Our family members often change our dress to more casual and comfortable dress (sometimes even change the clothes to pajama if it is closer to bed time) when we get back to our home.
This is just our habit. Every member is fine with it. But recently we seem to have some challenge because DS regularly video chats. We may be seen in an improper, not presentable dress. A part of the issue is that, in our family, the computer has always been in the living room - this tradition was started a long time ago when DS was in middle school and we really did not want him to communicate with strangers, and it was also because we used to have only one shared computer and we always think it is not good for child growing up and spending too much time on computers or being online (esp. boys may be prone to become too addicted to computer games.)
Now because of the video chat, we have this “dress code” problem.
Does any other family have a similar problem like ours due to the popularity of video chat these days?
We think the only way to get around this “problem” is to somewhat dress up when anybody is going to have a video chat.
My pajamas and robe are nicer than some of my regular clothes. I don’t sit around in rags. There is nothing I wear around my house when lounging that folks doing Skype or FaceTime wouldn’t be able to see.
Our kids rarely videochat and manly Skype with sound only. We are all fine with it. Can’t your kid use a laptop and videochat where there is no one else in his video?
I would not want to be seen in the old clothes I cook in especially. I have friends who dress up once a week to talk with their relatives in Spain. Sunday best. It is expected.
I would absolutely make a point of staying out of the video probably whatever I was wearing. But, admittedly I’m not entirely sure I understand this problem and my kids don’t do much video-chatting. We do have a computer in the kitchen and it’s the most used one but I can easily stay out of the way and reallly I think they would probably request that happen. If it was me chatting I would make sure I looked decent but if it’s my kid I am uninvolved.
We are talking about the situation that DS “meets” his GF’s parents for the first time
and he may be in pajama. (I am not sure but it is likely his GF’s also video chats in her family’s living room because DS said her parents might occasionally drop by and he had to say hello to them - I guess her family may also have the similar policy like ours: “no personal computer in your own bedroom.”)
Granted, I believed they likely met in FaceTime already while DS was on campus.
Ever since DS was old enough, we usually walk away and sometimes go out to run errands in order to give him some “space”. But we could not always be able to completely remain unseen when the chat is long and often.
We may need an article from Dear Abby about the social etiquette in this situation. LOL.
If he is video chatting they aren’t likely to see the whole room he is in will they? When we Facetime we see my D and the back of her couch and that’s about it.
But yeah, we dress casual at home - yoga pants are my best friend! However, all is covered up and not smelly or full of holes - just comfortable!!!
Even if you S puts on a decent top during the video chat, the people on the other side don’t have to see that he has pj bottoms on!
Well, I doubt I would dress up, but I would definitely do hair and makeup even for my kids. However, for their friends I would probably hide. But, that’s just me. :-*
Seems like a weird problem to me. I mean, I could imagine problems if you are a family of nudists, but as long as I’m covered, I’m ok. If people are judging me by what I wear around my own house, then it is their problem, not mine.
This question made me laugh out loud. For as long as I can remember (certainly since being out of my mother’s home, in the early 70s), I have been the one who will walk into the house and IMMEDIATELY change into sweats, pjs, or whatever, even if I’m only going to be home for an hour or so. I just like that comfort. Now I’ve noticed my D (26 and out of the house 8 years now) does exactly the same thing.
As for that video chat thing…um, my house, my rules still applies. And my Grandma (who pretty much raised me) would say, “hey if they see me floating around my apartment in the nude, they get what they deserve!”
We tried skyping when D first went to college but no one felt comfortable, so we communicate with both kids by phone, email and text.
I like dressing nicely for work, but go right to sweats or other comfy clothes as soon as I get home.
So far I choose to “hide” so I have never been seen before.
I heard his GF’s parent murmured something to his GF and it turns out he (or she? not sure about which parent) said how come DS did not sit up straight while greeting her parent. I guess his posture on sofa may be too relaxed and was deemed as not respectful enough (my guess only, with my limited understanding about her family’s culture learned from the Internet recently) when her parent showed up all of a sudden out of nowhere.
We often change into sweatshirts / sweatpants, or pajamas if it’s close to bedtime. We have rarely video chatted or Skyped, just used the phone - but no, I wouldn’t think twice about video chatting with my kids wearing sweatpants. It’s not a job interview or a fashion show. Who do I need to impress?
I know you are joking but when I take off my clothes for the day, I put on a beautiful robe. The only sweats I own are left-overs from my sons that I only wear for the length of time it takes me to do my weekly heavy cleaning, bathrooms and so on, or if I am doing light construction work on our never ending project.
So - no I don’t usually dress more casually at home. The last month my regular “day” dress has been black velvet. and I’m mainly wearing it around the house.
I don’t do skype or video chat or any of that in spite of lots of urging from my sibs. When we get grandkids, I imagine we will. Or if the kids ever asked us to. Probably they don’t think it is worth their effort since they’d have to set it all up and keep it all going. We always have computer related tasks for them when they are home.
I think problem is easily solved to let your son use his personal laptop/iPad, etc. to Facetime, Skype, whatever in his room and leave the rest of you out of it. I assume that as a college (medical school?) student he has his own computer and doesn’t need to be monitored for his use since he is old enough to do that himself.
My HS D is often using her phone or iPad to talk to her friends in some video format. She usually sits in the dining room as that’s where the best light is, but sometimes is in her room with the door open. I might walk by and wave hello-if they can’t handle my sweats or yoga pants, too bad. It’s my house. D promises to teach me how to use video chatting before she leaves for college so we can talk that way. I can’t imagine getting dressed up or putting on make up to do it, though.
Well, I don’t see the problem. If you know this is how you’re going to meet the parents of your son’s GF, then don’t put on pajamas that day. Problem solved.
and I’m mainly wearing it around the house.