LAST EDITED ON 11-07-13 AT 10:41 AM (EST)I do have a personal experience dossier on this. And a longer history along these lines than you, if I understand correctly.
I adore them, they adore me, but they are older and on their own now, and associated with a complicated and very personal story.
There are many situation coming up for you that I have fought, fretted, and rejoiced thru, including learning to drive, mucho teen angst, going to and thru college, post college maturation, and the very bright point of light that I hope you get to enjoy, grandkids (stopping to dab a tear - better now). Believe me, sharing good times and letting them enjoy this period of their lives is something you will not ever regret.
And yes, I do think that an attitude by school administrators that have silly bans on various things kids do that promote harmless hilarity, basically because they promote hilarity, as being grim puritanism. In gothic gray.
"We must prevent kids from having fun at all costs! Especially if they make jokes when they are supposed to be serious and, well, grim."
That could have been written by Charles Dickens.