School Uniforms vs School Buses

I felt a pang the other day when I saw a little girl in a sweet, dark grey pinafore with a pleated skirt, over a crisp white shirt. I love school uniforms. Preferably the old fashioned, pinafore kind. But even the sweatshirts and any-old-trousers kind are better than none. No school uniform just increases the amount of garments a child – and her parents – have to worry about getting right, in the name of social acceptance. And yet, that is the American way: individuality of dress from the outset. It’s a few years off I know but I’m already sad that Lady P won’t get to wear a sweet little pinafore every day.

I hope she has sufficient strength of character not to suffer the paralysis of indecision I know I would, if I had to choose a different outfit for school every day.

If she doesn’t cope well I may impose a school uniform of my own. And yes, it would involve a pinafore. Perhaps a straw boater too.

The plus side of the American school system is, of course, those jolly yellow buses. Every so often I forget, and say to TLOML as we pore over some new house listing on line ‘I wonder what the school run would be like from there’, only to be reminded that for most parents, there is no school run. Just a walk to the nearest bus pick up point.

Again, for every cloud that passes over ourmove to the US,there is a silver lining.