’t have to worry about leaving it behind at the station.