What should children be able to wear to school?

[PrincessFiona]

Do you oppose to the wearing of:

1. Satanic worship necklaces/earrings/t-shirts and logos.

2. violent t-shirts

3. anti-american clothing

4. Clothes that do not adequately cover more...intimate...body parts?


Where and how do we draw the line....

[Vanquisher]

Re: What should children be able to wear to school?

Do you oppose to the wearing of:

1. Satanic worship necklaces/earrings/t-shirts and logos.

No.

2. violent t-shirts

Depends.

3. anti-american clothing

No.

4. Clothes that do not adequately cover more...intimate...body parts?

Yes.

[mommax3]

They should wear uniforms so that the kids and the teachers can concentrate on the business at hand, and so parents don't have to worry about what's "in" or whatever.

Sally

[SuzySunshine]

Disclaimer: I don't have kids

But...I agree with Sally!

They should wear uniforms so that the kids and the teachers can concentrate on the business at hand, and so parents don't have to worry about what's "in" or whatever.

Sally

It also helps to remove one of the main "stigmas" of many schools: who's parents can afford what cool jeans, etc. Sure the kids will find something else to pick on - they always do - but it would sure save a lot of time.

[rainbabies]

[Vanquisher]

They should wear uniforms so that the kids and the teachers can concentrate on the business at hand, and so parents don't have to worry about what's "in" or whatever.

Sally

It also helps to remove one of the main "stigmas" of many schools: who's parents can afford what cool jeans, etc. Sure the kids will find something else to pick on - they always do - but it would sure save a lot of time.

I agree with this, but if there is no uniform in place, it is a different thought.

However, uniforms are not cheap!! Our public school has uniforms, and I spend way more on uniforms than I did on school clothes when he was in Kindergarten. It sometimes makes the stigma worse because kids who truly cannot afford much will be the ones who don't wear uniforms. I mean they can't force them to wear them, it is public school. Not to mention, in the lower grades of elementary school, at least, kids don't pay attention too much to the "cool jeans."

[DCJenn]

Do you oppose to the wearing of:

1. Satanic worship necklaces/earrings/t-shirts and logos.

Are they wearing them to create a stir? If they're true believers then if people can wear crosses, the satanists get their say.

2. violent t-shirts

What kind of violence? I wore black, had spiked hair, etc. back in my punk rock youth. We looked pretty 'violent' to the outsiders, even if we were a bunch of suburban malcontents hanging out in the heroin bars in DC. (good music though)

Kill kittens and puppies and other people? Well, I'd prefer that it NOT be there but Freedom of Speech is Freedom of Speech.

3. anti-american clothing

What's more American than expressing anti-American opinions? that always has cracked me up. Burning the flag? How much more American can you get? Only HERE would you be able to do that. The subtler meanings get lost on the evening news.

4. Clothes that do not adequately cover more...intimate...body parts?

You know, There are vast portions of society that wear clothes that look like crap. Too big, too small...etc. And unfortunately many of them are on TV and in the movies. There should be standards IN school. After school if some unfortunate young lady wants to wear a hip-hugging jean with half her arse hanging out the back- then that's her deal. I'd like to send a vast majority of the citizens of DC to "What Not to Wear" if only so that they could see that Size 2 girls look good in belly exposing tops and pants, the Size 16 girls? not so much.

So- School uniforms can get past most of these issues. and I totally hear your point Heidi- but here in DC there are Tax holidays and also the Goodwills carry entire school uniform sections. (which would be where I would go to get clothes for a kid who will inevitable outgrow them or tear them up somehow!)

Jenn

[Rapunzel]

My kids usually wear their pajamas to school.

[houseelf]

I like the idea of a cross between a uniform and a dress code: Kids could wear a solid color shirt with a color of any color with khaki, navy, or black pants, knee length shorts, or skirts. There would be no writing or advertising or characters on any clothing. This allows for some wiggle room for the kids to wear their favorite colors or cut of clothing but doesn't break the bank on uniforms for mom and dad. But the most important thing is that the kids aren't advertising anything, good or bad, which would interfere with the education process.

