School Uniforms in Public School?

Mandi & Ryan are in middle school and their school has adopted a uniform policy this year.  I, personally, am thrilled senseless.  It's so easy!  I may still hear about Mandi's hair not behaving properly in the morning but I'm not going to hear about nothing matching, she has nothing to wear etc. etc. etc.  She won't be trying to make me feel badly about the fact that she doesn't have clothes from Hollister and Abercrombie (like all of her friends!).  I won't be sending her back to her room to find a top that doesn't show cleavage.  Ryan never was too tough to deal with as long as I kept his clothes decently trendy but he did  have a little trouble matching up some mornings.  That's gone now. 

The controversy and out-cry about uniforms stumps me a little bit.  I've heard that it's against the law, against the constitution, that it will take away our children's individuality,  and that it's more expensive. 

Individuality ~ My children want to wear what their friends are wearing and what the commercials, magazines, and T.V. shows are telling them they should wear if they want to be "in", be "cool", be "popular".   There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of individuality being expressed.  Even the goths, emo's and wanta-be-gang-bangers wear a type of "uniform".  Mandi has shown a true sense of individuality this year by buying accessories that please her.  She has a whacky sense of style when it comes to bags, purses, necklaces & earrings.  She had a lot of fun concentrating on that with her money while I bought her khaki's & polo shirts (minus the polo insignia or any other identifying mark - they had to be plain which was a bit of a challenge in girls/teens clothes, although the boys were easy & cheap to find).  They can wear whatever shoes they want (an oversight in my opinion) so that also helped her to individualize her look.  She didn't insist on expensive, as a matter of fact we found her four pair of adorable shoes for less than $30 (clearance, clearance, clearance) to round off her uniform & accessories.   We went right back to expensive when it came to Ryan's shoes.  He had to have the expensive trendy skater shoes.  The cost of tennis shoes can be a hair raising experience these days.

More expensive ~ hello, McFly!  I don't think so!  I found Ryan's shirts for between $3.99 and $12.00 each.  Yes!  Mandi's were between $7.99 & 12.99 each.  Yes!  The khaki's & dress pants tended to be cheap for Ryan and a little more spendy for Mandi because she's such a tiny hard-to-find-size, but her jeans are always much more expensive for the same reason (size 0) (if she wasn't my daughter I would have unkind words for her for being so naturally thin)  (and she did go up to size 1  in some brands - fat ass - oh, did I say that?  I didn't mean it).  So, more expensive?  Not in this household!

I watched the kids pour out of the school yesterday, and maybe I'm getting old or something, but they all looked so nice!  There were plenty of colors - pink, yellow, green, gray & white polo's.  (five colors, I know, another oversight imho)  Khaki's, dress black & navy pants.  They didn't look cloned.  They just looked nice.

The law, the constitution ~ yeah, well.  My gf told me that by law if a public school instituted a uniform policy then they had to provide the uniform.  Um hmm.  I had to pay $15 a piece for the kid's gym uniforms.  I've been informed that they both have to have seperate tennis shoes for gym class (2 more pair of shoes to buy!)   I had to pay $2 each for "school something or another" fee.  I had to pay $45 for a home-game-pass for Mandi because she is a cheerleader and has to go to home games. (let's not even talk about the cost of the cheerleading uniform!)  I had to pay $7.50 each for lock deposits.  And on & on.  You get the idea.  And then there were the endless list of school supplies needed.  I'm even expected to provide the teachers with kleenex and dry-eraser pens for their rooms.  This year even included red pens!  WTF?  It's expensive sending your kid to school.  No doubt. I agree.  But the uniform actually eased my burden somewhat this year. 

. . .  now for those highlights Mandi would like put in her hair . . .