A Step Away from Uniformity?

Yesterday was the first day of school and both Jenn and Ryan complied with its new dress code. It really isn't that far off from what they normally wear, but it's still annoying that it had to be implemented in the first place. It is a real shame for whatever reason, clothing has become the ruler for the character of a person. It's not surprising though. When you see young people wearing pants around the top part of their thighs causing their entire buttocks to be exposed to view, covered only by their boxers underneath, or their tops cut so low they expose more than needs to be imagined, or expose rolls of excess midsection, none of which could possibly promote a healthy self-esteem!

Let's consider for a moment the health issues of some of today's lackadaisical dress code. If you wear your underwear on the outside of your clothing, it can be quite unsanitary. Think about it! How many times have you stood in line next to someone that had bad body odor? How gross a reality would that be, to have to sit in a seat where someone like that has just been sitting? After all, high school seats are not single user property; there are multiple users in each seat in a single day! Have you ever seen the janitor cleaning off the seats in a classroom?

I can see the enforcement of a better dress code, but it can be taken to extremes. It only makes sense to have students to wear clothing that fits their bodies in a way that they don't have to worry about an item falling off, exposing private parts, or strangling the breath out of them. If a student has on clothing that covers both their private body parts and their undergarments, and the fit doesn't endanger them or others in any way; then why be so picky? What is wrong with a t-shirt with a design or logo on it? As long as it is not promoting sex, drugs, racism, prejudice, or violence, then why shouldn't they have the freedom to dress responsibly?

There seems to be some confusion about the new dress code and what is really allowed as proper attire. Why? Perhaps it was the packet sent home by the school to order "school spirit" clothing? Why? You can purchase a hooded sweat jacket, an item of clothing not allowed according to the new dress code. So what is it to be? Can you really expect the students to comply when you cannot be consistent with your guidelines?

The only way you will make a clean break from choosing to dress neatly and responsibly on your own, is to implement a uniform dress code. After all, most parochial school students wear uniforms throughout their entire lifetime in the school system, and they have survived the ultimate dress code! Even the instructors made it a "habit" to dress in uniformity.

Alcohol Addiction: Genetic or Learned Behavior?

Being the parent to several children, one of the things we've discussed at great length has been the avoidance of illegal drug use and its abuse, as well as the use and abuse of alcohol and prescription drugs. As they each come of age our discussions are revisited, especially since they have biological fathers with different tolerances for alcohol.

My eldest children's father used and abused both drugs and alcohol. The youngest children's father neither abused drugs, nor drank in excess to my knowledge. Our children did notice he had not only started smoking for the first time in his life at age 39, but he had also picked up more frequent alcohol consumption. Since we were no longer together, I cannot be sure how any excess drinking would affect his behavior, nor how his genetic makeup would effect a dependency on alcohol.

While I can see my first ex-husband spending countless hours in an alcohol rehab for substance abuse, I wouldn't foresee that happening with the second ex-husband; that is unless he learns to be dependent upon it for comfort. My reasoning comes from having spent years with each. While one drank to disguise the aroma of marijuana or to get a buzz (which usually required more than a six pack), his abuse eventually lead to the use of harder drugs. The other drank moderately and only on social occasions, until our separation when the children would talk about his drinking habits during visits which were new to all of us.

Consequently, we all have agreed that since there might be a predisposition for alcohol dependency for some of our children, that all of them would do well to be responsible when deciding to consume alcohol as they reach that legal age of 21. After all, what is the purpose in getting drunk just to get passed the bad taste one has for the drink? Isn't it better to enjoy with moderation?