Home schooling- Clothing

Home Schooling- Clothing

Ok- this is gonna start shallow and get deeper....

While we lived Ithaca we were surrounded by home schooling family's. It was easy to pick them out of a crowd because of the way they dressed! Checkers and poka dots, missed matched shoes or rain boots, striped leggings under cheata print skirts ETC!

I just could not understand why on God's green earth their parents let them dress like that. It stumped me for years. It was like a uniform of sorts I thought. It was a way of outwardly rebelling I thought. Regardless, I thought they were NUTS! Even after I started home schooling I tried to ask why oh why this is the case on an email post group but the moderator booted the post saying it was an inflammatory topic. K????

Now- flash forward a year. I get it now and they reason for this post is to inform anyone out there who has had this same question-why home schooled kids are allowed to go out in public dressed in less than socially 'normal', 'regular', 'standard' outfits.

READY for the answer????

Here it is!

IT DOESN'T MATTER- that's why!

What I learned was that not all home schooled kids dress in mixed matched clothing. Some dress just like kids in public school. I figured out the reason for the difference. The kids I have met who attended public school for a few yrs all dressed in socially 'normal', 'regular', 'standard' outfits and the kids who never went to public school dressed much more freely.

What it comes down to is that as parents we learn very quickly that when we send our 5 yr old child to public school their entire socio economic status, parenting influence and family structure will be summed up (by the adults) based on their clothing. AND- they will be tortured or worshiped (by the children) based on their clothing. So- we mothers learn to dress the kids "appropriately".

Now if the same mother never sends their child to public school she will not learn that crappy little lesson. (After all. That's not how it goes in the real world. If YOU wear some odd outfit strangers are not going to tell you look stupid. Neither will aquaitances. Maybe some 'dear' friend- but in general you will be left alone about it.)

So this home schooling mom may allow her child some freedom with clothing. What does it hurt to take your 6 yr old to the library wearing a ballerina costume and cat ears (that's Maya Rae). She's dressed. She's covered. She's happy!

Then I got to thinking....if a child is allowed such creativity and control over their person while they are little- what kind of person does that make? It seems to me that that could turn into self confidence and laid back free thinking.

Hmmmmm. :)