If your 1st grade daughter won the "fashionista" award at school...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader got this (well, similar, "most fashionable girl") and I thought it was poor judgment on the part of the teacher who also gave out "most caring" and "smartest."

Smartest? In what way? And the goal is for everyone to be caring you don’t need a “most” caring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that people are generally w-a-y too self important these days. Some kids have a knack for fashion to the point that it is a noticeable talent and a part of their persona. What the heck is wrong with recognizing that talent with a reward?

You can be smart, athletic, beautiful AND a fashionable fashionista...

EXACTLY.

As one who works on the fringe of fashion ans design I can't believe the silliness of these people getting so upset by the idea of a child getting recognized for an interest i or flair for fashion.

It takes a great deal of creativity, artistry, originality and independence to become good at fashion. These are strengths, people. Why not recognize and encourage it? It is not like recognizing strength in this one area means that by default you are recognizing shallowness, selfishness, self centeredness or any number of other flaws. You can be good at fashion and still be smart, kind, and any number of other things.

The problem is that in first grade it’s not the child who is “creative, artistic, original and independent”, it’s the mother who is spending way too much money and time dressing her child every day and not enough time on more important things that actually matter.

Why do you assume that’s true? My daughter has been picking out her own clothes since she was three years old. And she’s REALLY GOOD at it! I have zero fashion sense. She even helps me pick out MY clothes now and I actually listen to her for the most part, because she just has a talent. I think she’s great and her eye for fashion is impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would most energetic award mean for a girl in 3 rd grade

That she's energetic? That she runs fast at recess, and likes P.E., and on the day when it's hot and there's a field trip she's still smiling and chatty on the bus back to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the teachers are just trying to reflect back to the kids that they are really listening to them and are hearing what's important to them. Our daughter's teacher does this about her interest in fashion and I think it's great. Her teacher last year picks up on what's important to kids and includes it in their birthday celebration. For our daughter, her teacher last year also mused that the world became a lot funnier and a lot blonder the day she was born. She loved it. She 's also in to top math and reading groups, and had a very close to perfect (all 9th stanine) ERB report. She cares, though, about being fun, and loves playing with her very blond long hair very dramatically while playing pretend games. Same thing with her red-haired close friend.

I can't believe you think it is great that the teacher commented on her blondeness or that you think it is cute that she dramatically plays with her "long, blond (sic) hair." Why exactly did you feel the need to mention that she is a blonde two times? Why is her hair color something important to her that the teacher picked up on?

PP here. My DD's hair is a bright yellow/ white shade of blonde, and it's long, curly and think. People comment on it all the time, as they do with her bright red-haired friend when they are together. Her hair color and style is something she identifies with, and her teacher are remarking on it in a very nice way. It's not that I think it's "cute." It's that I'm glad her teachers know her, and thinks out what's important to her.

:shock: :shock: :shock: Is your daughter's hair color and style really the most important thing to her? You might want to work on finding a new area of strength so that her identity is not wrapped up in something so trivial/temporary.

Curly blonde hair is temporary and trivial? In what world?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see girls recognized for appearance instead of substance.

A "prettiest" award would recognize appearance, and would be horrifying.

I have a kid in my class I can see giving a "fashionista" award too. She's not the most put together or wearing the most expensive clothes. But she's clearly putting together her own outfits, and adds touches like butterfly clips in her hair, or sparkly socks. We're a uniform school, but on a dress down day there's usually something like the rainbow skirt with the rainbow shirt and the rainbow leggings, that she picked out herself. She spends a lot of time drawing, and puts a lot of detail into the outfits of the characters she draws. She loves fashion. It's an area of interest for her.

[Anonymous]

These awards are usually annoying, just like the paper plate awards are for summer swim team. I know they’re meant to be funny, but the coach always gave my girl one that was cringe, like Hot Girl Summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd think I need to nip this superficiality in the bud, honestly.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see girls recognized for appearance instead of substance.

A "prettiest" award would recognize appearance, and would be horrifying.

I have a kid in my class I can see giving a "fashionista" award too. She's not the most put together or wearing the most expensive clothes. But she's clearly putting together her own outfits, and adds touches like butterfly clips in her hair, or sparkly socks. We're a uniform school, but on a dress down day there's usually something like the rainbow skirt with the rainbow shirt and the rainbow leggings, that she picked out herself. She spends a lot of time drawing, and puts a lot of detail into the outfits of the characters she draws. She loves fashion. It's an area of interest for her.

Wow. We have very different values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the teachers are just trying to reflect back to the kids that they are really listening to them and are hearing what's important to them. Our daughter's teacher does this about her interest in fashion and I think it's great. Her teacher last year picks up on what's important to kids and includes it in their birthday celebration. For our daughter, her teacher last year also mused that the world became a lot funnier and a lot blonder the day she was born. She loved it. She 's also in to top math and reading groups, and had a very close to perfect (all 9th stanine) ERB report. She cares, though, about being fun, and loves playing with her very blond long hair very dramatically while playing pretend games. Same thing with her red-haired close friend.

I can't believe you think it is great that the teacher commented on her blondeness or that you think it is cute that she dramatically plays with her "long, blond (sic) hair." Why exactly did you feel the need to mention that she is a blonde two times? Why is her hair color something important to her that the teacher picked up on?

PP here. My DD's hair is a bright yellow/ white shade of blonde, and it's long, curly and think. People comment on it all the time, as they do with her bright red-haired friend when they are together. Her hair color and style is something she identifies with, and her teacher are remarking on it in a very nice way. It's not that I think it's "cute." It's that I'm glad her teachers know her, and thinks out what's important to her.

:shock: :shock: :shock: Is your daughter's hair color and style really the most important thing to her? You might want to work on finding a new area of strength so that her identity is not wrapped up in something so trivial/temporary.

Curly blonde hair is temporary and trivial? In what world?

Natural blonde is almost always temporary.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry, OP. I hope your daughter takes it as a compliment. I think the reward reflects more on the teacher than on your child or you as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be glad that she got her father's artistic side.

Uh, no. It means she wasn't clever, kind, positive, or anything else worthy of recognition. My daughter would love this, I would be embarrassed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What would most energetic award mean for a girl in 3 rd grade

That she's energetic? That she runs fast at recess, and likes P.E., and on the day when it's hot and there's a field trip she's still smiling and chatty on the bus back to school?

I could see my DD get "most energetic" and it's because she talks nonstop, can't sit still, fidgets, finds excuses to walk around, and it's tiring to just watch her. She has ADHD and I would not be impressed with this award. It's like trying to find a positive way to spin something negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad to see girls recognized for appearance instead of substance.

A "prettiest" award would recognize appearance, and would be horrifying.

I have a kid in my class I can see giving a "fashionista" award too. She's not the most put together or wearing the most expensive clothes. But she's clearly putting together her own outfits, and adds touches like butterfly clips in her hair, or sparkly socks. We're a uniform school, but on a dress down day there's usually something like the rainbow skirt with the rainbow shirt and the rainbow leggings, that she picked out herself. She spends a lot of time drawing, and puts a lot of detail into the outfits of the characters she draws. She loves fashion. It's an area of interest for her.

Wow. We have very different values.

I am the one who wrote this. My values include seeing my kids as who they are, encouraging their interests, celebrating when they take initiate, and building a community where each child is known and loved.

What are your values? Only some talents and interest count?

I should note that the same kid is one of my strongest academically. They get all sorts of recognition for that already.

[Anonymous]

I would think poorly of teacher or school

[Anonymous]

OP come back and tell us if she's working on her FIT application now that's she's wrapping up high school!