Crazy Mom post: No Crocs for God

I teach 17- 18 year olds outside the school environment and it has occurred to me their choice of clothes, outside of their uniform is a school related t-shirt and FBT shorts and flip flops. The ones who worry that it would be too cold appear in school related t-shirts and jeans.

This bugs me. I never thought a lot about it but I realised recently that it bugged the heck out of me. It bugged me that these kids, who were often privilleged kids came dressed as if they were going to PE.

Then, on a Sunday, while rushing out to church, I realised, somewhat thunderously, that the children were donning Crocs to church. Despite being late, I force-marched them home to change to proper shoes, amidst great complaining. "But I have to wear socks!" "But it is hot!" "But my other shoes don't have lights on them!".

I know many mums would say, as long as they are covered, it's no big deal what they wear. Packrat probably doesn't bother and just indulges in my being particular because it is harder to fight 'the other battle.'

So why? Why be proper?

If I thought about it, two influences in my life have led me to this point. My mother, who insisted that if God was supposed to be a bigger deal than the president of a country and we would dress up real nice to go see the president or the queen, what more God? Also, that's where the phrase "Sunday Best" originated from. Being dressed decently to go to church.

Then there was school. I spent four years in a school that insisted that we had to be dressed properly in uniform even if we were going to school for activities. And after the activities, we had to change back to uniform to go home. PE clothes were only meant to be worn in the field and not many other places. Woe was the girl, caught in the middle of town (we weren't allowed to be in town in uniform unless we were with out parents!) in PE gear.

So these are the two reasons why I am 'stuffy' about what the children wear out. Packrat gazed in amazement one day when I went on an unprovoked rant about how our kids will not be seen in school t-shirts and PE shorts anywhere outside of the school and even if they were going to tuition, proper footwear was required.

So what are my clothes rules?
1. No Crocs to church. Church means proper socks and shoes.

2. Same goes for celebratory meals; especially dinner and dinner at restaurants. Collared shirts for the boys, socks and decent shoes and for Jordan, a frock and decent shoes and socks.
3. There are at home clothes and various types of going out clothes so they have no excuse to not be dressed decently, even if it is to go to Grandma's house which is 5 minutes away.
4. Conversely, if Jordan decides to be prissy and wants to go to swimming dressed in her party shoes, she will be eye-balled till she changes to slippers or Crocs.

5. Pyjamas, especially if they are out late at homes of friends cannot be a crude mixture of whatever clothes get blindly pulled out of the cupboard. Pyjamas in such situations have to be matching.

Am I crazy? Perhaps. Am I being too uptight? Most probably.

What can I say? I was the six year old who refused to go to a particular primary school because the school uniform had dots on it!

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