With the present school year entering its final quarter, the girls have begun some of the more enjoyable aspects of elementary school. As a parent we have become accustomed to receiving notifications from teachers about the themes the next week would encompass and then take it upon ourselves to dress the children in a manner consistent with the theme. Longing for the days of old when we as students attended school, daily, in our normal clothing has become pointless with the incursion of motivational education. In saying this, Sunday we were notified that this week would center upon reading, with each day bringing forth an opportunity for the girls to get into character and dress in a manner consistent with a daily theme. Today was a day set aside to celebrate travel and concentrate upon how reading can take you to faraway places, full of excitement and joy.

This travel theme had become a day of interest with the girls. As Lilli spoke, non-stop, about creating a passport and wearing tourist related clothing, Riyann simply sat back and began thinking. Following a brief brainstorming session Riyann inquired as to the possibility of swinging by the motel before we went to school so she could retrieve a dress. Thinking nothing of It, and with my best fatherly thinking, I instantly found an opportunity to make this a win- win situation for everyone involved. You see, each new morning involves a great deal of prodding and wake up reminders for Riyann. She would not be considered a morning person so the struggle getting her up, dressed, and groomed is real. Negotiating the retrieval of the desired dress gave me an opportunity to provide her with some added motivation to get up and start moving rather than seating herself in front of the heater, mediating, or whatever you call her morning routine. I must say I was proud of myself for coming up with the plan and I can attest that it worked perfectly, at least I thought it had.  

As I woke my children up, I made sure I reminded Riyann about the fact that she would need to hurry herself if she wished to get her dress. With exact precision, the likes I’ve never seen before, the child quickly got dressed and readied herself for the adventure of the day before her. While we drove to the motel, her sister revealed that she too needed to retrieve a shirt and following a bit of reminding on my part I dropped the girls off at the door and asked them to hurry as I entered the office to retrieve an item I needed. As I completed my task, I saw a quick flash out of the corner of my eye. The flash was Riyann quickly running to the vehicle and entering back in her place. I thought to myself about just how awesome I must be to be able to finally find a means by which to motivate my babies to recognize and honor time commitments.  

Being the last to re-enter the vehicle I asked the girls if they got everything they needed and once I heard the words that they had we started towards the school. Following our normal daily routine, I loved on the girls and spoke of how exciting the day would be and while wishing them well I watched as they excited the vehicle and walked towards their teachers. It was then that my self-prescribed thoughts of awesomeness and being a strategical genius came to a screeching halt and was overtaken by a voice in my head saying, “what on earth is that child wearing”. Or better yet, “What on earth is that child wearing…. wait that’s my child”. In my haste to meet time restraints, and my gloating at my awesome motivational prowess, I had forgotten one of the most important aspects of raising children. That being, given the opportunity, a child will devise the most interesting clothing selection possible if left unrestrained. Their choice can at times leave all viewing their selection in a mode of shock and awe like seen during the commencement of a great military battle.

As I watched my lovely little lady walk away, long dress flowing, looking like a combination of both a goth styled Cindy Lauper and possibly younger version of Stevie Nicks, I noticed a smile on the face of her principal. I’m sure she was attempting to hold back the laughter which was inwardly seeking to burst forth with the primary theme in her head of who would dress their child in this manner.  All I could think about was, that will teach you educators to make every day a theme day. Confused still, at what my child was wearing and about how she so elegantly got away with changing, reentry into the vehicle and quietly remaining unnoticed, I began feeling my anxiety rise. It was then that I heard my child reveal to her principal her motivation behind her dress.

The child happily disclosed to Ms. Jackson that today was a day about how books can help us travel and her outfit symbolized that. Ms. Jackson then smiled and encouraged the child. As I drove away, a calm came over me. I began thinking about how sometimes it’s just not worth it to stress the small things in life. For it is when we can be ourselves regardless of what everyone else thinks, it is then that we can fully blossom. Now I’m not advocating allowing our children to choose their clothing consistently, for if we do that there’s no telling what this world will come to, but rather not be to be constrained by the confines of societal norms. Maybe that’s just what our world needs, more pure hearts willing to explore, finding joy in an old Halloween costume perfect for that day’s theme. I’m relatively certain that I will have a lot of explaining to do when my wife sees her chosen clothing for the day, hopefully she too will see the comedy in it all.