Peer Mediation

So, Buttercup was picked to be a peer mediator. Nope, this isn't going to be a post on the merits of such an idea, but more about the peer mediation graduation that I went to this morning. Buttercup got up this morning, moaned about her split ends and got dressed in normal school clothes. That's right, split ends. She doesn't even know what that means, because I asked! It's not something she hears me moaning about. TD and I had a discussion about little kids and the things they come up with and how we need to not bust out laughing and mocking her. TD says it's hard especially when she speed talks about boys. It makes him nauseous.
Anyway, I walked her to school and sat down in my spot, while she sat down in hers. They had a pretty good little baked goods buffet going but when little kids served themselves in the midst of their hacking coughs, I figured it would be best to stay away from that. So, I turned my attention to the kids and their parents. The dads pretty much all looked the same. It was the moms and their children that ran the gamut. There were the usual sweat outfits that have become regular everyday clothes. Then there were the moms who were obviously on their way to work and then there was even a mom who wouldn't have looked out of place at a more formal dinner, her suit jacket was that fancy. The kids were dressed in their regular clothes, but there were some girls who had sheer black nylons and nice dresses on. One poor kid had starched khakis, a pressed long sleeved church shirt and nice leather belt and loafers.
Poor Buttercup. It's tough that she's my first kid and we moved in the middle of her elementary experience. I don't know that I would've encouraged her to dress up. She still has to go through the rest of school. Also, I just wore jeans and a polo shirt. I don't know where that put me on the spectrum. I also forgot the camera, which just makes me a bad mom. It was actually okay because when they put the kids together for a photo op (which they do a LOT at this school) she refused to smile. She had a pained, pinched lip sort of thing going on, even though I can making goofy faces at her. I gave her a hard time about it and she said she couldn't smile when she was so nervous.
So, I guess I am lamenting that I don't know exactly how things work down here. It would never have occurred to me to tell her to dress up, especially with the shoes those girls were wearing, how can you run on the playground in 2 inch heels? Several girls were wearing those kind of shoes.
But all of this gives me something new to think about. Do I encourage her to overdo things in order to fit in and probably make her feel uncomfortable in one way, but more likely to fit in. Or do I just keep things how we were in Oregon and she can make her own way of thinking, which might make her feel comfortable, but uncomfortable when she doesn't go with the status quo?
I guess I might just have to amp up my predicting of things that might happen...