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

My daughter is the most active, accident-prone child I know – she chipped her first-ever tooth and had four black eyes before she was one; nursery called her Calamity Jane – but she’s never been injured, chafed, burned, splintered, whatevered from wearing knickers under a dress instead of shorts. I’d be furious if a school or childcare setting used the term “modesty shorts”. Eurgh.

My daughter is the most active, accident-prone child I know – she chipped her first-ever tooth and had four black eyes before she was one; nursery called her Calamity Jane – but she’s never been injured, chafed, burned, splintered, whatevered from wearing knickers under a dress instead of shorts. I’d be furious if a school or childcare setting used the term “modesty shorts”. Eurgh.

I was raging. Appalled that she was exposed mostly of course, and also embarrassed to have had to be told. I was utterly floored when they told me. Thankfully she’s too young to understand or be embarrassed by it. Poor parenting.

How…how did he forget to put her pants on? Or at least check that she had them on. I bet he didn’t forget to put his own pants on. Because that would be crazy. I bet you would have checked.

I’d have been properly raging at that, to be honest.

I personally think girls are more comfy in tshirt and shorts or leggings at this age. My daughter is 3 and goes to nursery too, she find dresses uncomfortable to control when she needs the toilet. She knows how to lift and twists and push into the top of the dress but gets flustered on a good day at home.
But on the rare occasions I have put her in a dress then I put her in cycle shorts underneath.
Shes like a Tom boy and plays with the boys and does a lot of climbing etc.
She prefers top and bottoms for school and princess dresses for home or going out.

Definitely shorts - not for the modesty thing (that is pretty irrelevant at that age) but as you say for the playing, slides, bark, all the other stuff kids get up to at nursery. Wearing shorts is better than a friction burn or bark up your bum.

I would put mine in shorts cos little kids flash their knickers all the time. They'll literally lie on the floor playing sleeping bunnies with their dress up, bum in the air with their pants half way up their but crack and I just think they aren't properly dressed of that's happening.

Unless wearing tights, I’ve put shorts under my girl’s dresses (including school summer dresses) since she’s been potty trained. She's very active- jumping, climbing, cartwheeling, dancing etc but also on wants to wear dresses (otherwise I’d just do shorts and tshirts as mentioned). I remember not liking my dresses and skirts coming up when playing so just figured she’d be more comfortable. Most of her friends are the same. But I don’t think it’s any biggie if someone doesn’t do the same. Only little children afterall!

Another one who works in early years and its not about seeing the pants, its about seeing whats underneath them. At carpet time the kids all sit cross legged and the pants often gape or slip to the side. A not insignificant number of them will have their hands inside their pants (boys and girls but with the boys it tends not to expose them). Try telling a 5 year old subtley to fix their pants, or cover up, without 20 other kids looking round to see what's going on.

Shorts under a dress are non-negotiable in our house. BUT only because a couple of months ago I had an early start at work and DH took our daughter to nursery. He sent me a message saying how good she was and got herself dressed all by herself. When I collected her I was told that they’d done gymnastics, my daughter did a roly-poly and flashed her bare bottom. Had no knickers on 🤦🏻‍♀️ I was told to ensure she always arrived at nursery wearing underwear. So the rule is always knickers and shorts, just in case one of the two is missed in the morning rush/if I’m not present to check ffs

I wouldn’t ever send a child to nursery in a dress. Nothing to do with modesty, it’s all to do with moving and playing comfortably. Shorts and t-shirt will be far better in this weather. No chafing or burned bottom in shorts!

I put shorts sometimes because it covers nappies and doesn’t allow them to pull them off (for a younger child) or easier to climb around things/slide down as it’s more comfortable, but it’s personal preference and not required
YANBU

You’d probably have taken your shorts off too!

Fuller coverage knickers are better under dresses like boy shorts knickers.

When I was little I went through a phase of removing my knickers without my DM knowing, (don't know why) while also in the phase of lifting my dress up and playing with my dress. It resulted in my mom having many a call to nursery and school to bring me more knickers, and a lot of awkwardness once at the alter of my sibling being christened once. But in saying that, not sure I would think to put shorts under my DD dresses unless she started doing the same. If I did I would probably use those cotton bicycle style shorts

I've got two girls and they have never worn shorts under their dresses or skirts and didn't as a child either (but I mostly refused to wear dresses).

Yeah I encourage DD to wear shorts so she can slide down a slide etc at the play park without getting burnt if the slide is hot!

I put shorts on my DD (4) when her dresses are getting a bit short! She has pretty long legs and otherwise half her dresses would be showing her pants!

Mine wears shorts - mainly as others have said because it protects her from injury when playing, climbing trees, hot slides etc etc and also bluntly infection; it's likely ott but I feel a bit squeemish about flimsy knickers and the germ-infested carpets at nursery. Most of the girls at her nursery wear dresses and shorts so it's pretty standard here.

On modesty - no they shouldn't have to cover up but as a pp has said some men do sexualise children and have the means to take and distribute images easily. I remember many happy hours playing naked outdoors as a young kid, but at a local water play area recently some other mums and I were told that children have to be fully covered because they regularly catch men hiding in the bushes trying to take photos of the children.

Yes, that was the exact term

Similar, though the navy knickers were just for the gym, not outside. Except one horrible day the gym was unavailable and they sent us out to do netball instead without giving us time to put our skirts on. Much worse for pubescent girls than little ones who (rightly!) don’t yet feel ashamed or embarrassed about their bodies.

There was a long thread about 10 years ago about doing athletics in pe knickers. Pe knickers were quite comfortable.
Bloomers sound like something my great aunt wore. I am a great aunt...

My 16yo wears shorts under very very short dresses. Knee length - no. At 3, definitely NO! She's 3! I just don't see why you would. Kids won't notice, adults won't notice. Where I work, the kids don't even bother shutting the toilet door half the time. Does your friend suspect there are paedophiles working in her child's nursery. Why would she send her kids there?

In secondary school we wore short wraparound skirts for PE which flapped open with the slightest movement. So everyone’s PE knickers were proper high waisted, low leg jobs. It was our responsibility to ensure we wore the most comfortable and appropriate underwear on PE day. In fact we had to do athletics in our knickers! I know this is a much older age group I’m talking about, but the principle is the same. Wear properly fitting knickers and there’s no need for shorts.