On Saturday night, my husband and I went out on a date. It was cold, it was snowing and we decided to drive up to Frankenmuth. I made a reservation at Zhenders for the Cow Path Room. If you are not from Michigan, Frankenmuth is a little German town north of Flint. Our favorite restaurant there is Zhenders’ and it was the site of our second date, so it’s a favorite Michigan place of ours. The Cow Path Room is one of the original rooms with a few (like about 8) long wood booths. Frankenmuth was very slow that night. The hostess told me that there was no wait for a table all day, probably because of the weather conditions, as Frankenmuth us usually a busy little town…
With it being a date night, even though it was cold, I dressed up a bit, as did the Hubby. As we were being seated, we saw a group of people, I’m guessing a larger family with adults and children of a variety of ages. Most of the kids were wearing what looked like pajama bottoms peaking out from under their winter coats and I saw mostly Birkenstock style Arizona sandals and clogs, worn with socks. One of the adults was wearing pajama bottoms as well and the other adult was wearing sweat pants. Frankenmuth is not a formal place, but it is a special dinner and it’s not an inexpensive dinner-family style dinner per person for an adult is $31, not including a drink. I know it was a cold night but jammies, sweatpants and basically slippers? Really?
I did not see a dress code on the menu, these people are free to dress however they wish, no one was going to ask them to leave. But why? Why would you want to go out of the house looking like that or set that example for your children? It reminds me of a question I have asked myself over the years, “Just because you can, does that mean you should? I think not in this instance.
Our second date was at Zhenders and we sat in the Cow Path Room. The small dining room is across from the large main dining room at the front of the restaurant. The wood booths are hand panted and cozy.
Here’s my why: As a parent, you are setting an example for your children. People do judge a book by its cover. If I am a parent and I am going to take my family out for an expensive dinner it will be a special occasion and I want my kids to appreciate it and dress appropriately. If the family wanted to be comfortable, they should have picked up dinner to go or Door Dashed it. Frankenmuth is a special dinner, they may have wanted to go in sweats but what about the other dinner guests at Frankenmuth? They didn’t drive up there to see this family in their jammies. And what about teaching your kids to put their best foot forward and look their best.
No longer is it expensive to dress nicely. One can find nice looking clothing from Walmart, Amazon or a variety of sources. Reasonable clothes are available many places. As parents you set the example, as mentioned earlier. When your kids are under your roof, you have an opportunity to teach them how to behave and how to act in a variety of social situations. Use that time wisely. As an aside, I think kids’ (and adults) behavior is elevated when they are dressed up.
This is by no means a life and death situation and it isn’t a huge issue but a topic that is important for kids to learn, “How to Show Up.” What’s wrong with putting on a nice shirt and pants and weather appropriate footwear? Teach your kids how to look where they go out on a date. Haven’t we all seen a couple out, the girl looks lovely and the guy is so under dressed? The same goes for other places as well. I was walking out of the gym today and in the 10 degree weather a young man, probably in his twenties, walked into the gym in shorts. Really? Now, he had no kids with him, no kids to teach a lesson to, but why would you wear shorts on a cold day? It’s not my business but why not wear sweats over your shorts? Everyone knows we are “in a polar vortex” here in Michigan. Of course, he can wear what he wants, but he really looked stupid. I feel the same way with kids who won’t wear a winter coat. Their parents buy them a nice coat and they go through the winter with a grey sweatshirt. How about putting on your coat, zip it up and wear a hat and mittens while you‘re at it. I would preach that to my kids. Are you going to pay the doctor visit when you get sick? (Would they really get sick if they didn’t wear a hat and mittens? I don’t know, but just dress appropriately for the weather. You look foolish when you don’t. AND you are going to freeze your booty off!
My point is, dress the part and be prepared. Take pride in the way you look. When you pay attention to the little details, you will then pay attention to the big details. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Every day is “opening night” and an opportunity to put your best foot forward. Personally, I feel more confident when I look put together. When a person is more confident, they are more likely to come across well. You never know who you might run into. As a young person, you could encounter a potential employer, educational opportunity of potential spouse. When our kids were growing up, we would say to them, “When you walk out that door, you represent your family.” Who knows, looking your best could lead to a few Great Days.
