a weight on this kid's shoulders.....

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Sirrahsim
I'm married and nearly 20 and I practically faint at the thought of someone my age having a baby!

Wow. You're already married at only 19? I faint at that thought too!

Just kidding. Only teasing you.

[Sirrahsim]

lol
not to make you faint again or anything- but when I got married i was only 18 years and 7 months old

[Pam]

I agree 110% with Mugsy. I think these two lines from your posts hit the nail on the head.

This is just the opinion of an educator that deals with crap like this everyday. I realize it seems small, but, when you let the small stuff go, then the big stuff goes too.


These parents are teaching this girl a fine lesson now aren't they?

[catnapper]

Ha Ha! I'm glad everyone is fainting around here! Its true! My husband intercepted a note from a girl to a boy two weeks ago... in it she described in detail what she wanted to do with him. It was very graphic. This may or may not be a direct result of dress code restrictions - you could plausibly argue it either way. I feel, as carol said, that kids are there for learning. Not for anything else and we seem to have lost sight of that.

My husband's school district does give discounts towards clothes because it is such an impoversihed district. Even the poorest kids somehow find themselves walking in Tommy Hifiger shirts - they'll just have one instead of eight. But that was THEIR choice to spend their money on one shirt over more.

As for my private school, they spelled out where to buy the clothes. It was Catholic school, so you all know what that uniform was like! We were not allowed to wear makeup, funky hair colors, or earrings that dangled. No rings or necklaces.

Yes, we had to pay for the uniform out of pocket, without any help from the school. But think of it this way: Most parents buy clothes for school throught the year. I spend an average of $200 per kid in September, a bit more at Christmas, and then again for spring clothes. I figure about $400 per kid a year - thats outside sports and their casual or dressy stuff... this is all stuff for them to wear to school. We're not buying extravagantly. I had three unifroms that I rotated and mom washed during the week. Each uniform today might cost $60 complete... so if I buy three, then my total cost per kid is $180. WOW that is a consderable savings! So I don't think the cost of uniforms should be considered as an issue.

sirrahsim: I thought you looked like a young-un! When you know its right, then why fight it? I took a bit longer, I was a month away from 28 when I got married.

[carole]

I find the cost of the uniform cheap in comparison to buying clothes, as they want to look good and be fashionable like most of the other kids.

It cost us around 250 dollars to get the uniform for my daughter, and I will have to buy a jacket at 80 dollars and shoes for winter later on, but I still prefer uniform anyday.(you only get a subsidy if you are on welfare).

Funny thing today my daughter has mufti day, where she can wear her own clothes, etc, she choose to wear something very sensible, Nice jeans, top and long sleeved knit jacket, hairband, some jewellery, necklace, ring and braclet and earings, and when I asked if she wanted to wear some lip gloss or paint her nails, she said No, Interesting, as she normally likes to wear a little of these things when we go out somewhere special.I was very pleased with her choice of suitable clothing , it was not at all provocative in anyway.(not that she has many of those type of clothing , but half-tops are the fashion here, and many wear them.

I find it so hard to believe that kids can wear what they do at some of the schools in the states(just going by what some young PT people have said) parents just would not stand for it here, I know there are a few schools in NZ who do allow stuff like that, but few and far between.

To me school uniform stops competition, and let's face it the young girls are right into their fashion these day's, which is not all-over a bad thing, and its pretty hard to tell who is rich and who is poor, my daughter has a second hand skirt, and you cannot tell, it looks like brand new. This is the first year she has had uniform, and I for one am very glad.,it also means I can just buy her cool clothes for after school and going out, and not have to worry is it going to wear well etc etc, great burden lifted off my shoulders.

As for getting married young, my niece and her husband were 19 and 20 when they married, and my sister was only 19 too, and my mother 18, me I waited until 24 then 34 lol, personally I hope both my children wait until they are at least 28 or so, I want them to travel the world and have lots of fun before settling down.

[RICHARD]

Since everyone has their pipes out.....

