For the Love of Uniforms

My children attend a Montessori charter school in Madison Heights, Michigan.  There are a million reasons I love this school, one of them being the children wear uniforms.  Though my 12 year old fashionista will explain to you how wearing uniforms is stunting her creative spirit, I know it saves us precious time and energy as we run around trying to get ready for school in the morning.

How, you may ask, is it saving us time?  Number one, everything matches.  We do not have to discuss how stripes and floral on opposite ends of the color spectrum should not be worn together.  We are not having a discussion on how it is entirely too cold to wear a tank top because it is February.  There is also the opposite discussion that your favorite wool sweater in not appropriate for May.  Although, this is Michigan and you may be able to wear a wool sweater in May and be comfortable.  It just depends.

Number two, it limits our choices.  Pick your polo shirt, pick your pants or skirt, grab a sweater if you feel inclined, and we are done. All you mommas out there dealing with the entire wardrobe as an option every day, BLESS YOU!  I truly mean it. We have one Uniform Buy Out a month, where the children can wear anything they want if they bring in a dollar.  My girls LIVE for Uniform Buy Out, but they also agonize over what to wear.  There is so much discussion and decision making, it is just exhausting.  Even making all these decisions the night before, we run into issues where we change our mind and are scrambling in the morning.  I do not like morning.  I definitely do not want to discuss what you are going to wear.  Please just get dressed!

Number three is more of an energy saver than a time saver.  Uniforms put all the children on an even playing field.  We all come to school wearing the same type of clothing.  We are not worrying about designer jeans and expensive sneakers.  We are not worrying about trying to fit in with our clothing.  Uniforms eliminate a little bit of competition and a little bit of anxiety around how we look.  I know there is no possible way to eliminate all the emotional angst around fitting it with your peers. But with uniforms, we at least eliminate one source of the drama.

My girls are full of creative energy.  Both girls want to express themselves and so I encourage them to style their hair, wear jewelry, paint their nails and add some of their own flair to their standard uniform. I’m not a monster!  I am also all about fun, so when we roll around to this part of the year and it is time for Spirit Week; I am hands off.  I announce the themes and they do the rest. Now even with all the best laid plans, twice my 7 year old changed her clothes 10 minutes after getting dressed. She had an epiphany that her outfit was no longer working and she made a change.  She made this decision all on her own, without drama, and in time to get out the door.  No big deal!  I am just glad we do not have to make all these decisions every day.  I think it is better for all of us.  Take a look at how Spirit Week 2019 turned out.