It is Spirit Week at my son’s school, which means that each day there is a theme and the kids are supposed to come in costume, a fact I registered and then completely forgot until we were walking up to the kindergarten line on Monday morning and noticed that several of his classmates were wearing tie-dye for “Hippie Day.” No matter – I ran back to the car, grabbed some Burt’s Bees colored lip balm, and put peace signs on his cheeks, mumbling something under my breath about how peace signs are not particular to an era and maybe something else about how being a hippie is a state of mind, not a fashion statement.
Tuesday was mixed-up crazy day, but Zach is a first child and therefore could not possibly wear his clothes backwards or inside out. Hell, I’d be lucky if I could get him to wear gold and silver together or white before Memorial Day. He decided to tie a sock around his wrist. Whoa, there kiddo. Don’t get too out of hand.
Wednesday, however, was a snap. Wednesday was advertised as “Earth Day – Go Green, Recycle.” That one I had covered, although I’m not sure the mother whose SUV idles outside the school for half-hour every single afternoon had any clue what to do.
We walked up to the kindergarten line this morning, and Zachary started to pout. “I’m not wearing anything green,” he complained, looking at his friends.
“Zach, the theme is Earth Day – Go green, Recycle. You are wearing a Scrap Kins shirt. They live in a recycling center.”
“Yes, but trees help too,” he told me, looking at a girl with paper leaves glues onto her pants. Paper she will most likely need to throw away this afternoon.
“Your shirt is organic cotton, and it is about recycling. It is a small, locally owned business, and it was shipped to us from New York, so it has a small carbon footprint. Your pants are organic cotton, made by a company with socially responsible business practices. Your underpants are also organic cotton, also made by Hanna Andersson. In fact, with the possible exception of your socks, everything you are wearing is ethically produced. You are the most ethically dressed kid here. Possibly in New Jersey.”
He looked unconvinced, sighing with envy as a child ran by covered in cotton balls, shouting “I’m a cloud for Earth Day.”
Wheels on the bus 
green is the new black although the lemmings still don’t get it.
Have to admit – it is easier to announce “I’m a cloud!” than to say “I’m an ethically dressed, environmentally responsible consumer clad entirely in soft, renewable natural fibres!” It is frustrating that the idea of Earth day seems to have been lost a little and turned to Nature Things day.
ok seriously the whole SUV idling for 30 minutes is INSANE, have you talked to the school about possibly putting up a sign (or even sending home a note)?? My son’s elementary school has one that says something like “protect the air our kids breathe, turn off your car!” in a prominent place as you drive into the parking lot…. MAYBE if presented in a way that indicates that its helping the kids (HER KID NO LESS) she will get the message??
If the school wouldn’t do anything I think I would be tempted to say something…. that is so irresponsible!
I’m a cloud….lol that one cracked me up.
i think that even if the earth is uninhabitable, there will still be clouds.
What kid wouldn’t want to be a cloud? I’d be a cloud! I think you’ve hit on an issue here–going “Green” needs a fun makeover. You’ve made choices, organic clothing, etc. that win you high marks among like-minded adults but many kids can’t make the distinction. Next time, you can dress him as an actual Scrap Kin, teeth and all.
That should be hard to top.
Thanks for the support as always!
When we attended kindergarten orientation at my daughter’s school they had ‘recycling displays’, made of empty juice boxes and water bottles. Seriously? What about just forgoing the heavy packaging in the first place?
I guess you have to start the greenwashing early. 😦
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