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High school removes mirrors from girls toilets and bans makeup

The idea is that they'll pay more attention if they aren't worried about their looks.

Personally, I would be too concerned about how small my eyes look without mascara to be able to focus on learning.

I'm finding this really offensive. Apparantly boys are still allowed to care about their appearances, because their mirrors were not removed.

Is it just me? Are others bothered? Should this be allowed?

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Re: High school removes mirrors from girls toilets and bans makeup

  • In all honesty, this does not bother me. When I was in high school everyone wore school uniform and pony tails and no one had make up on, it was not allowed. Girls were allowed one hole in each ear and boys were allowed no holes anywhere. No other piercings were allowed for girls. Only natural hair colour was allowed for boys and girls, and boys were limited to how much gel they could wear and how long their hair was allowed to be. We had respect for our school uniform and you wore it with pride. We will expect the same for James.
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  • Yup, doesn't bother me.  I had to wear uniforms and we weren't allowed makeup (for weird church-y reasons), but I liked it.  Even though I was Ms. Pimples I'm glad that I was able to grow up not being too concerned about it.  I feel bad for friends who got stuck in that "I have to wear make up" phase from when they were teenagers.

    When boys have the same body issues as girls, then it will make sense to do the same for them.  But let's face it; girls are still judged more on looks and so focus on it more. 

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  • imageBlushingMama:
    In all honesty, this does not bother me. When I was in high school everyone wore school uniform and pony tails and no one had make up on, it was not allowed. Girls were allowed one hole in each ear and boys were allowed no holes anywhere. No other piercings were allowed for girls. Only natural hair colour was allowed for boys and girls, and boys were limited to how much gel they could wear and how long their hair was allowed to be. We had respect for our school uniform and you wore it with pride. We will expect the same for James.

    This sounds like my school when I lived in the UK, moving to the states was a big change!

    I'm with Blushing on this. 

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  • Is this a public or private school?

    I'm not sure about removing the mirrors (they could just carry pocket mirrors) but I'm not against banning makeup. If it's a public school I don't know how they would enforce it.

  • I'm all for uniforms, but that is just ridic IMO.  Will they treat hand held mirrors like contraband?  Sounds unenforceable to me.  

    Totally anecdotal, but after 15 years of contact usage I can't still can't put my contacts in without a mirror.  What if one fell out at school and a mirror was needed to put back in? 

    I don't see mirrors as catalysts to vanity.  They, ya know, actually do serve a purpose in life.  And I think it's taking the "we know what's better for you than you do" one step too far. 

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  • imagewise_rita:

    I'm all for uniforms, but that is just ridic IMO.  Will they treat hand held mirrors like contraband?  Sounds unenforceable to me.  

    Totally anecdotal, but after 15 years of contact usage I can't still can't put my contacts in without a mirror.  What if one fell out at school and a mirror was needed to put back in? 

    I don't see mirrors as catalysts to vanity.  They, ya know, actually do serve a purpose in life.  And I think it's taking the "we know what's better for you than you do" one step too far. 

    I was starting to think I was alone on this.

    I went to a Catholic school and we had no uniforms and could wear whatever makeup we wanted. I did not find it to be a detriment to my learning to be wearing a little eyeshadow and lipgloss. I also liked how I could check the mirror to make sure I didn't have food in my teeth or something like that. I do not want to rely on other teenagers for that info.

    They did mention that there will be exceptions. For instance, if you have bad acne, you can wear cover up. To me, this kind of says "Oh yes, you don't have to follow the rules because you are not attractive in your natural state, and we don't want to see it. We only want fresh faced natural beaties".

    Why is the confidence of the student with acne more important than the girl who feels more confident when she's wearing a bit of eyeliner and pink gloss?

    It's possible that I would feel entirely different if I wore uniforms and was not allowed to wear makeup when I was in school.

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  • imagemeggers5:

    They did mention that there will be exceptions. For instance, if you have bad acne, you can wear cover up. To me, this kind of says "Oh yes, you don't have to follow the rules because you are not attractive in your natural state, and we don't want to see it. We only want fresh faced natural beaties".

    Why is the confidence of the student with acne more important than the girl who feels more confident when she's wearing a bit of eyeliner and pink gloss?

    I agree!  That is a pretty big cop-out.  No makeup means no makeup. 

    I don't have kids, much less girls, much less teen girls but I don't like the idea of treating makeup like some off limits "OoOoOo it's so bad thing".  Kinda like sex.  Knowing about it and how to use it properly is important, not putting some BS taboo around it.

