From the I may be glad I don't have a daughter(s) dept:
While waiting to pick up son at Oakton yesterday, classes changed and among the students walking outside was a girl, probably a senior, wearing something scant, like one of those very short dresses you throw over yourself to conceal a bathing suit.
First was the appropriateness- what she was wearing is OK for the beach but not for school ('young lady, you are not going to school dressed like that!'). Can't remember what the overall dress codes are (exposed midrifts comes to mind) so perhaps she just pushing the envelop- hard.
Second was the practicality. Can't say anything about schools elsewhere, but FCPS are notoriously over-cooled in the warmer months, so I can't imagine her being very comfortable in class either. So I guess I should count my blessings that with son, I don't have to do a daily battle royale over what he decides to wear for school or elsewhere (getting him to dress up is another matter). Nor do I need to worry over spending money for clothing.
Schools in Australia – public and private – all make students wear uniforms. Makes some things easier.
Roman Catholic schools here require a uniform as do some charter school. Ther is an eglatarian aspect to this, all spend no more no less on school uniforms.
Appropriate school (and other) wear is one of the banes of my existence when it comes to my daughter! At least she is at a school with a dress code where there are some enforced standards. She thought not being able to wear jeans everyday was going to ruin her life, but she has learned how to dress a little more appropriately and even owns a few skirts and cardigans now.
Having been there, I can understand the teen chafing as to what can and cannot be worn, but over the years, I now understand that dress codes are a part of overall training to enter the world of employment.
And going step further, if I had a daughter and having a knock down drag out over what will be worn in public,. I'd point out that showing one's 'assets' is one thing, but do you really want to get the attention of a 'hottie' simply over how short the hem line is or how deep the blouse plunges? Arguments I know, are probably lost on a teen, but..
And unless one plans on being independently wealthy, one has to deal with dress codes in order to make a living and sometimes at home; my wife swears she'll divorce me the next time I come into her place of employment wearing one of my Hawaiian shirts.
That said, hang in there! 🙂
I've often said that fathers with daughters have the toughest parenting job of all. This wisdom has yet to find its place in the world's consciousness. 😉
p.s. My parents prob'ly spent all of $20 on my high school wardrobe – lol. I dress like a boy and wear clothes until they're threadbare rags falling off the body!
Isn't it weird though that despite the stereotyped drama between a teen daughter and parents (father) that there is the saying a daughter is better for a parent than a son in that once married, the son will be under the daughter-law's spell so to speak and the parents will rarely see him once the knot is tied. Whereas with a daughter, even married, she'll come back home again and again and again. Or is this saying all wet?
Oh, that's impossible to answer because it varies by culture. Independent of that, I've observed no particular trend in the American culture on that point because for as many mama boys as there are that will bind the adult son to the family of origin, there are females yearning to stretch their wings and break free of said ties. That's my Reader's Digest response. 😉
I agree no set pattern in the States. I also think dads of teenage girls have it rough.I don't think my girl is wearing it for the boys. I'm impressed with her …empowerment, I guess. She's a freshman at a small private school and has gotten two invitations to junior prom (one from "a hockey guy," supposedly the gods of the school) and turned them both down. She doesn't know or like either guy who asked her enough to want to go. She is very much like her grandmother in that she likes to get guys' attention but is less interested in getting the guy. Somethings skip a generation, apparently… lol.
You know, I think I heard that in Japan about Japanese son and daughters. There are some of those "days" though, that I'd trade son for a daugther. Ssssssssssh! don't let him know! 🙂
we live near my husbands family so we see them very often ie every weekend at minimum. but I see my family once every 3-4 years