JAMIE BUTOW: Moms can provide ultimate dress code
By Jamie Butow
You know that moment when you go to take that load of laundry out of the washer and put it into the dryer ... that moment when you open the dryer and see there are already clothes in there? It's the moment you want to cry, or crawl back into bed, or just hide until the housework fairies find you and fold all the clothes for you.
It's moments like those all parents share. They are the moment where the little things stop you dead in your tracks. "Ugh. I have to fold these, too? I'm out!" At the end of a long week, an unexpected load of clothes could just push you over the edge. It seems trivial, but we've all been there.
Quite a few moms connected with that recent "Mom Moment" of BakersfieldMom.com's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BakersfieldMom). Perhaps even more impressive is the quantity of feedback we received when we asked how you felt about the appropriateness of clothing that is marketed to young girls.
"It is near impossible to find modest shorts for my girls, (ages 7, 11 and 14) in colors and styles that they like. The pressure they get from their peers to dress a certain way is ridiculous. It's not just shorts, but 3-inch heels that can fit a 5-year-old?" commented Dana Bezdek.
She later added that bathing suits for young girls sometimes look almost more like lingerie than swim wear.
Mariah Earl said, "Before we buy shirts and pants, we practically do calisthenics in the dressing room, reaching and bending ... to make sure everything stays covered."
We posed the question there on Facebook to get a sense of moms' opinions as kids are back in school and school dress codes are strictly enforced.
Turns out that most moms are tougher than the dress codes.
"What happened to the good old days of modesty?" questioned Lisa Pyle Grimaldi.
The real problem is finding clothes that meet the standards of the school, and of mom and dad. Education Reporter Courtenay Edelhart wrote about the fashion dilemma in Sunday's Bakersfield Californian.
"There's not much out there," mother of five Esther Schlanger told Edelhart for the article. "I can't ever just dash into the mall and be done in a day."
It seems that all moms are in the same boat when it comes to finding appropriate clothes for their daughters.
"Lots of responses and glad everyone agrees (with) dressing girls modestly," noted Denise Truman on Facebook.
While neither National Retail Federation nor the American Apparel & Footwear Association responded to requests from Edelhart for comment, we're all hoping they get the message.
Contest winners
Congratulations to Keny Ruiz, Michelle Cottle and Kenneth Eddy, all of Bakersfield. They each won a free membership for the Condors Kids Club for the 2012-13 season. Thanks to the Bakersfield Condors for the prizes; enjoy the season in CondorsTown!
Meal Idea Monday
For about a year now, Mondays have been known as Meatless Mondays on BakersfieldMom.com. This wasn't done in an effort to turn everyone into a vegetarian, but in an effort to cut meat from meals one day a week and save money and prep time.
We've highlighted dozens of great recipes from our staff, readers and from our friends at SaveAtHomeMommy.com. You can see an archive of these recipes at BakersfieldMom.com/recipes.
But beginning Monday, we're changing things up. Monday will now be Meal Idea Monday. You'll find quick and easy meal ideas and recipes -- some may be meatless -- posted each Monday. Some may not even be a recipe, just an idea for a quick and balanced meal that another mom has submitted.
You never know, you may just find another family favorite.
To submit your family's favorite meal that can be prepared in snap, comment on any Meal Idea Monday post at BakersfieldMom.com, or email me at jbutow@bakersfield.com.
Jamie Butow is the community engagement coordinator for the Bakersfield.com Network, a social media junkie and the mom of an active 8-year-old boy. Email her at JButow@bakersfield.com. Follow her atFacebook.com/JamieButow2, Twitter @JamieButow, and on Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.
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