    For all the old skool Canucks out there: Did Steaphanie from Degrassi Jr. High teach us nothing?  She painted herself like a whore at school because her parents wouldn't let her wear makeup at home.  Is that what we really want, just in reverse?  She also kissed boys to win class president.  So then again maybe she really was a whore....  

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  • That would bother me. It's making too much of an issue of it. I loved breaking all my schools rules about piercings, hair colour, makeup and jewellery. I liked changing my look dramatically as I was finding my own identity. Too many adults leave high school with little clue about how to conduct themselves in society and take care if themselves in all areas (health, sexual relations, finance etc.) I think individualising should be encouraged whether in appearance or thought and focussing more on personal development programmes would be a better use of time and energy.
  • The international private school I worked for would cover all the mirrors in the girls bathrooms and post inspiring notes on the bathroom walls once or twice a year for a week.  I thought it was great, but the girls always ended up tearing off the mirror coverings within the first day.

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  • That sounds a bit much. One thing to have a uniform and grooming standards (which I support). Totally another to remove mirrors which we use for putting in contacts, removing eye lashes, checking our teeth for lunch remains, the occasional bloody nose, no snot in the nose.... Besides, if the school is going to have a grooming standard which includes how a female's hair is to be kept then there needs to be a mirror to check on that hair. Sorry, but my ponytail needs some checking on and usually a touch up through the day.
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  • I don't know that I'm "bothered" b/c I probably wouldn't let my hypothetical teen daughter wear make-up routinely.  I'm not saying never, never, but as a daily "must have" spackled on thing, not ok for my kid.  For a dance/prom/social/special occasion-- reasonable lipstick/gloss and some blush/bronzer/glittery junk that kids wear (you see how into make up I am), ok. 

    I guess what puts me off is the really heavy, hardcore make up that makes a 14yr old adolescent look like a 20-something.  To me personally that's just too much too soon.  You can look (make up/dress/etc) 20 when you are 20 (or at least reasonably close to it-- 18+), but I'm really uncomfortable letting young teens take on a very sophisticated look so early.

    That said, that's my opinion and just b/c I'm not mad keen on my kid wearing make-up, doesn't mean I think I have a right to force that view on other parents. So wrt to the should it be "allowed"-- well, that's harder for me to answer.  While I might not personally allow daily make-up as a parent, that decision is based on my opinion, experience and best guess. 

    Parents that would allow heavier make-up have reasons, opinions, experiences, and best guesses which differ from mine.  Are they wrong?  Who knows!  But I def think they should have a right to set rules for their children, even if those rules wouldn't be the same rules I'd set for mine.  Kind of the beauty of being a parent, isn't it? Bad pun.

    Long way of saying-- I'm not personally bothered, but I don't think that no make=up should be compulsory for public schools (private, well, hey, parents have choices on the front end there, so I'm better w/ "allowing" such a rule there).

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  • imageVABeach08:

    I don't know that I'm "bothered" b/c I probably wouldn't let my hypothetical teen daughter wear make-up routinely.  I'm not saying never, never, but as a daily "must have" spackled on thing, not ok for my kid.  For a dance/prom/social/special occasion-- reasonable lipstick/gloss and some blush/bronzer/glittery junk that kids wear (you see how into make up I am), ok. 

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  • I think this is ridiculous. Honestly, it's a phase of growing up. Is the school going to go through their lockers and bags to confiscate mirrors? Come on! Taking away a mirror is not going to teach or build self esteem. I understand what the school is trying to accomplish but this is taking it too far. If they want to strengthen their female students bring more women speakers to the school that encourage education and achieving goals. Its pathetic way to get a message across.
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  • imagesewatkins:

    Is this a public or private school?

    I'm not sure about removing the mirrors (they could just carry pocket mirrors) but I'm not against banning makeup. If it's a public school I don't know how they would enforce it.

     This. A girl in my middle school got expelled for having dyed hair and it was HUGE at the time. I remember her being on the Today show. Of course they had to let her come back and at that point she just made it a point to be as outrageous as possible. She shaved her eyebrows off and drew them in different colors/patterns every day. It's never gonna work in a public school 

    I agree that I would rather my kids just wear uniforms to school and that there be rules about makeup/appearance at school. I'm all for personal expression but there's some level of respect around learning that I appreciate and expect my kids to have. I went to a HS with a dress code but not uniforms and I know I would have preferred a uniform and my parents would have (easier on the budget - the dress code was expensive to maintain). 

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