First Year Locker Room Worries

Katie began Middle School Wednesday and everything is new and unfamiliar: new building with three floors instead of one, classroom changes each hour, no recess, and above all P.E. Oh sure, she had P.E. last year, but this year provides a new twist. Showers.

This showering business has been an almost-daily topic between us for the past week. Does she have to shower? Can she wet her hair and look like she has showered? Can she just sponge off? She feels modest and frankly I'm all for promoting modesty as long as I can, so I asked the administration if she could wear a swim suit while she showered. No problem.

Because they have P.E. every other day, yesterday was her first day of P.E. I reminded her to pack her gym clothes, soap, towel and swim suit. Earlier in the week, as a result of her questioning, I had explained that she would change her clothes before P.E. and put them in a locker. Afterwards she would shower and change back into her school clothes.

Yesterday her continued confusion became clear to me when she said, "I don't get this P.E. thing. Am I supposed to change my clothes at my locker before P.E. class?" She was afraid they expected her to change clothes in the hallway at her usual locker. Ha!

"No, no. You'll go to the locker room and have a different locker. The locker room is sort of like the shower room at the public pool and it probably has lockers in it."

She looked at me skeptically when I used the word probably. "How do you know?" she asked.

I'm guessing based on my past experience with locker rooms. You know. Locker rooms. Didn't they take you there when you had your tour?"

"No. Anyhow, I'm all ready for gym class. I packed my clothes and a plastic sack to put my wet swim suit in afterwards. And I'm wearing my swim suit right now," she informed me.

I stifled a laugh. She planned on wearing that swim suit all day. By golly, no one's gonna catch a glimpse of my Katie!