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Back to School Round-Up: Hazing, Lunches, and Facebook, Oh My!

For many of us, it’s a big week. It’s get-back-into-routines, get-clothes-that-fit-and-are-clean-for-your-children, and re-learn-the-painful-art-of-the-lunchbox week. Oh, and also, try not to stress out too much about how our kids are doing at school and are they making friends, and is their teacher nice, and will they learn lots this year … and … and …

So, let’s put that aside for a moment. How about I share some good stuff from the internets with you that caught my, albeit highly limited and distracted, attention?

Does Hazing Still Happen for High School Frosh?

When I was in high school, hazing of the new frosh kids (grade niners) was an all-out event for the grade 13 kids (no, that’s not a typo, there really was a grade 13 then). The grade 13 kids, usually boys, would harass and intimidate grade 9 kids, usually boys who were smaller than the others or who had a sibling in grade 13. This involved coloring on them with marker, making them carry their books or be walked with leashes, and anything else they thought might be amusing. As with most hazing events, it was “all in good fun,” and “it happened to us when we were in grade 9 too,” and other sorts of hoopla. I know a lot of this has been put out of commission now by the school authorities, but perhaps some of it still goes on off school property. Andrea suspected this too. So she came up with a nice idea. Join in if you can.

Healthy Lunches, Sure. But Being Organized? 

Well, that’s a different story altogether! I am usually throwing lunches together while chugging caffeine. But not Angie! She has shared some great ideas over on her blog. I am totally going to copy some of these babies!

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Lunches Returning Uneaten? I Hate That.

Does that ever happen in your house? Me too. I swear I was never going to be one of those parents who cut food into fun shapes or maybe arranged food on the plate into a funny face. But when you’re child is a picky eater, and you just really want them to eat something, well, yeah. That’s where Funkins can help. Plus, they’re litterless! Love it. Brandy reviewed these on her blog, so you can learn more right here. Beyond making lunches fun, they are an opportunity to show a little extra love to your kids when you’re not with them during the day. That’s why Christine really enjoys making her lunches special for her daughter and while she certainly shares some great tips on her post, I think the greatest tip of all was to role-model supportive and kind behaviour to our children. (Thanks for the reminder, Christine!)

Ethical Clothing for Kids? Yes, Please.

We all knew sweatshops existed. But it was easy to turn a blind eye until the devastating fires in a Bangladesh garment factory really put the spotlight on this issue. It’s easy enough to find adult clothing that is ethical (i.e. fair wages, safe working environment), but kids can be a little trickier. That’s why I was so happy to find this resource called The Good Guide (thanks Gwen!). If you click here, you can see a rated list of 26 apparel companies. Top of the heap is Patagonia, with a rating of 8.2 out of 10. It’s still not a long list to choose from when it comes to ethical clothing, but at least I know where I can start.

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Sexist Instructions for How Teenage Girls Should Use Facebook? Uh, No Thanks!

Yes, I read it too. That post by a Mrs. Hall that was shared like crazy yesterday all over social media. In it, a Mrs. Hall writes a letter addressed to teenage girls to enlighten them on why and how their selfies on Facebook are giving her boys the wrong impression. It was a pretty standard riff that falls into the same category as “If you don’t want to be raped, don’t dress like a slut.” But what was totally bizarre about the post was that it was punctuated with pictures of Mrs. Hall’s own sons in bathing suits at the beach. Anyway, the only reason I bring it up is because while there are a hundreds (I’m not joking!) retorts published on this, I wanted to point you to some I thought were rather brilliant: for poignant thoughts, check out Jessica Gottlieb and for a good laugh, check out  Emily on Urban Moms.

Comments

  1. I have to say that the Hall Mother’s blog post really didn’t sit well with me and I cringe at all my friends who are sharing it and agreeing with it. It is hard to hold my tongue. I was glad to see others felt the same way I did. Cause really!? GAH!

    • They agree with it? I thought everyone would want to punch their monitor after reading it. I can’t imagine how the girls who Mrs. Hall blocked felt once they read the post. The whole thing is just cringe-worthy!

      • interestingly, almost everyone I know who shared it only has sons. Which I think makes it even doubly (or tripply in the case of those who have 3 sons) wrong.

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