Ok, I would like to know your opinion. But first, I want to write about saintly me.
My kid is pretty nearly perfect, with one exception: He has always been impossible about clothes. He even hated the clothes I picked out to take him home from the hospital in. I did not create a clothes monster. He was born that way.
Mostly, I am a go-along, get-along mom and acquiesce to Cole’s sense of style. For example, the school holiday concert this week required a pair of black pants, a white shirt and some dress shoes. I lost my mind and ordered Cole a white oxford shirt on sale at Lands’ End, which was only barely acceptable when it arrived and was tried on. Last Monday night—I put these things off as long as I can—we headed out to buy black pants for the music concert, which was set for Wednesday. Naturally, we could not find anything at the department store and ended up at Express, where Cole asked me to wait outside while he shopped. (It’s true the young salesgirls are a lot more helpful when the mother isn’t tagging along, so in the interest of getting it done I agreed to wait outside.)
While I was waiting, a bag of pink cotton candy caught my eye, so I forked over $4.00 for what turned out to be a very old bag of cotton candy and sat down on the floor not far from the Express store. (I knew if I wandered to the food court for a place to sit, I would be out of sight and out of mind.) Soon I was surrounded by small children with sharp teeth eyeing my cotton candy. Not sure what to do, I offered them some, which they greedily snatched from my hand, barely leaving my fingers intact before their parents could say no. (Hey, it was survival of the fittest and I was quicker than the parents.)
Eventually, Cole motioned me over to the store and showed me the pants he had decided on, the perfect white shirt that went with the perfect black pants and a tie that pulled the whole outfit together—and then one of those young salesgirls invited me to fork over my credit card. As we left the store, Cole congratulated me on being the mother of a snappy dresser. He then suckered me into buying him a pair of brown dress shoes with red laces and soles, and I learned brown shoes are now acceptable with black dress pants. I feel so hip.
Can we all agree that I am a saint? Thank you.
Pay attention. Here is my question: I have said NO with conviction to wearing pajama pants to school (note to my mother: SEE, I CAN SAY NO)—even pajama pants that don’t have an open fly (yep, this was used as an argument to sway me), and I have been told that I am the only parent in the whole world saying no to this particular request. Is this true? Really? Are all of the rest of you allowing your kids to head to school in sleepwear? I won’t judge you…much. I’m just curious. And yes, I know my house my rules, if Dwaine jumped off the Sears tower….just answer the question already. Thank you.
Odd Loves Company!
P.S. Cole informed me that his only part of the concert was to sing badabing….Sigh. I guess he peeked as the worm in third grade.
badabing badabong. Bingbong from Katybeth on Vimeo.
A few additional Links on the subject:
Wall Street Journal: Why Not Wear Pajamas all day?
You already know my answer to whether pyjama pants are acceptable to wear to school….NO! The only time they’re acceptable is in bed and lounging around the house. Call me a snob but I don’t think it should be too much to make an effort to what you’re going to wear out in public. Ok, I’m a snob. 🙂
and no appliques or light up sweaters either. Your’re…not a snob. Ok maybe a little but who says that is a bad thing!
Now that the boys are grown, I share. Both of my sons, attended Catholic all boys high school. Senior year they each wore moccasin-type slippers to school, their experiment was as long as they had dress pants and collared shirts, no one looked at their feet. I didn’t catch on until half way through the year. Pajama pants, however, are a bit more obvious. I agree, save it for college.
Now that is pretty funny. Cole has Ugg slippers he likes to wear out that look like something a man around 80 would wear…I try not to notice. That is really the best thing isn’t it? Not noticing.
Yes if course he can wear pajama pants—
And I bet he will find all the coolest patterns. They are comfy and super inexpensive.
Cole has always liked you best.
I know I am old school but I put pajama pants in public as being to lazy to dress. I even put it with them having pants riding below the hips. I think they have a place but not in public. But that is me. Everyone has a right to undress for success lol. Merry Christmas to you and Cole. He is always and will always will be a unique fine young man.
