Does anyone else think this is unacceptable?

[ADoyle90815]

The only things I remember about theme days when I was in school was that they were optional, and if one chose to participate and the parents allowed it, the clothing still had to fit within the dress code. That of course, meant that there had to be sleeves, no bare midriffs, and nothing too short.

[BenRaines]

I remember the hot pants of the 70's in the US. PJs would have been coverups to the hot pants and micro mini skirts of the early 70's. All wrong, very wrong in public places.

Ben Raines

[pam]

I wouldn't have a problem with having a PJ's day. My kids have had them numerous times through their years in school. However, guidelines were very much announced as to what kind of pj's were appropriate and what were not. They were told anyone wearing anything not within the guidelines would be sent home to change.

To me they are nothing more than a fun day activity the kids get to participate in. Most of the kids wore the flannel pants and a t-shirt. Very much modest.

Edited March 9, 2009 by pam

[Iggy]

I remember the hot pants of the 70's in the US. PJs would have been coverups to the hot pants and micro mini skirts of the early 70's. All wrong, very wrong in public places.

Ben Raines

Do you remember the Muscle pants? I loved them. To me they were like Gypsy pants. Loose, comfortable and wild colors!

[Vort]

My daughter attends a school here in the UK where, like most schools they wear a uniform.

My daughter is 14.

Yesterday was 'World Book Day' and instead of having lessons they could read all day in the school library.

For this privilege they had to pay £3.00.

They were also required to wear their pyjamas.

Bizarre. If they did that in the US, someone would get sued -- ESPECIALLY if they denied someone entrance because they were "overdressed".

Sometimes, the lawsuit-happy US system actually makes sense.

I wish you had instructed your daughter to tell them that she WAS dressed in her "pyjamas", that that's how she sleeps. Then she could look around with a confused expression and ask, "Why are all these people dressed so strangely?"

What are they going to do, tell her, "No, you don't dress like that to sleep"?

[Elphaba]

I really don't know if it was inappropriate or not, because when I think of a PJ day, I, like others, think of long flannel bottoms and a t-shirt top. And SofJ is right--many times I've gone to the grocery store late at night, and a number of girls are in their PJs and slippers.

Here is the problem I see with it, and I speak from personal experience.

What if the child has no PJs, and the parents cannot afford to buy any?

What if the parents are negligient, and don't care about sending their child to school in her only pair of pajamas, which are dirty, smelly and full of holes?

Or, what if the parents make their 14-year-old daughter wear footsies?

Okay, the last one was a joke. But I remember at least two Church functions where I was mortified because my clothes were dirty, smelly and full of holes, including my pajamas.

One was a MIA sleepover party, where I tried desperately to crawl, and stay, under some blankets. Unfortunately, it was already too late not to notice the stares and giggles, and the never-forgotten "eewwww" as they physically moved away from me.

The other was Church camp, which was a whole week of humiliation, especially the time when I offered to go to another cabin to get something for one of the girls. Of course she said yes, but the minute I shut the door I could hear them talking about how disgusting I was.

Of course, at that age, I was humiliated. And there was nothing I could do about it.

There is always going to be at least one child in the class who is going to be humiliated for one of the reasons above, and I don't have a solution. I don't think these fun days should be cancelled because of this.

However, I adamantly believe that before the special day, the teacher should do everything possible to make sure every child can participate without being cruelly teased or bullied. If s/he discovereds a problem, it should be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, the teacher only has so much influence, especially with negligent parents who would only resent any interference. Even so, s/he should be prepared to protect that child on the special day, even if it means taking her out of the middle of the teasers and giving her extra attention.

Again, I know these are not good solutions, but I know how damaging the humiliation can be. In these circumstances, it's unacceptable for the adults involved to ignore that and just let it happen.

Elphaba

[WillowTheWhisp]

I wish my daughter had been quick thinking enough to say "These are my jimjams" but she's too honest to do that anyway!

No, there wasnt a letter home Elgama. The school doesn't often do that. If it's something they consider really important they send parents text messages!

Can't see how there can have been miscommunication jadams because I spoke to the teacher in question on the phone myself the following morning when my daughter had told me that her choice of clothing had been deemed unacceptable. The only point of misunderstanding was between my daughter and the teacher when my daughter had incorrectly asumed that PJs were an option and not compulsory.

Oh and yes, the definition of PJs by some of the students is a skimpy strappy top over shorts, sometimes also with a bare midriff. My daughter's own PJ aren't somethng she or I would feel comfortable wearing in our own backyard let alone to school. They do not cover as much as her school uniform my any means. When I pointed out to the teacher that apart from anyhing else she'd have been cold the teacher said "Well she could have brought a dressing gown or blanket" Apparently some took blankets. So they were lying on bean bags in their nightwear, covered with blankets. Somehow that seems even worse to me.

[Berean]

That seems to be asking the students to behave indecently I'm sorry. Lying around with blankets and pajamas in a coed environment?

I have had pajama days in marching band in high school but it was fun...and *optional* and I wore winter pajamas that were flannel, had long sleeves and *footies*

And texting parents seems a bit disruptive and intrusive. A letter is ideal to me...even phone calls can be annoying.

And as for sex ed, that is probably the place of the parents unless the schools are very careful and according to who? And mandatory resting???? That is ridiculous and I think that not only says fornication is not only normal and expected but it is intrusive ant I think that infringes on these young ladies' rights. There is the school nurse but a girl who is worried should be encouraged to be the one to approach without it seeming stylish.

My husband and I wish to adopt and his idea of home schooling is seeming more and more appealing. Several families in my church and community do this, I am trained as a teacher, and there are plenty of ways to socialize a child. I think done incorrectly this can be a huge mistake and rob a child of an education but one of the most brilliant students I have met in college was home schooled.

[Vort]

How about just telling them, "I sleep in the nude"?

Hey, it would have been true for me.

[Dravin]

My 2 cents.

In principle I don't have a problem with it, as long as the pajamas have to cover what the school uniform does, or otherwise match the already extant dress code. A set of pajamas like these: Men's and Women's are perfectly modest in my opinion. That said that probably wasn't the kind of thing everyone was wearing.

As far as sending her to class because she wasn't pajamaed enough, that I do have an issue with, if nothing else I'd want my money back.

[Berean]

Thank you for sharing Vort...

[Vort]

Seriously, does anyone wear pajamas after age 10? I don't think I wore pajamas after I turned seven.

[Dravin]

I don't think I wore pajamas after 3 or 4 honestly, I used to and still do just wear my under garments to bed, keep a pair of pants and a shirt by the bed in case I need to get up and go do something in the middle of the night, but I don't actually wear them when in bed.

[applepansy]

My boys wore pajamas bottoms to bed until they left home. My daughter age 21 still wears pajamas and she doesn't live at home anymore.

Yes, people still where pajamas.

[pepperann27]

I think its the parents who should say what their kids can wear. I think your a great parent