The Importance of Distraction-Free Clothing for Children
By Isaac Kemsley, Salmonberry Kindergarten Teacher
Madrona School, Bainbridge Island, Washington
“The school strives to create a healthy learning atmosphere devoid of commercial or media promotion. We request that clothing be simple and “quiet.” Please avoid as much as possible pictures or images derived from cartoons, movies, TV, computer games, or the internet.”
The excerpt above is from our Family Handbook in the Supporting Your Child At School chapter, under the Dress Code section. But why does Madrona ask parents to avoid graphic tees and logo prominent gear when dressing a child to go to school?
First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge that it is a gift to the focus of a student and their peers in the class to forgo the distraction that graphics and logos demand. When standing across from one another in the circle or sitting at the snack table or story circle, a cartoon character on a sweatshirt or a busy graphic patterned t-shirt calls for the attention of the children, pulling that focus away from the story or game at hand. To send a child to school in solid colors or subdued patterns allows for a visual exhale so everyone can relax into the tasks of the present moment.
Secondly, the video game and cartoon imagery from shows and games triggers performed and pre-formed plot-lines/scenes/dialogue in the children’s minds. This upsets the natural inclination of the young child to play freely and imaginatively. Instead of drawing upon their environment and surroundings to collaboratively and interactively create play with their classmates, they often reenact storylines and scenes that have already been formed and tend to have an inflexibility to change, as the outcome has already been written by teams of screenwriters or video game designers.
The young child does not yet differentiate between fantasy and reality. All that is perceived through the senses feels very real to them and builds their conceptions of reality. At this age it is extremely important that what is available to them is worthy of their absorption and digestion. That is why in Waldorf Schools, teachers take great care to bring lessons and stories that contain archetypal human truths and are built upon the essential reality and wonder of the natural world.
Finally, it is important to remember that the characters and logos and cartoons are not well-intended visitors to our classroom and school. They are not good friends to the children, as the children often believe that they are. As adults know, they are “spokes-creatures,” carefully crafted by multi-million dollar teams of marketers, sociologists, psychologists, graphic designers to create the next generation of consumers. The show or game or shirt or water bottle or lunchbox is only one of many opportunities for crossover merchandising and building lifetime brand loyalty in a child. The video game/streaming/toy industries are all vying for our attention and our loyalty and ‘love’… but mostly our dollars. Do we really want to support and enable these corporations to market to our children?
One of our goals at Madrona School is to provide a break from the fast-paced, anxiety producing hustle and bustle of everyday life. We do that by surrounding the children with beauty and nature. Please help us achieve our goal by dressing your children in calm, quiet clothing. Thank you.
