To send little one to nursery in a dress without shorts?

And i quote "It makes perfect sense TO ME"

My little girl pulls her dress up all the time, I wouldnt send her out in just her underwear, so i prefer to cover her underwear with shorts for when she lifts her dress up..that's my opinion and OP asked for opinions? Can't understand why people can't just answer OP's question and give their opinion without digging at the comments and showing everyone on MN you have a fragile ego..

My 3 year old loves dresses too. Nursery mandate shorts under dresses, but otherwise I don’t bother unless she asks. Agree with the comments above re sexualisation of girls - if she’s comfortable in a dress and wants to climb and run and play in a dress I don’t see why she should have to put shorts on, although I note the pp re injuries on play equipment. Mine isn’t a big fan of playgrounds (to my dismay 😂) but I’d likely have a different view if she was on play equipment.

As a nursery teacher I beg PLEASE send your child in wearing clothes they can play in - run, climb, hang upside down, dig, paint... also when it is hot your setting should have a policy about long sleeves and trousers. Yes getting hot may be uncomfortable, but sun safety is hugely important.

I don’t think there is a primary school in the country that allows mobile phones to be used ‘on the playground’, or indeed at all during the school day. At all the primary school’s I’m acquainted with (quite a few) phones have to be handed in to the office before school and picked up at the end of the day.

I do however have a grandchild in primary school. And one in secondary so it's not as though I know nothing about schools these days. And the kids are not allowed phones during the school day so they can't be making videos in the playground

I've also got to daughters and it wasn't an issue for them either

I would on the whole ignore this advice but it's also true that friction burns can be a problem. Not modesty. You'll get used to yet more unsolicited advice as she grows up . .

Pants 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m Scottish. I don’t think we say knickers here. Maybe some people do but it’s definitely not a word I hear on a regular basis (unless it’s in a jokey context).

What else would you say?

Never even heard of this until I saw it on here.

lol you’re intentionally being facetious. I didn’t say the things you’re saying back to me. I don’t frequent primary schools but my school age nephews have phones, primary school age children are on TikTok & making videos so of course it’s possible they’re making videos in playgrounds.

I don’t put my daughter in dresses for playing about, and can understand people putting shorts on their girls under dresses. Equally in an ideal world it wouldn’t be necessary, but it’s not an ideal world and everyone sees different risks. The only reason I’m in this discussion with you was to say just because it was fine in the (presumably) 70’s or 80’s for you, doesn’t mean it’s fine for everyone now and gave an example of an issue you simply wouldn’t have faced.

I put my daughter in shorts purely for her own comfort eg not getting splinters sitting on the edge of the sandpit or burning the back of her thighs on a hot slide. Not for modesty or anyone else's comfort.

Obviously. That's my point

So the children in nursery reception and year 1 are being filmed by classmates?? Id be more concerned if a school was letting a primary aged pupil film during the school day. If that was happening then I'd be wary of using that school.

But if parents are that worried about at daughter possibly showing her knickers why put them in dresses at all? There are other clothes.

Agree, it’s not something I gave any thought to. I dressed my daughters much the same as I had been dressed myself as a small child. In Summer loose cotton dress and a pair of pants, sandals, a hat if out in the sun a lot.

These, they do plain-coloured ones too. Couldnt care less about seeing underwear. But the gusset on so many little girls' knickers is tiny. I don't want a full view of a toddler's vulva, but I often have one.

Sorry, completely misread that. Thought you said in the 50’s not you’re in your 50’s 😂

As I said - I’m not saying it’s untoward. But children with phones make videos & I wouldn’t want my daughter with her knickers out in them whether it was intentional or not. I don’t see how that’s unreasonable but respect not everyone has to share the same opinion. Also you don’t have to have heard of something for it to be true..

Just a quick google says this about the average age uk children get phones which is very comfortably average primary school age (noted not applicable to your school, but it is to the vast majority) - ‘In the UK, the average age for children to get their first mobile phone is around 9-11 years old. However, some children receive phones earlier, even as young as 7.’

I always put shorts under my DD’s dress (4) it’s for her protection and prevents anyone else from feeling uncomfortable.

It’s sad that it is necessary, but unfortunately some men are sick.

Parents of older children who walk home from school by themselves will sometimes let their children take their phones to school. Depending on the rules of a particular school, they might be kept in the teacher's desk for the day or they might be taken to the office until the end of the day. Children won't be filming themselves and their friends during the day, let alone filming younger children.

The 50s. Wow years before I was born. And do older children at primary have their phones out filming the reception class? Never heard of that TBH. My school didn't have kids older than 7 anyway so even in 2025 they wouldn't be filming on phones

No one had phones and social media in their pockets then though? Older children in primary school have phones now. People film everything. Not saying it’s all untoward but would I want my daughter in someone else’s video with her knickers out? Definitely not. And that’s before we even get onto anything actually intentionally inappropriate. Loads of stuff was done in the 50’s and now it’s not lol it not a great argument.

In a school, we try hard to teach kids the PANTS rule, and about private areas because its really important for keeping them.safe.
I think that yes, obviously knickers should be enough on their own, and we dont want kids to feel overly self conscious. Id far rather they went in with little shorts under, than to constantly have to worry that their bits and pieces aren't hanging out the edges when they are upside down on the swinging bars

It’s fine, I did as you do when mine were that age. She loved wearing dresses and it’s too hot for more unnecessary layers.

I only ever put shorts on my girls when they started school and because they asked. They were always doing cartwheels etc so didn’t want ppl to see their pants.

No, of course not. What I meant is that in her position she has sadly had to deal with some awful cases and therefore feels her own DD is safer wearing shorts.

At infant school I used to hand upside down on monkey bars showing my knickers to all. Now in my 50s and can say I've never given a damn about it.

Why would shorts and t shirt be any harder to put on or off than a dress with shorts underneath