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

This is a recurrent topic on here.

DD was a super active little girl- cartwheels and monkey bars all day long.

Age 7 at school an older boy commented that he didn’t like seeing her knickers and she was mortified.

So shorts under school dress after that.

It’s just the norm at school- and agree that there is no reason why. Knickers cover everything….

I didn't bother at that age, no. As she got older, she decided herself that she'd like to wear shorts underneath because she's one for turning cartwheels and doing handstands etc.

Mine asked for shorts from about 3 or 4. It hadn’t really occurred to me before that. Now they’re at school and they still wear shorts under their skirts/dresses every day. I think all their friends do too. My youngest says she feels too “exposed” without them now.

I always did put the little cycle shorts on underneath for my daughter

I understand both sides here. Nobody should be sexualising young children and I think the majority of us seeing a little girl doing handstands in a dress and seeing a flash of underwear wouldn't even bat an eye. However, my DS private nursery backs onto a housing estate. They are outside all the time and if anyone wanted to be pervs, well its not hard to see through or over a fence. I will always do shorts underneath dresses. Or just shorts and T. It's our job to protect them as best we can.

I can’t stand how this has become somehow expected: my 9 year old does it now because she likes doing gymnastics but I haven’t until she wanted to. at nursery where they are supposed to be safe and are with other children I feel like it sends children the wrong message, it’s just knickers!

I think shorts under dresses for practical reasons eg to prevent friction burns is fine but for modesty reasons is ridiculous for such young children. It wouldn't have crossed my mind when dd was nursery age.

I also think that some posters have misunderstood the NSPCC pants rule. It doesn't mean teaching children that nobody should see their pants; it means teaching children that the private parts of the body are the parts that are covered by pants.

My daughter is a flasher but we never bother with shorts under her dress, her knickers cover her private parts. Only time I’d probably put shorts on under would be going to the park to avoid friction burns but her wearing a dress at the park is impractical so she’s normally in a T-shirt and shorts anyway

Shorts and knickers????
Perhaps when she’s 9 or so onwards and doing cartwheels in school breaks but nursery?

I didn't when my daughter was little. Apart from the cute dresses that have matching short/bloomers?! But she wouldn't be wearing that to nursery. She wears shorts now under some dresses age 10. Just because you never know when you might need to do a handstand or cartwheel. Plus she's more aware of not wanting to show her knickers.

Same. Mine are teens/tweens now and it never occurred to me at any point to put shorts under dresses.

DD went to a school nursery - I’d have loved to have sent her in leggings/ shorts but I have been blessed with a very strong willed girl who has had incredibly clear ideas about what she wants to wear since before the age of 2.

She likes the pinafore dresses in the winter and the gingham summer dresses in the summer so that’s what she’s worn so far in both nursery and Reception. I’ve bought the trouser/ short options but I do let her choose - if I thought it was hindering her I’d probably insist but from how filthy she comes home, the pictures I see on the app and the stuff she tells me, she’s still being very active and getting up to all her usual fun.

I do put shorts underneath sometimes - not for modesty but because I wondered if all the climbing/ sliding down the pole etc would be more comfortable that way. More recently she’s said she doesn’t want them and it’s more comfortable without so I’m not going to insist.

I hated dresses as a little girl, mostly because I couldn’t play and climb without flashing my knickers. I wish shorts under dresses were a thing when I was young! It turned me into a tomboy who only wore jeans and t shirts until I was 20.

Do u think there are many such men in your child's nursery? My girls never wore dresses for nursery but that's simply as easier to climb etc in trousers/ shorts etc but I'd not think of putting shorts under dresses

No I never bothered at that age, and my DD always wore dresses. It was much later in primary when she chose to wear shorts underneath summer dress.

It’s definitely about practicality not modesty for me. For example going down slides.

I have a son in nursery so it's not a worry I've had to deal with but personally, since it's nursery, where only nursery workers and other children are going to be, I'd say I'd feel comfortable sending her in with no shorts under the dress. Different case if I was taking her to a public place like the park!

We put DD(5) in shorts under dresses when she went to nursery. However, she has been obsessed about trying to do cartwheels since she was 3 (influenced by older cousins) so was showing her knickers constantly.

In reception last year, they all wore cycling shorts under their Summer dresses!

I was an early years teacher for 30 years and never came across this. I have been retired for 10 years so maybe the trend has arisen since then. I'm sad that this is a thing and agree with the poster who deplored the new Victorianism.

It's not about sexualisation 🙄 but little girls knickers rarely provide adequate coverage for an active child. The amount of times my daughter is rolling around on the floor and her knickers end up sideways and you can see everything.

Well what's the problem then? I imagine she doesn't wear sexy lingerie that needs to be covered up so no need for shorts. Your friend is weird.

This. I wouldn’t be climbing anything in a dress so don’t put our DD in one for that sort of play. Probably helps that she’s not particularly bothered about wearing them though 🤷‍♀️

Our daughter wears shorts under her dresses and has done for years - she’s now 6 but chooses to wear them we don’t force it but all her friends do too so it’s just seen as the style. It’s not from a modesty perspective but from a hygiene. She’s very active and one layer with just pants isn’t enough considering she’s going down slides other kids have ran all over with their shoes / can get dirt into underwear / climbs trees etc

Some of our parents do, most don’t. I’d not really thought about it but it’s however parents feel their child is most comfortable. Long dresses aren’t practical for climbing though and neither are flip flop type shoes!

This is how I feel about it. I think it’s best to teach ‘modesty’ rather than put an extra layer on them in the hot weather. I just try to teach my daughter that we don’t pull our dresses up so everyone can see our pants. If she keeps doing it then no biggie, it’s a learning curve, keep explaining and remember she probably won’t be doing it when she’s an adult!