So, I am lying here in the condo, watching TV. I came across Little People, Big World, on TLC. I don't think I have ever really watched the show before. I did want to see their pumpkin patch, but we moved right before Halloween and after I figured out where they were. This episode is about the daughter 'graduating' from 8th grade. We just finished the graduation season and I marvel at the way celebrations have sprung up for everything! I mean, she's 14 and it's 8th grade and her mom took her out and bought her basically a prom dress to wear for this. I was talking to the girls about high school graduation earlier. I told them to come and find me when they graduate from college. It cracks me up to hear these 18 years refer to themselves as men and women and marvel at their adulthood. This isn't one of those, oh, I am so much older than you. I didn't feel like an adult for the longest time. When I had Buttercup, I told TD I guess I could refer to myself as a woman. I was still only 23, so I didn't particularly feel that way.
Buttercup 'graduated' from 4th grade this year. This is only because our school district has an intermediate school for 5th and 6th grades. They had a graduation party where some kid won a bike.
Back to this episode, so this dress... It was a halter and half of the back was bare. After they brought the dress home, the daughter brought out a note from school saying that spaghetti straps, strapless and bare shoulders weren't welcome. The mom ended up writing a note to the school because she felt like her daughter's dress was modest and she should be able to decide what her child could wear. This is modest? Then the girl goes out to get her hair done. She does end up getting a jacket that covers her shoulders.
I see all of these things and I think I talked before about how things are a bit more formal here in Texas than they were in Oregon. Seeing stuff like this worries me. I know Buttercup is very conscious of how she fits in with her peers and I have been walking a fine line between fitting in and keeping with our own values and ideas. I mean Buttercup could have a new dress, if she wanted one, but one that she could wear to church and not one that would be more appropriate for a formal for an older girl.
I don't know, what do you think? Especially those of you with older children. Was this over the top or are you seeing this with your own kids in their schools? Either way, I think my girls are going to be disappointed in my lack of excitement over the celebration of expected accomplishments, ie my children will have no problem graduating from high school and shouldn't expect us to hire a limo, rent out a hall and have a celebrity DJ flown in....like I said, " Get back to me when you graduate from college."
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3 comments:
Man am I glad to only have one girl. People around here tend to be pretty low key, which is one reason why I love our neighborhood. Not a lot of graduation festivities for the young folks. In Ohio, the high school graduates all had parties given for them and you were kind of expected to show up with a check. I think high school graduation is a celebration-worthy milestone, but within reasonable limits. Guess we'll be figuring that out in the future, too.
In my family, graduating from high school merited a "let's go out to dinner". I think it is worth celebrating milestones, but sometimes I get irritated when every milestone molehill is made into a mountain....
I couldn't agree more. What do our kids truly have to look forward to? My step daughter - whom I love dearly goes to a different school but they did a big 5th grade graduation where families had their kids flowers and big productions and i was like .. give me a break.. seriously.. i don't mean to sound harsh but i was sickened by it. Her hair had to be certain way and new outfit and then she got upset because all my kids didn't want to sit through 2 and a Half hours.. yeah you heard me almost 3 hours of this over HYPE!!! She was bawling crying with her friends and I was like.. what is going on ..am i in the twilight zone??? As a kid i was like "WOO HOO" school is out.. happy fun times! Never really cried but i think it is all the emphasis that the parents put into this crazy psychosis of being a grown up at 11!! Sorry to go off but i believe firmly in keep your kids young and innocent as LONG as possible.. keep them free from the bondage of the need to look perfect and not be able to participate in the really fun things in life like swimming in a bathing suit that you don't have to worry about sneak peaks and just diving in the pool regardless of hair and makeup that might run.. I know I am on a soap box but seriously.. i am tired of how quick our kids are growing.. my oldest is going to be 15 in Nov. and he isn't really into girls ( I mean he says he notices them and has some cuties he likes..) but he is just more interested in a dirt bike and football.. SO BE IT!! I am glad.. my 14 year old can't seem to pry the phone from his ear with some disrespectful little girl that says " I hear Josh in the background can you please put him on the phone.." of course we are the sort of family that just keep talking to her.. and let her learn the line in the sand.. we still pay the bills and he still lives at our home... I love my girly stuff at 33 years old.. my bright colored clothes and jewlery but i am very concious of Modesty and never really "put myself out there" until a few years ago because i was raised that Men are visual and I have the responsibility to carry myself in a way that doesn't provoke sin.. silly to some.. but i have learned the balance of fun wihout giving away what is secret and private.. ANY who.. i love to read your blogs.. and am right there with you! By the way Hannah misses Liv.. hope you guys are having so much fun this summer.. IT IS WELL DESERvEd!!
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