A primary school headteacher has written to parents to ask them to stop dropping off children while wearing their pyjamas.
Kate Chisholm, headteacher at Skerne Park Academy, Darlington, is urging the adults to dress properly so they set a decent example to pupils.
She complained about the trend after noticing an increase in the number of parents wearing pyjamas and slippers at the gates - with some even attending school assemblies and meetings in nighttime attire.
She wrote: 'I have noticed there has been an increasing tendency for parents to escort children to and from school while still wearing their pyjamas and, on occasion, even slippers.
'Could I please ask that when you are escorting your children, you take the time to dress appropriately in day wear that is suitable for the weather conditions.'
Ms Chisholm said her letter was not a 'judgement' but was in a bid to set good example for the children.
'If we're to raise standards it's not too much to ask parents to have a wash and get dressed,' she said.
'That they should not sit around in pyjamas because they don't have to get dressed for work.
'I don't give two hoots how people dress at home, I just think if they're a good role model for their children and want them to get a job and better yourself then they ought to get dressed.'
DARLINGTON: KEY STATISTICS
Darlington, a market town in the north east county of Durham, is home to around 106,000.
Its crime rate of 68.65 incidents per 1,000 people is higher than that of County Durham, whose rate is 49.08.
Its overall employment rate is 2.7 per cent - a drop of 0.9 per cent from last year - while the rate among under 18s is five per cent.
There are several engineering companies based in the town but the biggest employer is mobile phone giant EE, which provides around 2,500 jobs.
She added: 'I do believe it's possibly the case that pyjamas have become more trouser-y but I really don't think it's too much to ask.'
Ms Chisholm said she had mainly had support from the parents who received the letter.
'I've had lots of positive remarks from parents at the school and in the community,' she said. 'But I have also had negative remarks, mainly from those people who choose to wear pyjamas.
'But in the next breath they have told me they consider that I dress too nice for work. Us staff have a dress code and the children have a dress code too. It's about us all feeling part of a team.
'I imagine there might be some people who keep up wearing pyjamas for the next six months to prove a point.
'I can't force people to get dressed but I will keep sending letter home in the hope that they decide to put on a pair of jeans.'
Incredibly, even after the headteacher issued the letter, a mother turned up at the school to collect her child dressed in her pyjamas.
The woman, who did not wish to talk, refused to give her name, and was dressed in a dressing gown, slippers and pyjamas.
A scouser (not Sean,) goes to see the doctor and asks; "Can you give me something to help with my sleep?"
Doctore: "Ok, we have this medicine, it'll help you drop off to sleep as soon as your head hits the pillow."
Scouser; "That's no good, I have no problems getting off to sleep, I get my head down about 9.30 pm and I'm out like a light."
Doctor; "Ok, well there's this medicine which will ensure you have a long lie in in the morning."
Scouser; "Oh, I've no problems with that, I sleep in until 11.00 am or later each day."
Doctor: "Well this medicine will make sure you don't wake up in the night."
Scouser; "I never wake up in the night, our like a dead thing I am."
Doctor: "Well what the hell is your problem with your sleep?!?!?!"
Scouser: "it's the afternoons....."
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:39 am
by MajGenl.Meade
She opened the door in her pyjamas
Strange place for a door, I thought
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:18 pm
by Sue U
MajGenl.Meade wrote:She opened the door in her pyjamas
Ha. But that's nothing compared to Capt. Spalding:
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:29 pm
by Lord Jim
She complained about the trend after noticing an increase in the number of parents wearing pyjamas and slippers at the gates - with some even attending school assemblies and meetings in nighttime attire.
And then they head for the supermarket...
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:30 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
We have become a more casually dressed society. Personally, I would wear sweat pants and t-shirts all the time with jeans and flannel shirts for the more "dressy" occasions.
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:17 pm
by Scooter
I don't know, I can remember 45 years ago, some of the women on our street who practically lived in rollers, hair nets and bedroom slippers no matter where they went. Plus ça change...
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:29 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
Personally, I would wear sweat pants and t-shirts all the time with jeans and flannel shirts for the more "dressy" occasions
Sweat pants and t-shirts in bed? Ew!
T-shirt goes under flannel OK, I guess but do you wear the sweat pants over or under the jeans?
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 7:54 pm
by rubato
It is interesting how rarely standards of dress are 'enforced' even as timidly as this.
My personal standard is to dress appropriately to show respect for the place, the participants, and the event. If I am going to a wedding, funeral, graduation or a church service I try to find out what is expected and conform or I suppose, don't go.
My internal barometer for what is appropriate church wear was set a long time ago, nice jacket, shirt and tie, and I find it difficult to do less even though I've seen a lot looser standards expressed by people in churches of a range of flavors.
But dress is a part of communication and we have a moral responsibility to show respect for others ceremonies.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:00 pm
by ex-khobar Andy
From Ms. Chisholm:
'But in the next breath they have told me they consider that I dress too nice for work. Us staff have a dress code and the children have a dress code too. It's about us all feeling part of a team.
I really think that Ms. Chisholm should concentrate more on the English language than on how people dress. 'Nice' in that context is just about acceptable on the US side of the pond, but still not on the UK side; while 'Us staff' is acceptable on neither.
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:10 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
I am not fond of "they have told" and "about us all" too, Andy. It is careless speech, as you indicate. But it is speech and people often use word patterns that they would not themselves countenance in writing. Perhaps she'd also avoid such hiccups when teaching children. Even so, you are quite right and it is a reminder to take care of our words, verbal and written.
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:20 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
Dress right, speak right.
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:21 pm
by kmccune
Have noticed how some people even go to the lower end eating establishments ,dressed in Pajamas .I guess Waffle House isnt classy ,but for Petes sake, get dressed ,before you venture out in Public and night gowns are not proper attire when people come to visit .
Major .Meade ,she could come to the door ,anytime I called ,attired like that .
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:25 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
night gowns are not proper attire when people come to visit
Do not feed straight lines to Gob, please!
It's nothing but sheer negligénce!
Re: Get dressed
Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:32 pm
by ex-khobar Andy
Something is missing from that picture Meade posted.