Undress for success. Pretty funny. Sleep for success?
An emphatic NO from me regarding Ben wearing pajama pants to school. He did stretch the boundaries of common sense by wearing his athletic basketball shorts to school well into winter, but I always thought looking athletic and ready to shoot hoops was a darn sight different than looking lazy and ready for bed. By the time Ben got to college he was past the point of pajama pants… At least I’ve never seen him wear them.
I agree about shoe. I don’t think we have owned boots since Cole was 6. Pajama pants are just to “sleepy” for an environment where you are suppose to be sharp and learning something. Well we can hope.
Oh HELL no!!
Well…Ok.
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Thank you. Its so great that our pups just have one wash and wear dog suit. I love that about them.
NO! It is sloppy to wear pajamas anywhere but at home. This became a trend a few years back and schools had to add a new rule; no pjs or slippers at school. There is a line we must draw and I agree with you. Say NO to pajamas in public.
We should start a poster campaign. A dress code that includes no pjs or slippers worn to school…who would have thought it. . .
Heavens No! We are becoming total slobs in this country. Boy’s wearing their pants so low you can see their butt crack. Girls wearing bra straps that show and way low pants. Now they want to ear P.J.’s to school???? Next it will be underpants in the summer. For God’s sake take a little pride in how you look.
MJ
Well Cole does have some pretty fancy undies…Mother you aren’t suppose to say butt crack on Odd. Shocking! ♥
no. this isn’t elementary school where if the marble jar gets filled with class good behavior or compliment marbles that a day is set as pajama day. even then, not all kids wear their real pjs. no.
Actually we do have a pajama day sometime in the late winter. But since everyone just wears them anyway its a rather mute point.
I agree with Marcie 100%. This generation needs to neaten up and look respectable when in public. Years ago you were judged on what kind of person you were by appearance. If your shoes weren’t polished you were considered a slob! My saddle shoes were polished EVERY night before I went to bed so they were ready to wear to school the next morning. I really don’t know what is going on with girls now days. They take no pride in their appearance . That shows me that they are lazy and their future homes will be very unkept. So sad!
Polished shoes. Wow. Your right, Being neat and caring about your appearance sends a powerful message to yourself esteem along with the world.
Poor, Mama! Express is damn expensive 😉 But I’m sure your son looked amazing since their clothes are very hip and stylish.
PS No Jammies to school! Haha
Yes. POOR MAMA. Old cotton candy, expensive clothes. He does look pretty hip tho.
Thanks!
NO. Absolutely no. School is a kids “business”, and they must dress appropriately. I teach nursing at baccalaureate level and our students have the privilege of wearing “office casual” to their psychiatric hospital rotations (in psychiatry, NO ONE wears a uniform), and I’ve had to send students home for their (mis)interpretation of “office casual”. Kids of all ages need to know that school is their “business” and “business casual” does not include what they wear to bed. You don’t sleep in jeans or dockers, you don’t study out of the house in pyjamas.
All good points. I have heard office casual has to be very clearly defined right down to no midriff tops. Common sense is a missing ingredient from many peoples wardrobes.
Sorry to be a fuddy-duddy, but pj’s in school? NO! Pj’s are for lounging around the house or for bedtime, not for public outings. Yes, I’ve seen them in public, but they don’t look good (and the people wearing them don’t look all that good either!)
This is what a culture of Ugg’s does to us. I have always believed that Ugg boots were a gateway shoe that lead to a path of slovenly dressing. First, you put on the Ugg’s. Soon you start wearing sweat pants every day. Eventually it leads to wearing PJ’s to school. I don’t agree with it. I blame the Uggs
EXCUSE ME!!! I WEAR AND LOVE UGGS. AND have never ever worn an pj bottoms out of the house AND mother owns UGGS. MY mother!! Dear Cousin. You live in Florida.
Sheesh. ♥
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