Logan & Krystin came home
from their 2nd day of school
charged with fury.....
My first thought was that other kids were mean to them....
That a teacher was horrid...
Something unacceptable,
to my pretty easy going kids had happened for sure!
Krystin was rattled to the core....
Logan told me that they went over school rules today,
and he is PRETTY sure they are a communist school.
Krystin immediately agreed.
I asked them to elaborate.
Apparently, the 'uniform' is only part of the required experience.
- No colorful undershirts are allowed, only white.
- Girls must only wear white ankle socks, boys blue/black...
- No extreme hair colors
(not even bright blonde or red,
which my kids thought was unreasonable
as they have friends with some pretty bright red hair naturally)
Up til this point didn't seem that extreme to me....
Then they continued.
- No rings, only one bracelet.
Hmn, ok... Not too bad.
The next couple rules Krystin felt were
a great infringement upon her rights as a person,
and as a teenage girl.
and as a teenage girl.
----No Make-up----
High school girls not allowed to wear make-up did seem a bit extreme.
Not even some natural looking accents...???
Nope. None.
---No nail polish---
(Phew, glad I took Logan's nail polish off
before school on Monday, left over from Comic world.)
Krystin happened to have painted nails,
and was repeatedly told all day
that nail polish wasn't allowed.
Krystin does NOT like to get in to trouble,
and was a bit devastated...
Krystin had no clue before...
Yesterday was go over the rules day,
and she was quite upset to not only not be able to wear it,
but to get scolded about it....
Well you know...
If you allow a little nail polish...
A little make-up...
then pretty soon...
The kids look like this, ha!
There were a bunch of other school rules too,
no electronics/phones to be used during school.
No, not even during lunch or break...
Although, Logan's friends told him
everyone still use their phones at lunch.
The kids came home just outraged
that their freedom of individuality,
no their RIGHTS to individuality,
was not only NOT being encouraged,
but was not being allowed....
The INJUSTICE!
Yes...
Our children are American.
I told them,
that while yes,
they are at the 'American International School'
they are still in Hong Kong.
The focus here is not on individuality, but academics.
That is part of the reason we came out here,
so they can experience life through a different set of lenses....
That, and I reminded them, that ultimately, at the end of the day...
They are STILL American and have the right to their individuality.
What an appreciation they will have for their freedom(s),
when they return...
And....
Hong Kong is really not 'that' restrictive overall.
They did have free reign picking their backpacks.
It is funny to me though.
American's think differently.
We have certain expectations,
and we look for exceptions to rules to meet those expectations.
Krystin showing her red, white and blue this morning,
as she was heading out asked me,
"Mom, do you think I can wear a ring, if the ring is really a watch?
Since, watches are allowed?"
LOL!
She is so my child.
