Blindfolds | Mumsnet

BePearlCritic · 2024-12-25T04:18:33+00:00

DD’s school have sent a letter home stating that they are going to start doing team building activities and the children will be blindfolded for most of them. It will involve things like sitting on a chair and trying to work out where the noise is coming from and having a sighted child guide a blindfolded child around the school. They are then going to Kingswood in a few months where they’re doing a blindfolded assault course. DD told me she’s really scared (and I could see it on her face) about not being able to see as she’s never been blindfolded before but her friends are actually all quite excited about it. The head teacher mentioned it in assembly and a lot of the children squealed ‘YESSSS’. I think her fear comes from the fact that the school are very strict at removing girls’ nail varnish and come round most mornings doing ‘nail checks’ whilst holding a bottle of nail varnish removed and cotton wool which has made her a bit scared of them. DD loves nail varnish but I always make sure hers is removed before school (which deflates her) so the school doesn’t take it off her themselves. A few of her friends have been given disciplinary action for reapplying nail varnish after they’ve had it removed in school. I think she’d be fine when she has the blindfold on but do you think there’s anything I can do to help her leading up to it?

imSatanhonest · 29/12/2024 09:25

EduCated · 26/12/2024 09:58

You’ve posted about the nail varnish before (your, uh, zeal in discussing it felt familiar).

It comes across rather oddly to post about it again, and alongside the topic of blindfolding preteen girls.

A whole host of team building games, all blindfolded, that warrants a letter and a mention in assembly? Very odd.

Yes this was the vibe I got too...

Justsayit123 · 29/12/2024 07:24

Your dd needs to grow up. No nail varnish is a rule. There’s lots of rules in life. She can’t go through life being ‘fearful’. Pathetic.

marcopront · 29/12/2024 07:05

You can't decide to close a thread.

I still don't understand why other students being told off for repeatedly doing the same thing wrong and receiving a natural consequence would make her worried about something unrelated.

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 29/12/2024 01:03

TheRainItRaineth · 29/12/2024 00:15

Ridiculous thread. I don't understand the purpose of posting this kind of nonsense (unless the OP is a nasty old man with a fetish about schoolgirls and nail polish).

I’m disappointed to hear that people think there is a dark side to this thread.
I just wanted to know why my DD was feeling apprehensive over this, gave my possible reason, and looked for reasons that I can help her.
Especially as the other children are all excited.

Some have been good and I’ll take them on board for her.

Thread closed.

OP posts:

TheRainItRaineth · 29/12/2024 00:15

Ridiculous thread. I don't understand the purpose of posting this kind of nonsense (unless the OP is a nasty old man with a fetish about schoolgirls and nail polish).

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 23:17

FatFiatMultiplaWhopper · 28/12/2024 22:35

What an excellent idea. Teach her that rules don't apply to her and that she's the special exception to everything and never has to feel sad (sorry, "deflated") or do anything that she finds difficult. That'll make her resilient and flexible.

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She knows the rules apply to her.
She’s good at removing it for school if she has it on and she knows that I also check.

I said she’d feel deflated if she had to remove it in front of the rest of the class which I understand and I think that’s also part of the reason why she’s good at removing it herself.

Not that she’s deflated because she can’t wear it.

OP posts:

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 23:14

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 28/12/2024 22:42

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was at school they never did weird things like blindfolding kids

Maybe not at your school…

I didn’t mind the blindfolds. I did freak out on the nighttime trek we had to do at an activity centre when they made us put actual bags over our heads. I’d like to hope someone would do a risk assessment on that these days.

I’d definitely withdraw my DD if she had to put a bag over her head instead of a blindfold.
That sounds scary.

OP posts:

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 23:13

WonderingWanda · 28/12/2024 22:48

Back in the 80's and 90's they did plenty of weird things in schools. I recall being made to have naked cold showers after PE where PE teacher would watch us to ensure we went in. At primary we did PE in our knickers and vests. I can also remember doing team building with blindfolds.

