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High school legging, yoga pant restrictions angering students
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The superintendent over a Massachusetts high school is defending a new controversial dress code, saying the goal is to prepare students for the workforce. - photo by Jessica Ivins
CAPE COD, Mass. The superintendent over a Massachusetts high school is defending a new controversial dress code, saying the goal is to prepare students for the workforce.

When Cape Code Regional Technical High School opens its doors to students next week, those wearing leggings and yoga pants may run into some trouble. The new dress code requires that students wear long shirts, skirts or dresses with the pants something that isnt sitting well with a large part of the female population.

I think theyre making the rules because boys are becoming distracted, senior class president Seana Aiolupotea told the Cape Cod Times. Were not wearing them to get attention from people, were wearing them because theyre comfortable.

Many of the students planned to protest the dress code policy by wearing yoga pants and leggings on the first day of school, according to Today. Superintendent Robert Sanborn told Today that students are misinterpreting the policy.

People are under the impression that weve completely outlawed yoga pants and leggings, he said. We did not do that. What weve done is say that if you do wear them, you need to wear a long shirt or sweater or shorts over your rear end.

Since the vocational school is training students for a career, they need to learn how to dress professionally before they graduate, Sanborn argued.

It has to do with employability, he said. Were passing on the skills that are needed in the workforce, to know thats not proper attire when youre at work.

Still, some students argue that the types of classes offered at the high school require more comfortable clothing. Additionally, yoga pants and leggings are more affordable than other types of apparel, argued Aiolupotea.

I can go out and buy four pairs of leggings for the cost of one pair of jeans, she said.

Sanborn maintains that violators of the new rule wont be ostracized by any means.

Nobodys going to get thrown out of school. Nobodys going to be put in detention, he told Today. Were going to use this as a teachable moment.

This is just another in a nationwide string of dress code grievances.

Last fall, Bingham High School students staged a walkout in protest after they said more than 100 girls were stopped at the school homecoming dance for dress code violations.

Many students and parents said the dress code was convoluted, targeted girls, and that administrators did not enforce it consistently.

"They had them stand there in the middle of the hall and be judged," parent Veronica Pehrson said. "It was kind of shameful and demeaning."

In the fall of 2013, 30 students at Stansbury Park High School were denied entry to their homecoming dance for dress code violations most for wearing dresses that were "too short." Many of the girls who were sent home posted pictures of their dresses, sparking anger from the community and a call for a change in the code.

The fallout was so fiery that administrators ultimately held a replacement dance in addition to issuing a formal apology to the students.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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