My kids were pretty comfortable in period clothing, since they spent so much time in it when we were doing re-creation events. The boys (2nd and 3rd graders that year) wore their SCA costumes (anglo-saxon tunics) to school for Halloween and their gym teacher (a real jerk, who had been picking on the both of them) asked them at breakfast, laughing, why they were wearing dresses (both boys were carrying “spears” and shields, btw)

Ricky looked puzzled, but Arthur pulled himself up to his full height and said loudly, “How stupid can you get! This is a *man’s* outfit from 12th century England! A *tunic*, not a dress. You’re wearing a t-shirt. That’s just a more modern version of what I have on! Don’t you know *anything?”

He didn’t get in trouble for calling the gym teacher stupid because at that point Arthur grabbed his younger brother and they marched themselves to the principal’s office and lodged a complaint against the gym teacher! …a 3rd-grader…

She was laughing when she phoned me later.

Arthur still has an attitude all these years later and his daughter has it, too!

Page created and published 8/15/25 (C)M. Bartlett
Last updated 8/15/25