“We know better now. We won’t be going to you anymore. It’s time to go over your head and straight to the source. This way, our questions are actually answered. This way, we won’t be manipulated.”
This is the reply I almost typed to a teacher at my daughter’s school, but ultimately, I didn’t.
The issue is the dress code. More specifically, the issue is how the dress code is (mis)handled by some teachers with some students. Middle-school-aged children are being centered out and shamed for their clothing. And while I understand there are rules and that these rules need to be followed, I also understand that these children have fragile body images being in the throes of puberty and simply living in the modern world.
It is almost exclusively girls being dress-coded and of those, the vast majority are girls who have grown and developed at warp speed.
As if these girls aren’t already tender enough…
They wear the same clothing as a less-developed friend does and *they* get centered out. Seriously? And, oh, what are we teaching our boys, by the way?
So I reached out to a fellow mother- one who I knew would not judge, who had reasonable expectations of a dress code and who was unafraid to stand up for her kid.
And now we join forces. Mothers in arms. This mom reached out to three other moms and we plan to get together to discuss how to handle the situation.
Having already made my point to the teacher mentioned above (and receiving a head-shaking reply with zero accountability), I realized this is not about being right. It’s about gaining clarity and promoting positive change to the people who can implement it. I have no interest in making people feel wrong. I simply want a more accepting and compassionate environment for my children.
You can stand up with love and be heard. I’m learning this. And, hopefully, modeling it for all my kids.
Bypass the noise. Get the facts. Promote positive change.
Woo!
<3
Photo by Bruce Dixon on Unsplash
