I absolutely would lose my sh!t at this school board meeting…
I saw this article today innocently displayed in my Facebook feed from the magazine, Parents. Now mind you, I actually “liked” the page when I was still pregnant and optimistic *snicker* that having a baby would make me into one of those moms that you see in the sitcoms. Well, I guess Roseanne is still appropriate, to be fair. Or the images in the glossy pages, at least, all smiles and attachment parenting with perfectly coiffed children in adorable rompers eating soy butter sandwiches with the crusts cut off.
And then sh!t got real. It got really real. And I don’t even pretend to understand those women anymore.
So, of course, mostly I ignore the constant updates in my reader for the more pressing news stories of In Touch Weekly (celebrities tanking their love lives and careers always cheer me up), today one stood out and caught my eye. The headline was, “Do you think parents should be required to dress ‘appropriately’ on school grounds?” (Which you can read here and vote)
Porque? Did I just read that correctly? So, again, I have see this for myself. Dress code for parents? Like, in the line to pick them up at school? Walking up to the office to get them for a dentist’s appointment? When? When would it EVER be appropriate to even make a comment on what a parent was wearing? I mean, unless they show up in a “Kiss me, I beat my kids” T-shirt or are still in platform stripper shoes, bustier, and glitter from the night before, there is just ZERO excuse for creating a dress code for parents.
I went on to read the short blurb about how it is proposed in a Florida school district to enforce a dress code disallowing (and I freaking quote, people) “short shorts, hair curlers, saggy pants, pajamas, and shower caps” (end quote). I may have a little bit of anarchist left in me from my impetuous youth or maybe it’s the flashbacks to high school days when I had to lift my arms for the principal to prove my shirt wasn’t too short or turn a band shirt inside out for “inappropriate content”…but I thought this entire concept was asinine. Utterly and horrible ridiculous on so many levels; my indignation literally knows no bounds.
First of all, I am an adult. A grown, tax-paying, and productive member of society– adult. And, with that being said, if I want to wear shorty shorts in 100+ degrees to pick my son up from school, I am going to do so, regardless of your opinion. If I absolutely need to I will certainly roll up on school grounds in my pajamas. What are you going to do? Ban me? Are you completely insane? I don’t even go to school here! *Exasperated sigh*
But that wasn’t even the icing on the “Are you effing serious?!” cake.
The icing was the atrocity that was the comment section. Here is where, from behind the safety of a computer, women -our fellow mothers in the trenches- were being so grossly judgmental that I wanted to vomit all over my second-day yoga pants with cake batter on them from last evening. Any one that knows me as a parent and as a blogger, knows that I hate nothing more than judge-y moms. I know that we all think we’re god’s gift to parenting (at least two days a week, right?) and that’s what makes us good moms. But everyone has their “stuff”. No mom has exactly the same priorities as another. We all have the moments in our parenting that make us feel good about ourselves…and that rarely coincides perfectly with another mother. This is how we are raising unique and interesting individuals. HAS NO ONE SEEN THE WALL?! Pink Floyd? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
Judge not lest ye be judged or something like that. Or something about casting stones. It’s been awhile since mandatory Sunday school.
The point is, don’t judge people. Don’t judge moms. You have no idea what happened before she pulled up with her still-wet hair in curlers. You don’t know how someone is feeling, thinking, or what is going on in their lives. Maybe they just lost 100 pounds and feel like a million dollars in their short shorts. Maybe it’s laundry day and their washer just broke down. But most of all…who cares? Who cares what we wear as long as we love? As long as we play games? As long as we put our children first every single day for the REST OF OUR LIVES (boo to that “18 years” garbage. We all know that’s bull).
I don’t know about you but my child loves me no matter what I wear. And I certainly don’t feel like I have to change to appease those uptight moms in the comment section that seem to believe choice in clothing has any bearing on character. Shame on them. Shame on what that teaches our children about individuality and acceptance.
