The "More" Child

If you’ve been reading the past few posts, you know that we’re in the throes of “Spirit Week” here. That’s the week before the last week of school when everyone has basically run out of things to teach and every day is one big celebration. “Career Day.” “Wacky Hair Day.” “70s Day. ” “Pajama Day.” “Nerd Day.”

Yes, You read that right. “Nerd Day.”

Up until last Friday, today was being promoted in the school newsletter as “Nerd Day,” with the helpful hint to (dress nerdy).

Needless to say when M. came home from her Student Government Association meeting six weeks ago and informed me of the Spirit Week theme I blew a gasket.

“WHAT??!!” “Nerd day”? “Whose idea was that!?” And then I blew another gasket when she told me it was one of the teacher advisers. [Note: I've subsequently learned that it may have been a student who suggested this...but still, the advisers didn't seize the teachable moment and say why that was not a good theme. And they did approve it.]

I ranted. I raved. Did she have any idea how wrong that was? Why, it was just like I had read in Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need Them (and blogged about)! Pushing a negative stereotype of intellectualism and perceived social impairment down to elementary school age kids who have no real context or understanding in which to place it. They just get the message that “those kinds of people” are bad. How could the school–the school!–be promoting such anti-intellectual values? Could they really be this clueless? Then I took a breath and thought, given everything I know and have been through, should I really be surprised?

M. looked at me sideways…she’d seen me in killer poodle mode before. “Mom, don’t write a letter. Don’t say anything.” A letter? I said half-jokingly. I was thinking more along the lines of picketing in front of the school on the day of. “Mom, don’t say anything!”

So I didn’t. At this point, I’ve basically given up. It’s the end of the year and I am waving the white flag of surrender. They’ve won.

Then four days ago, my friend, the wise mom I’ve mentioned before, posted on the school’s listserv.

Is anyone else having concerns about encouraging the kids to dress as nerds? I can’t seem to find a good way of describing it to my child without the obvious derogatory meanings. I’d rather not encourage her to dress in a way that makes fun of others.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.

Thank you! It wasn’t just me. The listserv lit up. Several weighed in how they were going to choose to have their kids wear the school t-shirt instead. Another mom noted that she had written a letter when it was first announced and never received a reply. Sigh. Again, not surprising. Finally someone posted that they had called the school and the announcement was going out that Nerd Day would henceforth be changed to “Sports Day.”

Someone finally got a clue.