Today I read in BBC News that a Darlington head teacher has asked parents to 'wash and get dressed'.
She
"made the appeal after she noticed more and more adults wearing pyjamas at the school gates as well as at meetings and assemblies."
and:
"Ms Chisholm said the final straw came when parents wore pyjamas to the Christmas show and to recent parents' evenings."
She even has to explain herself:
""I'm not trying to tell people what to do with their lives, but I just think having a really good role model first thing in the morning, getting yourself up, getting yourself dressed, ready for business, out to school is a really good example to set."
I am aghast.
Can you imagine how it must be for those children to go with their parents in pyjamas to a Christmas Show?
One of the Rothschilds I recently read about in Frederic Mortons book had some silk pyjamas that looked like a dress shirt so he could go to bed after a function without getting changed. That's the answer. Only in reverse. I must look out for the pyjamas. There's a school quite near. At least the children are not going to school in pyjamas, are they?
ReplyDeleteThis, Gwil, I will instantly add to to family-saying: "Doing a Rothschild". Great! And forgive me the pun, but then I will mumble:"Do I see a silken lining?" :-)
DeletePyjamas !
ReplyDeleteWhat are they ?
Pyjama - the male equivalent of a baby-doll or nightgown. I hope that they wear at least that, when they bring their children to school.
DeleteOf course there are pajamas (US spelling), and then there are pajamas.
ReplyDeleteOh, I see... thank you, Sue: I wrote it the German way - AND the BBC's way - Ipasted the quotes...)
DeleteAnd of course there are jim-jams which means a fit of depression or nervousness but which people commonly call pyjamas. Maybe they are nervous about going to bed and not waking up in the morning, but at least they'll be dressed.
DeleteI prefer Marilyn'd drops of Chanel No 5 :-)
DeleteOh, no, I wasn't correcting you at all, just letting you know what I wrote wasn't a typo! What did you think of those stylish pajamas at the link?
DeleteI really liked it, Sue: I didn't know the American way to write it (though I should). Stylish pajamas are not easily to be found, is my impression - beautiful and comfortable is a mixture not much offered.
DeleteSo this ugly style choice isn't unique to our west coast?!
ReplyDeleteI see it every day - the unmistakable plaid flannel pyjama bottom or the garish flamingo-under-a-palm-tree flannel pant.....in broad daylight. I haven't seen any of Mothers in pyjamas at the school I pass daily, but perhaps they are saving them for special occasions, such as concerts!
I have never seen it in Germany (but maybe I live in the wrong part of the city) - that's why I was so surprised. Hahaha, I love the hilarious irony in the last sentence, dear Pondside!
DeleteMy sister loudly mentions in the presence of pajamas, "No time to get dressed this morning?!" I ignore them. It's out of my hands. Good for that teacher for maintaining her standards.
ReplyDeleteI like the reaction of your sister, Joanne, (could be mine), but of course we are not there to educate our dear neighbours. But teachers are, a bit at least, and I think it very mentoriously that the headmistress did.
DeleteI don't wear PJ, the old fashioned pretty nightie does for me. I can be seen wandering around my garden in my dressing gown on a fine sunny morning smelling the flowers and checking out what is opening, mug of coffee in hand of course, but that is as far as it goes.
ReplyDeleteI can understand what the teacher is saying as children learn by example, and mainly from their parents.
I adore nighties and am always on the look-out for those in Hollywood style - which one can rightfully call "negligé" - so glamorous - and so hard to find!
DeleteThe garden is for me a private room, so one can (almost - depends on the height of the hedge :-) do as one pleases.
I have just remembered that I do go out in my night clothes so I wasn't telling the absolute truth Britta. When my husband catches the 6.55am train to London, I fall out of bed and drive him to the station. I always keep my fingers crossed that the car will not let me down. Whatever would I do if it did!!!
DeleteOh sweet, Rosemary!
DeleteThe answer might be the one son got in Oregon, when he asked his guest parents, who had no umbrella, what they would do if it started to rain? "We just walk and get wet" was what became a family quote with us.
AND I see sometimes very very early in the morning (from my balcony) a real Lady walking her dog - in winter she wears a very long posh dark coat - and if you look hard, you see a little stripe of pyjama trousers blinking from underneath - totally acceptable at that time and temperature :-)
Oh my... Yes, have seen many a mama in attire that screamed...Too much information showing there! Once seen, cannot be unseen! Susan's comment above took us to quite lovely attire. However, little snowmen, penguin, flower-laden or, plaid pants and the tee shirt sans bra are unfortunate... Along with the required "house shoes" to complete the ensemble. One well endowed mom stopped in to chat... Her little spaghetti strapped top left little to the imagination, but my eye-popping retreat came when she leaned onto my desk and LAID her "girls... American slang for breast" on the front of my desk! I decided to maintain my presence in the hallway from then on...appointments later in the day... Requiring parents to be fully clothed! Way to go teacher! Hope the parents took her suggestions to heart! Giggles for this one.. Britta!
ReplyDeleteWith very young girls in very bad clothes (as shortest shorts on very plump legs) I sometimes think: "Well - they are trying hard to find a mate" and that's OK with me. But your florid description of the choices offered to adult women: shudder. Well - each as she pleases. Fashion industry and advertisement could help in giving examples for elegance - but at the moment they use (and I choose the word with full intent) ten- or twelve year olds as models ... everything oversexed.
DeleteTeachers have my fullest admiration - I saw the wonderful unagitated French movie "The pupils of Mme Anne" (Well - that is the translated German title) and I thought: such hard work! And then: great how some teachers get through to pupils that are not easy to reach nowadays, but are still kids.
I also saw the news article. I was always afraid I would have a flat tire or my car would have some other problem if I went out and was not dressed. I guess those people are braver or more sure of their cars than I am.
ReplyDeleteOh Emma, that is a hilarious coomment! But even a car has windows :-)
DeleteAt least they were wearing pyjamas. My parents dropped me off naked.
ReplyDeleteI KNEW that was coming, Tom - and I knew by whom :-)
DeleteWhen I answered Heron's comment, I first had included a 'deep forward pass' in it - but after Bob Dylan's advice "Don't think twice' - I followed Hyacinth Bucket's word: "Leave it, leave it, leave it..." - thinking that with the photo above I went out on my limb - or two.
Dear Brigitta, today I got myself up and dressed, then drove off to an appointment only to find I was a day early. I was quite embarrassed but would have been doubly embarrassed had I been in my pajamas. I find embarrassments easier to endure if I am properly dressed for them.
ReplyDeleteDear Geo., I prefer "early" to "late".
DeleteAnd totally agree with "I find embarrassments easier to endure if I am properly dressed for them" - I even find stage-fright easier to endure that way. One always sends a message how one wants to be treated.
In the movie "Mr. Holmes" one could see with surprise how many years a well-dressed appearance can take off a person. (Of course that was only a by-product of the movie). Though of course I am for comfortable at the right occasion - but even that goes in our days with style (and it is not a question of money).
There are no words Britta !!!!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteNo, Jackie - as a wrote: Lost for words :-) XXXX
DeleteA few years ago when I was back in college I noticed some of the students showing up to the early morning classes in their PJs and just assumed that it was living the laid-back Florida lifestyle that made them do it. Now I see from your post that it is trending all over the place. Remember when "streaking" was a fad? Let's hope that doesn't make a comeback.
ReplyDeleteThat exceeds the students with knitting kneedles :-)
Delete"Streaking" on soccer fields? we don't need that again...