A Mad Mom

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Justice Responds!

I sent a complaint to the CEO of Justice (you'll need to read the previous blog to understand this post). It didn't get past the Customer Relations Department, but at least they took the time to acknowledge my complaint and respond. The ball has been smacked back into my court. Here's what they said:

Thank you for contacting Justice in regards to your recent experience. On behalf of Justice, I sincerely apologize for any frustration or inconvenience you may have experienced in this situation. Open communication such as yours encourages us to improve the quality of our business. It is important that your concerns are addressed.

In order to address this situation, I would like to share your feedback with our Regional Sales Office. Please reply with the name of the location in which you were shopping so that I may forward your feedback and concerns to the appropriate area.

Again, thank you for contacting us. I hope that you will be able to shop with us in the future and enjoy future experiences. I look forward to any additional information you can provide.

Sincerely,

Richelle Farmer
Justice Customer Relations

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Cover Up! The Kids Are Watching!

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday, I went into a young girls' clothing store called "Justice" to return a sweater that I had bought my daughter for Christmas that she was too afraid to tell me she hated and would never wear. The tags were still on it! (What is it about mothers turning into fashion failures after they have kids?)

Anyway, I walked up to the register and standing behind it with a pretty little smile on her face was a 20-something gal looking perky -- and quite seductive in a top cut so low, I could almost see her areolas. Swear to God! I looked around to make sure I hadn't accidentally walked in to a Frederick's of Hollywood, and for a split second thought I should check the sign outside the store to see if it said, "Girls! Girls! Girls!"

I was flabbergasted that a clerk working in a store that sold clothes for young girls between 5 and 12 years old would be dressed like a stripper. Had she no common sense? Doesn't she realize that our young daughters are watching, and learning, from her generation of young women? If they see all these gals walking around baring their breasts like it's a mandatory dress code for that age group, they will think it's OK to dress that way, too; that sexy and slutty are "in," and modesty is SO uncool.

I mean, what are these salesclerks thinking when they get dressed for work? Do they think some really cute guy is going to walk in to a store for little girls, for no apparent reason, see them up at the counter showing their nipples and think, "You are SO hot! I want to whisk you away from this miserable minimum-wage existence to birth my babies!" (Picture Richard Gere in "An Officer and a Gentleman.") These stores aren't bars or nightclubs -- they are WORK places!

So I did what any Mad Mom would do: I asked for the manager. I told her that I was a mother of a tween -- a very impressionable tween -- and that I didn't appreciate shopping in a store for young girls where the salesclerks are dressed like hookers. I suggested that she tell all the Justice employees to cover up -- or at least wear cammies over all that cleavage. I told her it is highly inappropriate to dress like that around our innocent young daughters and that they had an obligation, working in a store like this, to be role models for our children.

In other words, I suggested she mandate a new dress code for her employees of "Less cleavage, more class."

And I'd like to encourage every mother out there who has a young daughter to follow suit. If you walk into a store that sells products aimed at your child, and the salesclerks look like prostitutes, PLEASE go up to the manager and let her know that you're not going to be shopping there any longer if her employees continue to dress like that because it's sending the wrong message to our children, who are oversexualized enough as it is.

If each of us can do this one little thing, we may be able to help our daughters hang on to their innocence a little bit longer.

Better yet, send a complaint to their customer service department. Maybe if they get hit with enough mad-mom e-mails, they might reconsider their employee dress code. Here's the link (and a BIG thank you to Joe at joeprose.typepad.com/my_weblog for suggesting that we attack them digitally!): http://www.shopjustice.com/customerService/Contact_Us

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Cheers My Ass!

Image by crafterm via Flickr Miss me? I took nearly an entire month off from whining. Didn't want to dampen the holiday spirit. But my ex-husband did something so idiotic, that I have to blog about it. Over New Year's, he took my daughters to France for a ski weekend. I guess there is no drinking age in France. Children of any age can just walk into bars and order a tall one. On New Year's Eve, my ex celebrated his 50th birthday, and to christen the landmark occasion, he gave our 15-year-old permission to drink, too. Which she did. And she loved it.

