School Uniforms are They Good or Bad

Today parenting comes in all kinds of forms. It could be grandparents, cousins, stepfather and mom, a single parent, step mom and father, two same sex parents and of course, the traditional set. Children are affected by every part of their upbringing. In public, they might hear comments made against their family that will hurt them. Naturally, a child will be protective of their family. It doesn't stop them from wondering if that person is right and in so doing rocking that child's foundation to the roots.

I went to orientation at my kid's school the other night. The discussion of how the school was going to handle bullying was brought up. I was surprised to hear it but at the same time, I wasn't. It instantly reminded me that my son is one of those bullies. He's normally a very sweet little boy. But we adopted him from foster care and he has this need to prove himself. We are working with him.

Later that night, I spoke to my sister in law who lives in a different county. Her kids are now required to wear a uniform to school. My personal feelings are that it’s a wonderful thing to happen. The reasons I feel that it is beneficial for the kids to wear uniforms are:

• Educational: If children didn't have to worry about their clothing or their hair, they would be able to concentrate on their studies instead. They would tend to think when they put on their uniform that it was time to go to school like adults go to work.
• Time Saver: Kids would get more rest because they don’t have to get up early. It would take the stress out of the morning and give the family more time to be together as well.
• Financially: Parents will only need to buy uniforms for their child to wear. This takes away a lot of the pressure on them from having to purchase the right t-shirt or the $100 pair of jeans that are in style right at the moment. The parent would only have to buy clothes for off times, shoes and accessories. The uniforms are more durable and will last longer.
• Socially: Kids would only have to be accepted for their personalities and not their clothes. Obviously they would still have to be clean though. But it gives them a better chance of getting into the right crowd. I am in no way saying that it would definitely work that way.
• Safety: Kids are killing other kids for various reasons at school. For instance, in 1979, Brenda Spencer, a 17 year old, got a gun for Christmas and shot into an elementary school simply because it was Monday. In 1987, Nathan Ferris, a 12 year old, got tired of being bullied at school. He brought a pistol to school waiting until he was made fun of again. He then killed himself and the boy. There are several other shootings that have happened over the years. By dressing alike, it would make it safer for our children. Kids would have a better chance of fitting in. It would also promote less fighting and bullying. If they all look alike it’s hard to pick on them because someone’s parent could afford the latest fashion trend.

There are other reasons but these are my top reasons. It sounds like a win-win situation. I like the idea that my kids would be focused on their studies and am safer at the same time. I like taking away the time it takes to pick out clothes in the morning. I like the idea of saving that money on the $100 pair of jeans my daughter wants and putting it into her shoes.

But there are cons to this as well such as:

• Creativity: By wearing the same thing, we are taking away the creative expression that our kids have in their clothing.
• Expensive: My sister in law said that she would have to purchase to sets of clothes now. One for school and another for home.
• Socially: There will still be cliques. There is no proof that socially things would change even if the clothes did.

As you can see, there are various opinions. What are your thoughts...? Do you think that all kids should have uniforms?