I, for one, want my son to grow up in a world where everything doesn’t have to be “presentable” all of the time. Moms cry and miss alarms and drive them to school in pajamas. Food gets burnt. Sometimes paper towels double as toilet paper. Life isn’t easy and most certainly isn’t anything resembling perfect.
Now, can we go back to school board meetings being about our children’s educations please? #Thankyouverymuch.
Uncategorized dress code for parents florida kids moms motherhood parenting rants school School board school board dress code
Yet another reason why homeschooling is so appealing sometimes! Good rant 🙂
I rant therefore I am! 🙂 Thank you. 🙂
Amen to ALL of this! Women are way too hard on other women, and EVERYONE is a cowardly critic behind the keys of an iPhone or keyboard. This whole topic just takes much needed attention to the educational system as a whole.
Thank you! It just validates all of those times I think other moms are staring at me. 😉 Everyone just needs to relax and get their kids to adulthood and quit sweating the small stuff! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! 🙂
Not a problem! 🙂
WTF?!
I have a feeling school administrators are going to HATE my husband and I. We don’t suffer dumb rules or fools easily. :p
Ditto, sister. Ditto. 😉
Oh man…. can’t be much else happening in the board members’ lives, huh?
Right? Parent’s clothing? What’s sad is that you know it was some parents that brought it up. Like, “Something has to done about the curlers! And the jammies!” Lol 😦
And seriously, what are they going to do? Hold your kid hostage until you go home and put on something appropriate? How exactly do they expect to enforce this ridiculous piece of bullshit?
Just another fine example of schools in America paying attention to everything but substandard education values! Cheers! 😉
Ok, you and I were channeling the same cranky this AM:). Except for mine is about PTA boardroom brawls:) Caused by the very judgment you’re telling us to avoid. http://candidkay.com/2014/04/29/the-mommy-wars/
Cranky? Me? All the time. 😉
You’d think fear of embarrassment would be enough. No need for formal rules. I used to fear getting a ticket from police while taking my kids to school in my pajamas…there were times I drove my kids to school when I had a fever. Getting dressed was the least of my concerns. Unless a person is in danger of being arrested for indecent exposure, it isn’t anyone’s business.
Agreed. I have that fear of not wearing shoes. Even when I used to kick them off because it’s hard to drive in 6 inch heels! 🙂
So eloquent! Awesome post. Probably could have used more profanity, though. I mean…FREE SPEECH. Hehe
My daughter (17) graduates this year. She is as happy-go-lucky when she is all dolled up as when she goes to school with absolutely NO makeup on, whatsoever. I love the confidence she exudes. And? I think we all know, I have my yoga pants to thank for that. *mic drop*
Lol Thank you! And having a confident child is ALWAYS a direct reflection of parenting. Unlike bad characteristics…those are society’s fault. 😉
This totally cracks me up. I don’t send kids to school, so I can’t relate, but it still is just funny sh*t.
Me, either yet. But come on! I had to comment on something so weird! 😉
I hear ya. Also, this is breaking the rules, but on your previous post, so love all those pictures with the women and what they’re saying about drinking, etc. LOVE it! (Was too lazy to go back and say it there.)
Love the post. Would probably add ‘naked’ to your list of unacceptable.
Do you know if it was a private or public school?
The reason I ask is I could see certain things being a private school rule. The whole appropriate dress code along the lines of not wearing to revealing of clothing is definitely something I could see my kids church affiliated school doing. To be honest….THAT I would understand because they try to teach the kids about modesty.
However….I show up in sweat pants and baggy sweatshirts and pajamas all the time. I am a tomboy and see no reason to wear mom- jeans and mom-sweaters just because I am going to stand around waiting with other moms to pick up my kids. I’m all about comfort.
So….while I do understand the modest factor…..I think the rest is BS.
Public. It’s the sweat pants that get me. Or the shorts. I cannot imagine having to justify my clothing choices in Florida heat! 😉