A post today from one of my groups on Facebook was stressing about an imminent phone call from her child's school. The stressor? Dear mom had sent the child to school in flip flops without first checking the flip flop rule in the dress code.
How DARE you. Children's services must be notified immediately, as it is apparent you are impeding the decent upbringing your child deserves.
Kidding, of course - I would think in the scheme of things this should be a relatively minor offense, unless of course it is gym day in which case the child should receive a zero for not being able to participate in square dancing.
Kidding again.
I actually get quite annoyed at these posts; not because a parent actually is freaking out because she sent her child to school in flip flops, but because she is actually freaking out for something so insignificant that she shouldn't even be worried about it. I appreciate what schools do to a point - in my day they could care less if you had breakfast or not before arriving on their premises, and now they realize the importance of all children having access to some nutrition before starting their day.
It is when they decide how to parent my child throughout the day and emotionally chastise me when they feel I have done something lackluster as far as parenting goes.
Case in point: my youngest daughter came home in tears one day because she was not allowed to go outside for recess because she did not wear a coat, and only had a jacket. Her twin brother boasted that he got to go outside just with a jacket, because he had a hooded sweatshirt on underneath. A note from school was produced from her backpack, and written on it was the schools reasoning for barring my daughter from the playground.
"Coats, gloves, and hats must be worn when temperatures are cold enough to warrant such. Mackenzie was not allowed her recess time today due to inappropriate clothing. Please make sure Mackenzie wears a coat daily. If you need assistance purchasing a coat, we can direct you to resources to accommodate your needs."
WTF?
I should have been more astounded at the suggestion I cannot afford a coat, but I actually let that one slide. If you are interested in purchasing a coat, there is a really nice North Face coat she wants with fur trim and a price tag of $290, which far exceeds her cheap one purchased at Target. However, I was more focused on the fact that my lackluster parenting produced the inexcusable result of my poor defenseless child going to school in the harsh spring conditions with no coat to sheild her from the inclement weather.
Had I decided to write a note in return, I suppose it would have read something like this:
"In my defense, your honor, the temperature was 68 degrees when she walked out the door this morning. As I was busy doing the dishes after providing my child a good breakfast, I did not have time to pull up the Doppler radar and forecast the possibility of the temperature dropping within two hours to a frigid 49 degrees. I did, however, suggest she may want to wear a heavier coat; however, I mistakenly had the mindset that instead of sitting on my children and forcing their every decision I allow them to learn to take care of themselves. I blame myself for the frostbitten fingers that surely must have occurred due to my selfishness. Please forgive me."
That was the letter I SHOULD have written. However, the snarky in me came out and acted out in another way - I sent my child to school the next day bundled up so damn tight she rivaled Randy from a Christmas story and was not only unable to put her arms down, she had to roll to the bus stop due to the arctic wear I dressed her in.
When did schools decide they were the parent? Is it because of the amount of people who do NOT parent, or is it because they are overachievers in their own perfect mind and only feel better when they belittle the actions of other parents?
I would understand a school being concerned if my child showed up in flip flops and a jacket during a snowstorm. I get not wearing flip flops on gym day. What I do not get is undermining my abilities to care for my child simply because she chose to wear a jacket to school as opposed to a coat.
Our society has moved so much from that of one trying to raise good, productive members by any means possible to one where we coddle our sweet precious gifts to the point of literally spoiling the gene pool. Schools are so concerned with political correctness and anti-lawsuit mindsets that they feel they have to please everyone at all times and forgot how to take care of business at hand: actually TEACHING our children.
Gone are playgrounds with equipment made of metal that was 190 degrees in the sunshine and placed on concrete. Children are not allowed to run on concrete - they may fall. Don't play dodgeball - someone may get hurt. We no longer have Halloween parties or Christmas parties - we have 'fall festivals' and 'holiday concerts'. Kids are getting too fat - but we will feed them junk at lunchtime (for further reference, also please revert back to "no playing on the playground for fear you may get hurt). Little Johnny is allergic to gluten and peanuts and eggs and yeast, so no treats are allowed to be brought for birthdays. ALL children in the class must be invited to the party, or no one can be invited to the party. You are here to learn the answers, but we will punish you for not knowing them. You do not need to say the Pledge of Allegiance as your right to live in your country if you do not agree with the wording. Your child can only be absent 5 days during the year, or we will send the truant officer to your house to question why you feel the need to keep YOUR sick child at home without a doctors note. And it is a sign of horrible parenting if you dare even THINK of sending your child to school in flip flops and a jacket.
I long for a time of sharing a soda with your friends, running on the playground, drinking from the hose in summer, and wearing your Halloween costume to school.
Just make sure you wear a jacket over it.
