Blog
Pajamas on the School Run Produces a Storm
Jan
After the blizzard on the East Coast last week, another storm, originating in the UK, has blown up on social media about Pajamas on the School Run. Pajama etiquette has been rumbling around for some time. Not so long ago we reported on how Yummy Mummy had become Slummy Mummy at the school gates. And there have been many articles recently debating whether it’s ever OK to wear pajamas in public. We even saw a story from Charlotte reporting that a parent had complained about a student aide showing up in his pajamas to assist in her child’s science class. But a principal in the North of England has caused quite a stir by writing to parents about dress code. Kate Chisolm noted an “increasing tendency for parents to escort their children to and from school while still wearing their pajamas” and she went on to ask them to take the time to dress appropriately and set a good example to their children. In a sign of our times, this letter sent to a few hundred local parents, was reported in the local paper and has now gone viral. The paper’s story has had more than 10,000 shares on Facebook and prompted thousands of comments including from the USA and around the English speaking world. To some, this is a form of outdated tyranny of the highest order. Who is a principal to dictate what someone should or should not wear? Why shouldn’t some parents just be cozy? Does she understand the pressure working mothers are under? Blah blah. The principal, Ms Chisholm, said she felt obliged to write the letter when parents started to arrive at parent-teacher conferences in pajamas, and that she just wants to ensure her pupils have high aspirations. Our view about Pajamas on the School Run, for what it’s worth, is that teachers are quite within their rights to request appropriate dress but partly it depends on the pajamas. The way fashion is going you soon won’t be able to tell the difference between pajamas and designer Dior. We recommend our school-run approved Wild funzee as classic leopard spots are always in fashion.