Oh, great. Now I have to clean up the mess he made and explain to our daughter that as much fun as she had drinking in France, it is illegal over here for kids her age. I know that the old saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" translates easily into French. But as a parent, I think it is irresponsible to allow teenagers to drink alcohol anywhere in the world. Sends a confusing message to a very impressionable group of kids.

I can only hope that when she is invited to a party and is given the choice between a coke and a beer, she chooses "the real thing." Or she's going to get into some real trouble.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Dead Ringer

Image via Wikipedia We're addicted to our cell phones. They're cupped in our hands, stashed in our pockets, wrapped around our ears, waiting on our nightstand for us in the morning . . . they are always, always close by and within reach. God forbid, we should miss a call or a text message.

We love our cell phones so much, that now we are taking them with us to the other side. Believe it or not, some folks are asking their relatives to bury their cell phones with them -- turned on and fully charged, six feet under. Talk about dropped calls. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28182292/)

If I was a prankster, I'd stand very solemnly at the gravesite, one hand on my cell phone buried in my pocket, and just as they were lowering the coffin into the ground, I'd dial the deceased's number. The panic and confusion that would ensue afterward? Priceless.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Not Alone In My Madness

Image via Wikipedia Now that I'm done whining about a few things, I think it's time I started enlightening you. Offer up some real-world advice for raising kids in this tech-savvy, cyber-obsessed world that, unfortunately on so many counts, is here to stay. I'm not adopting an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality. It's more of an "if you can't beat 'em, stay way ahead of 'em" philosophy.

I've stumbled on a few sites out there that you parents will find very helpful. Sites that can help parents guide their children safely through this age of social, interactive media. First off, check out connectsafely.org (http://www.connectsafely.org/). This site was started by the authors of "MySpace Unraveled: What it is and how to use it safely." You'll find tons of tips and advice on how to help your kids navigate safely through the Web and how to engage in safe social networking. Like these:

* Be reasonable and try to set reasonable expectations. Pulling the plug on your child’s favorite social site is like pulling the plug on his or her social life. Instead of being protective, it can shut down communication and send kids "underground" where they're more at risk. It's too easy for them to set up free blogs and profiles from anywhere, including friends' houses or even a cell phone.

* Talk with your kids about how they use the services. They, not news reports or even experts, are the ones to consult about their social-Web experience. Help them understand basic safety guidelines, such as protecting their privacy (including passwords), not harassing peers, never talking about sex with people they don't know, avoiding in-person meetings with people they "meet" online, and taking care in what they post - because anything people put online can be grabbed, reworked, and used against them.

* Support critical thinking and civil behavior because no laws or parental-control software can protect better than a child's developing good sense about safety and relationships. Research shows that kids who are aggressive and mean online toward peers or strangers are at greater risk of becoming victims themselves. So teach them to be good citizens and friends online as much as offline.

* Consider requiring Internet use in a high-traffic place in your home - not in kids' rooms - to help you stay aware of their online time. This way, you can encourage a balance between online time and their offline academic, sports, and social times. Know that there are also many ways kids can access the Internet away from home, including on many mobile phones and game players.

* Try to get your kids to share their profiles and blogs with you, but be aware that they can have multiple accounts on multiple services. Use search engines and the search tools on social-networking sites to search for your kids' full names, phone numbers and other identifying information. You're not invading their privacy if they're putting personal info in public "places" online. If their pages are private, that's a good thing, but it's even better if they share it with you.

© 2008 ConnectSafely.org

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Taxing Times

Today I'm not mad. I'm broke. Paid my property taxes -- OUCH! What I don't get, though, is why we are forced to shell out money for taxes during the two months of the year when most people are short on cash -- December and April -- Christmas time and Federal income tax time.

Who was the genius who came up with this idea?

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Hey, Let's Eat!

Image via Wikipedia Today, I’m not so mad. Sorry to disappoint you. How could I be in any other mood but a jolly one? Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, the most glorified dinner of the year. People all over the country will be taking planes, trains and automobiles to sit at the table with loved ones – and those folks you have to put up with once a year.

Whatever your plans, I wish you a relaxing, warm and wonderful day. And don’t worry about eating too much. You have the whole year to work it off. Or you could just roll over the calories into the next holiday, like a Frequent Eater Program.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! Happy Thanksgiving!