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I remember naked showers but the teachers stayed away until the last person said they were finished and back ‘decent’.

OP posts:

WonderingWanda · 28/12/2024 22:48

TheRoundaboutHadLovelyFlowers · 28/12/2024 21:41

Hi OP,

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was at school they never did weird things like blindfolding kids. It seems entirely inappropriate to me that they would do this, and I can understand why your DD doesn't like it.

My DS found all these things really hard and unfortunately I had to withdraw him from school in the end.

Could your DD just skip the blindfold activity? It doesn't sound essential.

Back in the 80's and 90's they did plenty of weird things in schools. I recall being made to have naked cold showers after PE where PE teacher would watch us to ensure we went in. At primary we did PE in our knickers and vests. I can also remember doing team building with blindfolds.

ViolinsPlayGentlyOn · 28/12/2024 22:42

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was at school they never did weird things like blindfolding kids

Maybe not at your school…

I didn’t mind the blindfolds. I did freak out on the nighttime trek we had to do at an activity centre when they made us put actual bags over our heads. I’d like to hope someone would do a risk assessment on that these days.

FatFiatMultiplaWhopper · 28/12/2024 22:35

Happyinarcon · 25/12/2024 15:29

She doesn’t feel safe around some of the teachers. She doesn’t feel she is in a supportive nurturing environment. She is probably already on hyper alert just to get through the day. She’s not comfortable with the level of vulnerability she will feel blindfolded in this situation. I think you should take her misgivings seriously and tell the school she won’t participate

What an excellent idea. Teach her that rules don't apply to her and that she's the special exception to everything and never has to feel sad (sorry, "deflated") or do anything that she finds difficult. That'll make her resilient and flexible.

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 22:19

TheRoundaboutHadLovelyFlowers · 28/12/2024 21:41

Hi OP,

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was at school they never did weird things like blindfolding kids. It seems entirely inappropriate to me that they would do this, and I can understand why your DD doesn't like it.

My DS found all these things really hard and unfortunately I had to withdraw him from school in the end.

Could your DD just skip the blindfold activity? It doesn't sound essential.

I agree, however the other children were all really excited about it and there’s a place called Kingswood where one of the activities is a blindfolded assault course.

I’m going to see how she goes blindfolding her at home but if she genuinely doesn’t like it I’ll let the school know she won’t be doing the blindfolded ones.
There are a lot of non-blindfolded ones they’re doing as well.

OP posts:

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 28/12/2024 21:41

I’m sure you posted about the nail polish before?

TheRoundaboutHadLovelyFlowers · 28/12/2024 21:41

Hi OP,

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was at school they never did weird things like blindfolding kids. It seems entirely inappropriate to me that they would do this, and I can understand why your DD doesn't like it.

My DS found all these things really hard and unfortunately I had to withdraw him from school in the end.

Could your DD just skip the blindfold activity? It doesn't sound essential.

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 21:23

Snorlaxo · 28/12/2024 17:55

What an odd post. I understand why your dd might be embarrassed if she www publicly forced to remove her nail varnish at school. The remover might not be good quality and it might take a while to remove it completely. Deflated sounds like an odd reaction unless it’s the sort of school where rules are applied inconsistently so others get away with the same infraction.
The fact that the teachers are strict work in her favour. There will hopefully be no pranks played on the blindfolded kids (I assume that she’s scared and feels vulnerable blindfolded) and she hopefully has friends that she can trust to keep her safe from falling down the stairs etc rather than having to trust people that she doesn’t know well.
I would encourage her to blindfold herself and have her walk around at home with you as an assistant. Didn’t she play games like doing trust falls at primary school?

That is exactly what I’m going to do at home.

Her primary school was boring and they hardly ever did anything other than lessons.

The people finding this thread ‘odd’ are the ones focusing too much on the nail varnish side of things.
I only made a loose link about this as I thought the fact that the teachers are so strict in removing it is what has made her feel scared blindfolded around them.

She has never worn it to school so it’s a non-issue for her.

I’m going to reiterate that it’s good children and teachers vs bad children and not all children vs teachers like she thinks it is.

