Etiquette Issues

[Yeoman Randi]

As the parent of one child already through the school system and another one still in....buying clothing for the concerts is a real PITA. They NEVER wear the outfits for anything other than the concerts (we ARE talking middle school and high school kids here).....

....and they usually grow out of said concert-wear every year. It can become expensive and extremely wasteful.

 

[Finn]

Few weeks back we had the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade here in DC. My fiancee and I was waiting for it to start when we noticed the people staring in disbelief to something behind us. We turned to see a group of teenage girls dressed in funky cat-like headdress, furry boots and funky colored clothes that would make Elton John tell them to tone it down.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

... We turned to see a group of teenage girls dressed in funky cat-like headdress, furry boots and funky colored clothes that would make Elton John tell them to tone it down.

Thank you Finn ~ you've made my day

 

[Gryffindorian]

I'd have been glad they weren't wearing oversize untucked tee shirts and baggy jeans with the crotches almost down to their knees.

Pants on the ground? Pants on the ground.

 

[Paulcpick]

Pants on the ground? Pants on the ground.

Lookin Like a Fool with ya Pants on the Ground!

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Pants on the ground? Pants on the ground.

Lookin Like a Fool with ya Pants on the Ground!

Are they never worried they will fall down?
Please tell me there's a youtube video of this occuring.

 

[Maestro]

As the parent of one child already through the school system and another one still in....buying clothing for the concerts is a real PITA. They NEVER wear the outfits for anything other than the concerts (we ARE talking middle school and high school kids here).....

....and they usually grow out of said concert-wear every year. It can become expensive and extremely wasteful.

And then, they get to job interview time and they have no clue how to dress properly, because Mom always kvetched about concert attire (which can be a teachable moment for how to dress appropriately for business events), and so, instead of learning at points when the school system provided opportunities, they just show up and look like slobs for their interviews.

 

[John Picard]

Oh Trekker, I said always because despite your anecdotes, I'm sure there are times where it is difficult to control a child. I think we're focusing on two different aspects here. You're focusing on adults who seemingly do not see anything inappropriate with their behaviour and I was thinking of children that are simply difficult to control, or when normally well-behaved children act out. Then again like I said, I don't know anything about parenting and likely never will!

Anyway, I don't want to drag this off-topic so I'll just say that I understand your frustrations with the situations you have noted and hopefully we can move on from here.

As a (responsible) parent, I never had an issue with keeping my son under control and behaved. I always have been complemented by people on his behavior and demeanor. He's always been a bundle of energy and it would take an effort on my part to remind him to behave (no beatings necessary).

It's called positive reinforcement, something most parents are clueless about.

 

[trampledamage]

As the parent of one child already through the school system and another one still in....buying clothing for the concerts is a real PITA. They NEVER wear the outfits for anything other than the concerts (we ARE talking middle school and high school kids here).....

....and they usually grow out of said concert-wear every year. It can become expensive and extremely wasteful.

And then, they get to job interview time and they have no clue how to dress properly, because Mom always kvetched about concert attire (which can be a teachable moment for how to dress appropriately for business events), and so, instead of learning at points when the school system provided opportunities, they just show up and look like slobs for their interviews.

Honestly Maestro - a parent not being able to afford a new suit every year or not understanding fashion etiquette does not equal a parent who isn't teaching their kids how to properly dress for a job interview.

 

[Mary Ann]

As the parent of one child already through the school system and another one still in....buying clothing for the concerts is a real PITA. They NEVER wear the outfits for anything other than the concerts (we ARE talking middle school and high school kids here).....

....and they usually grow out of said concert-wear every year. It can become expensive and extremely wasteful.

And then, they get to job interview time and they have no clue how to dress properly, because Mom always kvetched about concert attire (which can be a teachable moment for how to dress appropriately for business events), and so, instead of learning at points when the school system provided opportunities, they just show up and look like slobs for their interviews.

Honestly Maestro - a parent not being able to afford a new suit every year or not understanding fashion etiquette does not equal a parent who isn't teaching their kids how to properly dress for a job interview.

Also, a lot of parents never wear suits themselves, so don't know what the supposed "suit etiquette" is. My husband is 45, comes from a long line of manual labourers and doesn't know how to tie a tie, because he's never had to wear one except for weddings and funerals. I had to teach our son how to tie a tie, and I had to get instructions off the internet.

Let's not forget that, for kids from poorer backgrounds, these fancy clothes may be hand-me-downs, with jackets from one source and trousers from another, in which case of course they would of course not match.

Is this really about etiquette, or is it about dress code? Is it bad etiquette to make snap judgements about these kids without knowing the full story behind their clothing situation? Just saying...

 

[Major Chord]

This is why my school gives us little control of what we wear for concerts. The lower level groups wear black tops and bottoms,with whatever ties the guys choose to wear, and the upper level groups rent either a tux or simple black gown from the school. Helps to make sure we all dress the same, and its pretty cheap to pull off. I actually need to wear the dress blacks to school and bring the tux to change into on Wednesday, as I'm a member of both of our SATB choirs and we have a rating festival that day.