Fashion Victim or Early Childhood Teacher

Why has working with little kids has changed my ideas about fashion?  Long ago in my undergraduate program my favorite college professor and later mentor mentioned that you can always tell who taught early childhood by their macaroni and wooden bead necklaces.  I laughed as did most of the class...then years later I found myself wearing a food coloring dyed ziti necklace that was strung on rainbow colored yarn.  I always wanted to be the "cute" teacher...sweaters or vests (egads...that dates me) to match the seasons or holidays...I managed to have most of the mainstream holidays covered about a year into my first teaching job.  I owned socks that matched almost every theme I did in my classroom...my favorite were my farm socks that matched the wooden barn pin that I would wear on a red plaid jumper...with white Ked's type tennis shoes...Stacy and Clinton would haved bashed me in three way mirror.  I don't dress this way anymore...nor have I even dug out pictures to show my students what will eventually happen to them. 

I have learned a few fashion tips along my journey:

1. Forget about wearing black pants--children will runny noses will leave glistening trails of snot on your legs when hugging you.
2. Don't wear light colors or white...lesson learned carrying an easel painting to the drying rack when the gust of a running preschooler caused the painting to "fly" into the front of a white and yellow daisy printed jumper...some paint washes out better than others...unfortunately I found out which colors don't.
3. Keep different shoes around for the playground...I was teased by colleagues that I looked like Mr. Rogers when I changed my shoes before going outside...but playground dust can be deadly to cute shoes.
4. Consider keeping an extra set of clothing around...just in case...however if someone pukes on you sometimes it just feels better to go home and sanitize yourself before putting on your extra clothes...and chances are like the kid's extra clothes...you might be missing essential pieces or they are now too small.