Need some help settling a squabble?

Question

I wasn't sure where to post this, but since it's a family squabble issue, I thought I'd put it here.

I have a son (16) and daughter (17). Both are staying with my sister in England for the summer vacation. She runs a store in England (Scotch Shop) which sells Scottish related things (clothing, food, ornaments etc). They are helping out part-time to fund their keep and earn some extra spending money which they are then using to travel around more.

Anyway, here is the argument. My sister (and her district manager) have a policy that the staff wear kilts... note that these are not real kilts which can be very expensive, but more different tartan stlyle skirts (of varied lengths).

My son is objecting and says he doesn't want to wear a "skirt". My daughter thinks he should, otherwise she shouldn't have to either (she is actually a tomboy and hardly ever wears a skirt). My sister insists that she has enforced this before with guys and girls and isn't backing down.

How should I play it

Answer 1

Mom, you are the parent and they are the children. Either they wear the uniform or they come back to the states. Period. End of discussion.

What sort of message are you giving them if you let them get away with this sort of behavior? Are they going to call you every time an employer/manager tells them they have to do something that's company policy and ask you to fight their battles? They are old enough to know that there are things that we have to do in this life that we might not like but that's just the way it is.

In addition.....it's your sister's generosity and her manager's benevolence that is allowing those kids to A) stay in Europe for the summer and B) actually earn the pocket money that you would have to be providing for such a trip. You should back your sister up all the way.

Answer 2

Tell him that if he works there, he wears it. It's a uniform, part of most any other job he would work at. If the owner wasn't family, he wouldn't have a job, plain and simple

Or offer to hear him propose some other ways of helping out that they both find acceptable.

Answer 3

Kilts are very masculine. They should both be proud to wear a kilt.

Answer 4

I wash each thing in chilly water!! It saves funds and the ecosystem! I easily have a front loading washer and dryer and that i exploit the appropriate detergent for top potential contraptions and discover that this gets all of our clothing severe-high quality and sparkling, we the two artwork out doors and if the clothing are exceedingly pungent i exploit warm or heat water, yet different than that each thing is washed in chilly!

Answer 5

ask him does he think if those kids came here to work at burger king would they wear their kilts, or would they wear the prescribed uniform of the company?

Answer 6

It's a job. That's what they have to do to earn money. It's either do that or find another job. It's not the end of the world. That's gangsta to me if you do what ya gotta do. And if their making money then they should follow the rules.

Answer 7

tell them face it, this is reality wear the kilts or don't do the job and come back home. no questions asked.

Answer 8

Your teenagers do not run the store. I say they wear it. It will teach them that will have to wear uniforms for work. And there not always attractive either.

Answer 9

They shouldn't have to wear it. if they don't want to. They're are plenty of jobs out there that wouldn't require that. Even tho they are in England, they are still American. We don't wear that stuff over here.

Answer 10

tell them if they want the extra money wear the kilts it wont kill them and it might teach them something