Sage Advice: Pajamas in Public?

Dear Amy: Last Saturday morning, my husband and I went to our favorite diner for breakfast.

A group of nine young ladies, ages 10 to 14, sat with two moms at a nearby table, celebrating a birthday.

Eventually we noticed what they were wearing. As they headed toward the bathroom in small groups, we noticed that they wore pajama bottoms and T-shirts.

One of the tallest girls (probably 5-foot-4) had on slippers and a bathrobe loosely hung over her night clothes.

The group was leaving together at the same time we were, and so I asked, “A pajama party?”

One mom proudly informed me, “They are Girl Scouts and we stole them from their beds!”

Amy! Since when is it appropriate to go to a restaurant in one’s pajamas?

I see many young people wearing plaid flannel bottoms in any and every public setting, which I regard as poor taste.

I give allowances for parents toting children under the age of five.

But a group of teenage girls in night attire in a public restaurant? I think the Girl Scouts organization tries to teach young ladies some etiquette, if I remember rightly.

If parents don’t teach children, and especially teens, how to groom themselves and act in a public place, they will assume that anything goes as they get older and have their own children.

What happened to respecting other people?

– Grandma

Dear Grandma: Yes, what happened to respecting other people? For instance, you respecting this group of teens enough to appreciate that they are young, having fun, and – importantly – not necessarily in charge of their outfits on this particular morning, seeing as how they were rousted from their beds and spirited off to a diner. Perhaps you should have chastised the adults for permitting and promoting this attire.

This stunt sounds cute and fun, and a diner on a Saturday morning IS the appropriate venue for a bunch of bleary-eyed and bed-headed Girl Scouts.

You don’t note any bothersome or disruptive behavior regarding this group, and so I assume that the Girl Scouts organization would be very happy to know that there are nine teens out there, gathering in a spirit of fun and fellowship on a Saturday morning.

In the tradition of the great personal advice columnists, Chicago Tribune’s Amy Dickinson is a plainspoken straight shooter who relates to readers of all ages. She answers personal questions by addressing issues from both her head and her heart. A solid reporter, Dickinson researches her topics to provide readers with informed opinions and answers. Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068

© 2019 by Amy Dickinson