Get your freak on, junior high style

Yeesh. I chaperoned the seventh and eighth grade "social" last night. (The term "dance" is seen as too intimidating and too encouraging to the "come with a date" phenomenon. Ergo, social. But it's the same thing...D.J., chips and Coke, boys on one side and girls on the other for the first hour.)

The kids generally had a blast, and the peer leaders (juniors and seniors who act as mentors to groups of 6-8 7th or 8th grade girls or boys) came and helped get the dancing rolling. Several peer leaders hosted sleepover parties for their peer kids after the social, which I thought was fabulous, although I'll admit that the thought of spending a Saturday night with 17-20 thirteen-year-olds seems like the seventh circle of Hell to me!

Even though the dress code was casual, the kids were all told what was and was not appropriate attire for the dance. We went over it with them in homeroom. Still, we had girls show up in WAY short (read: barely covering everything that needed covering!) skirts and uber-tight tops. The tight, low-cut, belly-baring tops look completely obscene on girls who still have baby pudge and no breasts. Thirteen-year-olds who look like they're going clubbing just scare me.

The kids who showed up in inappropriate attire got a verbal reprimand, but nothing else. I think it sends a mixed message, but we don't have a protocol for what we do with inappropriately dressed kids. (Note to self: bring this up at next faculty meeting.)

And then there was the freak dancing.

I'm used to breaking up freaking, because I've done it for two years at the high school dances. What they do in their own homes with their parents' full knowledge and blessing is one thing, but at a Catholic high school dance, it's just not right. I did not expect to have to do it at the junior high dance.

The little boys weren't interested in dancing with the little girls. So the little girls just went and freaked with each other. That's a whole new level of icky.

I love dancing, and I do think it should be about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on, but I don't think it needs to look like what you do with your clothes off!