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The weight gain has been the most difficult side-effect of all. It's almost impossible to get school uniform to fit, and this puts up yet another barrier to her returning to mainstream classes. Like many of the more invisible barriers, it's one Julie won't even own up to, but anyone who has ever been a somewhat overweight teenager will remember the problem all too clearly.
We had another CPA meeting this week - the first since Julie started the day-patient experiment. It looks as if we can keep the current arrangements running for a while, and there is no particular pressure on her to stop being a day-patient or to start attending classes at mainstream school. I am extremely grateful and relieved. In particular, it looks as if she will be able to carry on attending the hospital right through the summer holidays - which is critical for us. Neither Joe nor I are able to take off the whole summer holiday period from work, and unless she can attend the hospital holiday program, Julie would be left largely unsupported, bored and inactive, for long periods of time. Boredom and inactivity only mean one thing... and we don't want to go there yet again.
Really pleased the CPA was productive and helpful and I can really empathise with Julie r.e. short sleeves. I live in long sleeve T Shirts from GAP, fortunately I don't have the school uniform problem anymore, but I really like the long glove idea. I may have to give that a go.
ReplyDeleteYes, the ones from Gap are really good aren't they? It's quite hard to find nice T-shirts with long sleeves that are also long enough in the body. And its a shame not to be able to wear pretty short-sleeved summer dresses, so the 'sleeves' look like they'll get a fair amount of wear!
DeleteI come from a big city with a big multi-cultured thing going, the schools all have inclusion policies. If the uniform policy was restricted to short sleeve polo shirts half the girls wouldn't be allowed to go to school. I can't believe there isn't a single orthodox jewish or muslim girl in the LEA... might be worth asking what the uniform policy is for inclusion on modesty grounds? Girl's where I come from use these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ladies-Women-Full-Arm-Prayer-Cover-Fancy-Sleeve-Opera-dress-Evening-Fun-/150742896006?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D150659588470%252B150659588470%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8904500037294747572 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ladies-full-arm-sleeve-pair-Islamic-prayer-cover-hijab-veil-pattern-effect-/251026479333?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DDLSL%252BSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D150659588470%252B150659588470%26po%3D%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8904513038162119540
ReplyDeleteHTH. R
Oh those are fantastic - exactly what we need, and loads of colours too! I never thought of the religious modesty aspect, but I do remember now that short sleeves were an issue when I was growing up in Manchester. Where we live now, I can actually believe that there are no orthodox Jewish or Muslim girls at all - it is entirely possible there are none - so perhaps the uniform has never been challenged in this obvious way.
DeleteI thought perhaps the LEA would cover bigger more diverse towns even if the school was a bit provincial. Basically they should have some approved alternative for modesty inclusion and if whatever is suitable for muslim girls has been deemed unlikely to cause mass hysteria/chaos etc... it might be an easy route on medical grounds if it's already deemed fit for school... you have to wonder how hard it is for immigrant families with limited english to get access to education or not be seen to be difficult/unwilling to integrate with such hoops.... maybe Julie will take comfort that these can look really pretty with summer dresses!
ReplyDeleteAh well, if it ever did, academy status will certainly have silenced any such moderating influence now. But I think it is a very good point, and may make them a little more acceptable. They are very pretty and they're so cheap we can also accessorize them without worrying too much about spoiling them.
Deleteregarding accessorising - no idea where (the internet / shops big asian areas in London/Birmingham/Bradford/Luton) but there's a real bling/multi-cultural-chav thing too with them, I've seen them in fake burbery checks, and lots with diamante patterns, and paisley.... What I didn't like was the element of her breaking the rules, "sneaking in". I think it's a perfectly reasonable request for an option not to show your arms, it's a side effect of mental illness that she has the scars. Not wanting to show arms is a perfectly reasonable request for lots of people, weight, scars from burns, birthmarks, modesty... it's not something we force employees to do and there's some very patronising in there. It seems a no brainer that the school should just accpets - you know the girls got this problem, she's wearing these because of this, please be reasonable when questioning her adherence to uniform. Maybe it helps to hear that outside of the school system this just sounds a practical sensible solution and the politics just seem petty and artifical. (Sanity on this one very much on your side)!
ReplyDelete