I Don’t Expect JCPenney To Teach My Kids Right From Wrong
If you haven’t seen the latest scandal, it is the Too Pretty To Do homework shirt from JCPenney. I think the shirt is really stupid and sends the wrong message. I agree that JC Penney shouldn’t sell such crap. But it’s not JCPenney’s job to teach my kids.
And I agree with Pigtails Pals about the message this sends our kids, but I don’t plan on getting my protest sign out.
Life Is A Learning Experience
There will always be people, stores and manufacturers making stupid stuff like this. So, don’t buy it! Use it as a learning experience.
When I walk into JCPenney with my daughters and we see that shirt, I hope that my girls will look at that shirt and say, “How stupid! I’m better than that and my brother DOES NOT do my homework.” and then walk away without thinking about it again.
It is my job to be sure that shirt doesn’t come into my house. Not JCPenney’s job.
Building Up Self Esteem
My kids will have messages like this blasted at them for the rest of their lives. I want them to know that what is more important is what they think of themselves. I tell my kids, “you can’t control what other people do, but you can control how you react to it.”
Those messages in the home have to start with day 1. I will never be able to shield them from everything in the world, so I hope to give them the tools to know what is right and wrong. I hope to build their self-esteem up high so they are able to see beyond the negative words they see and hear.
I don’t want them to go through life trying to please me or anyone but themselves. I want them to try new things and fail and get right back up again and try again.
It is my job to teach my kids right from wrong!
Related articles
- Hey JCPenney…It’s great to be a smart girl! (techsavvymama.com)
- JCPenney’s ‘Too Pretty For Homework’ Shirt Is A Steal At $9.99 [Sexism] (jezebel.com)
- Girls Are Too Pretty To Do Homework (buzzfeed.com)

I am with you, Michele – it’s a stupid shirt but I am having trouble getting all worked up over it. My daughter wouldn’t really WANT her brother doing her homework – he always forgets to put his own name – I can’t imagine he would remember to put someone else’s. 🙂
I think it would be the other way around in our house. The girls doing the boys homework. 😀