There is a problem that many parents face on a regular basis and when spring is in the air, it just seems to get worse. The issue is with clothing and any parent can tell you that there are limited options available for young girls. Sometimes, it even gets worse and that is especially the case when there is a dress code that needs to be followed closely. As you are about to see, one mother has had enough.
Her name is Catherine Perlman and like many mothers, she was fed up with the instructions from school administrators as to what young girls should wear to school. It wasn’t just a matter of stating the rights and wrongs, in many cases, there is actually some body shaming that goes along with it. That is when Catherine decided to do something about it and she called out the principal to invite her to go shopping.
In essence, Catherine was stating that she felt her daughter was being punished because of her height. Admittedly, it can be difficult to be taller than your peers and for a girl, this presents some very specific problems when it comes to address code.
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“Dear Middle School Principal: Thank you for sending a note home for the second day in a row to say my daughter was dressed inappropriately for school,” Pearlman opens her letter. “I’d like to offer an additional thank you for forcing her to change into large mesh shorts that have been worn by only god knows who and potentially never washed.”
She then asked for help in the funniest way.
“To reward you for treating my daughter with such concern, I am cordially inviting you to take my daughter shopping.
Here are the specifications you have to work with. I wish you loads of luck.
She is 5’7” and 13 years old. Built more like her father, she has exceptionally long legs and arms.
She doesn’t like anything pink or purple or frilly”
You see, her daughter was tall but she also had her own opinion as far as clothing was concerned. She doesn’t want anything with a logo because it “isn’t cool.” She does, however, love Green Day and superheroes.
Perlman wanted the principal to locate clothes that met the standards, including the “fingertip test.” In that test, the shorts have to be long enough so that the fingers touch fabric when the hands are held at the side.
“She has very long fingers which seems to make finding shorts that won’t get her sent to the principal’s office impossible (On the bright side the piano teacher says those fingers are an asset.),” Pearlman adds of her daughter.
And here’s the best part:
“P.S. I forgot to thank you for making it clear to my daughter that her body is somehow a distraction, either to herself or to the boys. I thought she might have missed the message earlier in the year when the gym teacher told her shecouldn’t wear yoga pants because the boys aren’t able to control themselves. I appreciate how hard you are working to drive the point home.”
Well said, mom
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