At the middle school up the street I saw a 12-14 year old girl with this shirt on....heading onto the campus....


Take me drunk, I'm home.

[carole]

Good Grief you have to wonder just how much control these parents have over her don't you,? the t-shirt that gets me is the one with Bitch written on it, I cannot understand why any girl would want to wear that, there is one about barbie, can't remember it but its kinda funny. guess I am just getting old......sigh......

[catnapper]

Originally posted by carole
Good Grief you have to wonder just how much control these parents have over her don't you,? the t-shirt that gets me is the one with Bitch written on it, I cannot understand why any girl would want to wear that, there is one about barbie, can't remember it but its kinda funny. guess I am just getting old......sigh......

Ha! Ha! I think the Tee shirt says "I want to be like Barbie, the B$%*@ has everything."

LOL. My girls do have tees with Princess written across it. I don't mind those, its the ones where they do curse or say provocative things.

[cali]

honestly I find those dress codes EXTREMLY harsh, I go to one of the top private schools around and those dress codes are worse then mine. I thought my dress code was bad because of other schools around here. but all the other schools around here the dress code is simply no clothing that adverises drugs or anything, no shorts or skirts above a certain length and thats it.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Sirrahsim
lol
not to make you faint again or anything- but when I got married i was only 18 years and 7 months old

*faints again* He he

I know this girl who is 18, and got married at only 17. Personally I think that is WAY too young........but if she's happy, I guess its ok. Anyway, when I first met her, I asked her how old she was, and she said 17. Then she told me she just got married, etc. and I was sitting there, listening, like this......... Then I told her, *WOW! That is so young to get married. So young I think I'm going to faint!*

She told me she nearly fainted when she realized how young she was getting married herself. LOL

[G.P.girl]

Originally posted by RICHARD

At the middle school up the street I saw a 12-14 year old girl with this shirt on....heading onto the campus....


Take me drunk, I'm home.

i didn't know you lived near me

my mom was 18 when she got married, she got divorced about 14 years later...shes always telling me school comes first and to go to college and get my degree THEN i can get married or whatever i want

[carole]

Catnapper yes that's the t-shirt I mean't, I can kinda see the funny side of that one about barbie.

Cali you should come and live over here if you think your dress codes are harsh, count yourself lucky.

like I said before without sounding like a broken record, You are there to learn, not be a fashion statement.

I don't mean to sound harsh here Cali, but I have very strong views on this one, which is pretty obvious I think. nothing personal mean't ok.

[RICHARD]

We had to wear...

a white shirt, blue necktie, t-shirt underneath, blue pants, black or blue socks, black shoes.

The school's emblem on the shirt pocket had to be centered, the neck tie HAD to touch the top of the
belt, it could not be shorter or longer.....

Your hair could not touch your collar, no jewelry unless it was a saint and even then you could not wear it out of the shirt.

Girls had to have a skirt no higher that 2 inches about the knee...LOL, watching the girls pull their skirts down to make the cut was hilarious!

MAKEUP??? VERBOTEN!!! none nada nothing....

Same regs except for the necktie..girls wore a little bow....

things have changed.......do not complain because there is nothing worse than a nun wailing the tar out of you because you forgot to put you clip on neck tie after P.E......

[carole]

Hey Richard my husband went to a catholic(sp) school and them nun's were pretty harsh for sure, I sure ain't advocating let us go back to the good ole day's, some of the rules were ridiculous, let us have a nice inbetween, which I think is what most of the schools in NZ have achieved, BTW I had to wear a tie at school, no pretty bows for me, Aww see how underpriviliged I was!!! Boo Hoo!!

But seriously yes times have a changed, and I am all for that, but let us not go overboard, let us have some Rules that have to be adhered to .

[mugsy]

As for pregos...in 1990, I taught for one semester at our alternative school and I had 3 pregnant 8th graders and one of them went into labor in class....that was interesting.

I do believe that the clothes make a difference in how the kids act. Sorry Cali, but I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.