The power of words

**Medusa** · 05-31-2009, 10:51 AM

It's a matter of control, wanting him to conform to their standards. I mean, can you imagine having your son come home from school w/his head shaved and he tells you that the school did it??? My (then) husband got my son a buzz cut when he was just 2 years old w/out consulting me and when I saw it, I cried. He looked adorable but he'd had such beautiful curls and that wasn't the point. My husband should've asked for my opinion before he did it. So if the school ever did anything like this to my son, well, my reaction wouldn't have been pleasant, I can assure you.

When my son was in grade school, he had a teacher who often smacked him across the knuckles because she didn't like the way he held his pen. I asked her "Can you read his writing? Apparently you can because he's gotten all A's in penmanship. DO NOT physically discipline my son again. If you have a problem w/him, consult w/me." His kindergarten teacher tried to get him to do an art project over because he painted a house purple because, according to her, houses aren't purple. I said "Maybe your house isn't purple but ours is". She said "On the outside?" I said "No, on the inside but he didn't know how to paint the inside of the drawing. Besides, is that the point? Art is subjective. He should be able to express himself w/abandon in art class". On the whole, he had some pretty good teachers throughout his education and this certainly isn't meant as an indictment of teachers. My lifelong friend is a teacher and I'm aware of the heavy responsibility that they shoulder. But they need to know their place and not cross that line of taking over the responsibility of parenting our kids.

**pomtzu** · 05-31-2009, 11:20 AM

The schools doing parenting rates right up there in my book with the government doing the same by dictating to us with court orders, what medical treatment our children must receive.

**Medusa** · 05-31-2009, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by pomtzu

The schools doing parenting rates right up there in my book with the government doing the same by dictating to us with court orders, what medical treatment our children must receive.

Bulls eye!

**RICHARD** · 05-31-2009, 01:48 PM

Whoa!

I went to Catholic school for years and there was no messing around there.

White shirt, neck tie, school patch, blue pants and black SHOES.

NO wonder the made you have P.E. once a week, ever play tag in wingtips?

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I have to toss this out beacause we knee jerk some opinions when the media reports a story, then you read or hear of it in a slightly different way?

An editor can and will omit a passage, word or paragraph to make it fit the column inches and their point of view.

Here's my take?

1. What are the rules of the district/school?
2. Was it an outrageous cut?

A 'good' haircut is about 15-20 dollars-more if you add the extras.
3. Could the family afford another?
4. I imagine that some moron that had the kid in the class had a fit and decided to play the hair card on this kid? The reason? Ask them.
5. I got my arse PUMMELED in elementary because the nuns were sado-masochists. NO wonder the RC Church is looking for more priests, you work with a gal that is celebate, plays mom to a bunch of kids that aren't her's and has to dress like Sister Bertrill, 365 days a year.

The school system has evolved into a publicly funded day care system and god and heaven forbid a kid is mistreated by a teach.

Kids get into trouble at school because the effing parents don't 'fix' the problem at home. "I can't fix it here, I pay taxes, maybe THEY can do something about this little beesturd's behavior".

Hair will grow back, it's not like the kid was scarred for life.

Me, I would have shaved the kid's head myself or pulled him out of school.

I have clippers and my kid is going to school to get an education, no matter what!

**Medusa** · 05-31-2009, 03:07 PM

It was a short haircut, a fauxhawk. The parents cut it even shorter, giving him a flat top. Without permission, the school buzzed his hair. Totally unacceptable.

I, like you, Richard, was raised in a much stricter environment and went to a school that dictated everything. Believe it or not, we had to stand in line each morning before the teacher while she inspected us to see if we were clean, clothes pressed, girls had a clean handkerchief, boys w/shirts tucked in, no hair ornaments for girls except one barrette. It goes on and on. We did it because it was school policy. And that was just grade school. In high school, the principal met us at the door w/a yardstick and he measured the girls' skirts. If they were too short, we were sent home. If the boys wore jeans, they were sent home, too. However, I guarantee you that if a teacher had cut my hair w/out telling my parents, my father would've gone to that school in a heartbeat and rightfully so.

Today there are kids wearing their pants below their derrieres and Tshirts w/vulgarity on them and they get away w/it. The mother of one kid in Cleveland actually considered bringing suit against the school district because her teenage daughter got sent home for wearing pajamas w/feet in them! She said that it was casual attire. This kid w/the fauxhawk, however, was 6 YEARS OLD. What the school did was bullying and they overstepped their bounds w/the parents who should've had the guts and common sense to have a discussion w/the school rather than to say "do what you see fit". That gave the school an out because there was too much room for interpretation. I'm not a coddler and I don't jump on the bandwagon when it comes to kids. As a matter of fact, I think too many are indulged and self-entitled. But this was just plain wrong on the part of the school but the parents also bear responsibility in all of it, too.