How Parents Can Help Enforce a Dress Code in High School

Parents show support for their teenager's high school dress code policies by making sure their child wears acceptable clothing to school. Parents enforce dress code policies by supporting the school and adhering to dress code stipulations. Open discussions about the importance of submitting to school policies may help teenagers develop respectful attitudes toward school rules and administrators who create and enforce them.

  1. Talk About the Benefits

    • Parents can enforce high school dress codes by discussing the benefits with their children. Students may have a rebellious attitude toward their clothing restrictions, but honest discussions can help them understand why dress codes are often beneficial. According to the National School Safety and Security Services website, school dress codes help create a positive school environment. Appropriate clothing reduces unwanted distractions and makes it easier for students to focus on their class work, rather than revealing clothing, explicit logos, beer or cigarette advertisements or gang-inspired colors or graphics.

    Purchase Proper Clothing

    • High school students are often dependent on their parents for basic life necessities, such as clothing. As a result, parents can enforce dress code policies by buying clothing that meets the standards. When shopping, parents can remind their teenager of dress code requirements and buy clothes that meet the conditions. Parents may choose to buy clothing that doesn't meet dress code standards and allow their teenagers to wear those items during after-school hours or on the weekends. Those special clothing items may even serve as a reward for wearing dress code-appropriate clothes during the school week.

    Support Penalities for Violations

    • When a teenager is punished for violating a high school dress code, parents can enforce the rules by supporting the school's punishment. When parents are called to pick up their teenager from school for a dress code violation, they can express disappointment with their child's decision. By supporting the school's punishment, parents show their compliance with school policies associated with dress codes. According to GreatSchools.org, dress codes encourage classroom discipline. By supporting penalties for dress code violations, parents reinforce the school's attempt to establish fair and effective discipline at school.

    Attend Parent-Teacher Association Meetings

    • Parents can show their support of high school dress codes by attending parent-teacher meetings and expressing their advocacy for dress code policies. By attending the meetings it will send a message to their teenagers that they support and plan to enforce dress code requirements. The meetings also give parents a chance to make suggestions if they feel dress codes are too lenient or restrictive.

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