Are Schools Celebrating Wisdom—Or Teaching Our Kids to Mock It?

Rethinking the “100th Day of School” Dress-Up Tradition

Each year, in schools across the country, the 100th day of school is celebrated with a playful twist: children are encouraged to dress up like they’re 100 years old. Kids arrive with walkers, canes, gray wigs, oversized glasses, and exaggerated stoops. On the surface, it’s meant to be fun—a creative way to mark a milestone and tie in the number 100 with something tangible.

But what are we really teaching our children with this tradition?

As a therapist, I’ve had several young clients make fun of their elderly grandparents, using humor and language they picked up during these school celebrations. When asked about it, they often shrug and say, “It’s just like what we did at school.” Somehow, the message they absorbed wasn’t about respecting longevity, resilience, or the deep well of knowledge older adults carry—it was that being old is funny, strange, and something to be ridiculed.

This isn't just harmless dress-up—it’s a cultural moment worth reexamining.

We must ask:

• Are we reinforcing negative stereotypes about aging?

• Are our schools inadvertently encouraging ageism by making old age a costume?

• Where is the line between celebration and mockery?

Our elders are the keepers of stories, wisdom, and lived experience. They’ve endured hardships, seen progress, and contributed to the world in ways we often take for granted. What message are we sending to children if we turn that identity into a joke?

It’s not about canceling fun—it’s about reframing it. What if, instead of dressing as old people, we used the 100th day to learn from them? Invite grandparents or local seniors to classrooms to share what they’ve learned in their lifetime. Create projects around historical events or changes over the past century. Celebrate being wise, not just pretending to be old.

Kids are watching. They’re learning how to treat others by what we encourage, laugh at, and reward. If we want them to grow into compassionate, respectful adults, we need to model that respect in every corner of their education—even in how we celebrate milestones.

Let’s teach them that aging isn’t a punchline. It’s a privilege