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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

shorts under skirts

20 replies

drwitch · 27/06/2018 18:47

dd has been told in assembly that all girls need to wear shorts under their summer dresses. I am appalled as think it is sexualising children. If they are old enough not to want to show their pants when doing a handstand they will wear shorts but why should girls that are too young to care be forced to be self conscious about it

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MrsBartlettforthewin · 27/06/2018 19:00

I'd raise it with the school. My DD wears them but she is 9 and it is her choice not school enforced. I'd be annoyed by it and be tempted to send her in shorts and a t- shirt like the boys seen as they say she has to wear shorts why bother with the dress.

Nuffaluff · 27/06/2018 19:07

That’s crazy. I noticed loads of the girls wearing them at school. They look uncomfortable as they’re tight fitting, big, black and mean the girls are wearing three layers. Far too much in this weather!
Girls at my school are allowed to wear shorts on their own like the boys - loose, comfortable ones. Most opt for dresses though.
They shouldn’t be made to wear them. You are right.

drwitch · 27/06/2018 19:10

thanks all - will check with school but just wanted to check other peoples opinion

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drwitch · 27/06/2018 19:11

dd swapped to a summer dress to be cool and airy and now she has to wear these tight black things underneath it really defeats the purpose!

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Whatififall · 27/06/2018 19:22

My DD is 8 and she was told by a dinner lady that she couldn’t do gymnastics on the school field as she didn’t have shorts on. I told her to ignore her as it hasn’t come officially from school and if it did I would dispute it. She then got panicky about being in trouble... so I had to ring school to say if it was a school rule I was annoyed by it as it was sexualising girls behaviour and making them feel self-conscious or naughty if they didn’t wear shorts. School said it wasn’t a rule and would speak to dinner lady about it.
If they had said it was a rule I would have just got DD some grey shorts to wear with a polo shirt rather than a summer dress.

sirfredfredgeorge · 27/06/2018 21:32

Is it in the uniform rules? If not has the change been appropriately consulted on?

And no, the school has no place dictating what is worn under the uniform.

BubblesBuddy · 27/06/2018 21:37

Quite a few schools have had a shorts rule for donkeys ages! Mine wore cycling shorts under dresses 20 years ago! White ones. If they decided hand stands were off the agenda - no shorts.

Comeonmommy · 27/06/2018 21:44

My daughter is in year 6 and has been wearing shorts through choice for about 3 years. The school came out to say if the girls wanted to do handstands etc they could wear them for break time and lunch if they wanted. I personally don’t see the harm in them, I don’t want teachers, lunch time staff and other children potentially 4 yrs older than my daughter looking at her knickers!!!

drwitch · 27/06/2018 21:51

Don't you see the harm in making them compulsory, making little girls feel that they shouldnt be showing their pants

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chickedychicked · 28/06/2018 00:09

but if boys were showing their pants then surely they'd be asked cover them up too?

Comeonmommy · 28/06/2018 07:00

No drwitch I don’t.
I’m with Chickedychicked - if my dd came home saying one of the boys was constantly pulling his shorts down, I’d be phoning the school and the boy would be told to stop. What’s the difference?

SockEatingMonster · 28/06/2018 07:18

I think it’s very sad, and would have no problem if the boys chose to wear summer dresses and do handstands and show their pants.

DD is in year 3 and, whilst her school have no such rule, most of the girls in her class do wear shorts, her included (I didn’t buy them for her, she just started wearing her gymnastics shorts under her dresses). However, in this hot weather she’s been leaving them at home! It does make me scratch my head a bit though as the whole class still change together for PE and have swimming lessons together in swimsuits that leave a lot less uncovered!

I wonder whether the OP’s daughter could get away with knicker shorts like these? After all, whose going to ask her to check she has addition underwear underneath?

SnartyFartBlast · 28/06/2018 07:22

Have you heard of the pant rule? What is under the pants is private.
The pants themselves cover your modesty.
This annoys me so much.
First we have pants to cover your bum, then shorts to cover the pants?! What's next, trousers to cover your shorts? A dress to cover the trousers?
Madness!

drwitch · 28/06/2018 09:01

Yes sbf that's it and to the others there is no difference between boys and girls showing their pants but there is a difference between not covering them up and displaying them in a aggressive manner I

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BlackInk · 29/06/2018 16:11

No shorts rule for girls at our primary, but then they're not allowed to do handstands or cartwheels in case they accidentally kick someone ... no wonder kids today aren't getting enough exercise...

ourkidmolly · 29/06/2018 16:22

Girls have always worn knickers that are show when they're upside down etc. That's what's covering their bits. Why do they need to cover it again? What is sexual about a child's underwear? Why would an older year 6 boy be looking at a Year 3 girl's knickers? They're too busy playing footie and messing about. I used to tuck my dress into my knickers in less crazy times. Boys haven't had to make those compromises.
Nothing wrong with seeing kids' underwear unless there's something wrong with you.

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/06/2018 16:27

I think the problem is not so much whether shirts cover the knickers as it is are the knickers fit for purpose.

Less flimsy character frilly shit more proper pants with decent coverage.

No shorts should not be enforced. Kids need to not a) be sexualized b) laugh at each others underwear.

If kids choose to wear them that's up to them but teachers and kids should not be looking at kids pants

mostdays · 29/06/2018 16:30

It is ridiculous.

missl1 · 30/06/2018 21:35

Our school advises parents to put shorts on under summer dresses. The reason being they take a lot of photos and videos which are shown, shared, and given to many other children and parents. I guess the concern is that they could fall into unscrupulous hands. The school highlights it as a potential issue, and then parents can make their own minds up.

Vickster99 · 03/07/2018 14:08

My 7yr old DD is doing it out of choice. She loves gymnastics so spends most of her breaktimes upside down, lol. I think some of the other kids might have made comments so she asked to wear shorts. I buy her tiny jersey shorts from H&M to wear under summer dresses, they are barely bigger than knickers but she feels more comfortable. We dont have a unform.

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