That is my ideal dress code.

Kelly

[Vishenka69]

They should wear uniforms so that the kids and the teachers can concentrate on the business at hand, and so parents don't have to worry about what's "in" or whatever.

Sally

It also helps to remove one of the main "stigmas" of many schools: who's parents can afford what cool jeans, etc. Sure the kids will find something else to pick on - they always do - but it would sure save a lot of time.

I agree on the whole uniform theory, but even with uniforms there are still ways to be cooler than other kids. While the uniforms in Soviet schools were pretty strict, there were still ways around them. Those with more money had them professionally made (instead of store-bought), certain skirt and sleeve styles were harder to find in stores and were considered more cool (parents had to pull strings to get them), etc. I remember trying to guilt-trip my mom into promising that for my birthday I could get a custom made uniform. Not much different that guilt-tripping parents into designer jeans.

I agree on the whole uniform theory, but even with uniforms there are still ways to be cooler than other kids. While the uniforms in Soviet schools were pretty strict, there were still ways around them. Those with more money had them professionally made (instead of store-bought), certain skirt and sleeve styles were harder to find in stores and were considered more cool (parents had to pull strings to get them), etc. I remember trying to guilt-trip my mom into promising that for my birthday I could get a custom made uniform. Not much different that guilt-tripping parents into designer jeans.

Oy Vey! If it's not one thing it's another!!

[Sheherezade]

I am very happy with the way my current school district handles student attire. They have a written dress code - but the application is basically common sense. Students are not to wear clothing that interferes with school. If it's too much flesh, that's distracting. Four inch wedge heels don't work on the playground/blacktop at recess. Satanic messages/anti-american stuff......it would probably come down to a question of how offensive the item is and whether it's causing the other students to pay more attention to the shirt than the class.

Basically, it is the *parent's* responsibility to get their kid out of the house and to school in appropriate clothing. If the kid is dressed inappropriately, the school has some sweats they can change in to or throw over the outfit. If they do it twice, they have to go to the office and call a parent to bring them something they can wear before they can return to class. I don't think they have had to resort to this often, but that's the policy. Personally, if I had to sit in the office all day (or drive to the school to bring my kid some clothes) I'd try harder to get it right the next day. If there is a dispute about the "suitability" of an outfit, the principal is a very reasonable person with both the kids and the adults. All of this was recently covered at a principal coffee and conversation here because a parent had concerns about the 6th grade girls inappropriate footwear on the playground. Parents have since been adviced that if the shoe is deemed unsafe by staff, they will have to wear something else. That seems reasonable. I don't think banning a shirt because it says something you disagree with is necessary - unless it's causing a riot. Honestly, that would probably just encourage the kid to get more offensive shirts to wear outside the school around town.

This is a hot button issue for my husband because he was kept out of school (prep school ) for a few days because he wore an Italian-made leather coat. Apparently, leather was NOT allowed. His parents went to bat for him and the school admitted there was nothing wrong with the coat. DH still talks about it as one of their greatest moments as parents, 25 years later. In general, I am not a fan of black/white law. The world is very, very grey. (Particularly in Ohio. ) I'd hope that most schools would have good staff and principals that could make decisions on a case by case basis once the guidelines have been set.

[SueC]

The only one I'm opposed to is the wearing of revealing clothes. Honestly, if my kid were to come home questioning some sort of cult-like dialogue they say on somebody's T-shirt I'd take that as an opportunity to explain it and in turn reinforce our own beliefs. I wouldn't teach them some kid is going to burn in hell because they have some satan worshipping shirt, but I'm not afraid for my kid to catch a glimpse of it.
Honestly, I'm for school uniforms anyway. My daughter's school requires them, and the kids look pretty darn nice. The school goes up to 8th grade, and the older ones do find a way to still express their own style, but at the same time, they look a little more put together than the kids I see out in public. There are a lot of lower-income kids in the school and you wouldn't necessarily know it by their appearance.