Nothing sinister about it.

OP posts:

Snorlaxo · 28/12/2024 17:55

What an odd post. I understand why your dd might be embarrassed if she www publicly forced to remove her nail varnish at school. The remover might not be good quality and it might take a while to remove it completely. Deflated sounds like an odd reaction unless it’s the sort of school where rules are applied inconsistently so others get away with the same infraction.
The fact that the teachers are strict work in her favour. There will hopefully be no pranks played on the blindfolded kids (I assume that she’s scared and feels vulnerable blindfolded) and she hopefully has friends that she can trust to keep her safe from falling down the stairs etc rather than having to trust people that she doesn’t know well.
I would encourage her to blindfold herself and have her walk around at home with you as an assistant. Didn’t she play games like doing trust falls at primary school?

EduCated · 28/12/2024 17:41

marcopront · 28/12/2024 09:45

I agree it is very odd.
I think the blindfolds part of the post is irrelevant and this is really just another post to talk about the unfairness of her daughter not being able to wear nail varnish.

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I highly doubt it’s real tbh (and yes, I have reported it).

BlueSilverCats · 28/12/2024 11:08

Haven't they done these types of team building games in primary school? Or pin the tail on the donkey at a party?

MermaidEyes · 28/12/2024 11:00

I think the blindfolds part of the post is irrelevant and this is really just another post to talk about the unfairness of her daughter not being able to wear nail varnish.

It's very strange that every update from OP just has to mention nail varnish. Such an odd thing to be obsessing over. School is for education, not beautification.

Carouselfish · 28/12/2024 09:52

I think this is the kind of fear I'd be jollying out rather than reinforcing by giving it any bandwidth.

marcopront · 28/12/2024 09:45

DooDooDooDooDooDooDooDoo · 28/12/2024 09:07

I've never known anyone so interested in the nail varnish rules for a secondary school.

Why not move to another area if being able to wear nail varnish is so very important to you and your daughter?

My dd had to move schools in year nine as she wanted to do textiles at GCSE. That was her priority over friends and travel convenience.

This is not your first thread about the nail varnish rules and you seem to think it very important indeed.

I agree it is very odd.
I think the blindfolds part of the post is irrelevant and this is really just another post to talk about the unfairness of her daughter not being able to wear nail varnish.

DooDooDooDooDooDooDooDoo · 28/12/2024 09:07

I've never known anyone so interested in the nail varnish rules for a secondary school.

Why not move to another area if being able to wear nail varnish is so very important to you and your daughter?

My dd had to move schools in year nine as she wanted to do textiles at GCSE. That was her priority over friends and travel convenience.

This is not your first thread about the nail varnish rules and you seem to think it very important indeed.

Original poster

BePearlCritic · 28/12/2024 00:42

HPandthelastwish · 27/12/2024 21:31

Right so flip her perspective on this then. If her teachers are strict then they won't put up with poor behaviour. If they don't put up with poor behaviour then there won't be people being idiots when blindfolded which is a good thing for her.

She needs to understand the teachers strictness is actually working in her favour as she is not a rule breaker and that strict teachers will actually have her back and keep her safe . At the minute she is feeling us (children) Vs them (teachers) she needs to feel us (rule following students + teachers) Vs (poorly behaved / risky choices students).

Yeah I agree and this is what I’ll work on with her including blindfolding her at home.
My DD definitely thinks it’s all children vs teachers as you said and not really taking into account that her friends are only having their nail varnish removed because they shouldn’t have it on.

I do believe girls should be allowed to wear it but I obviously won’t tell her that as she’s good with removing it for school.

OP posts:

HPandthelastwish · 27/12/2024 21:31

Right so flip her perspective on this then. If her teachers are strict then they won't put up with poor behaviour. If they don't put up with poor behaviour then there won't be people being idiots when blindfolded which is a good thing for her.

She needs to understand the teachers strictness is actually working in her favour as she is not a rule breaker and that strict teachers will actually have her back and keep her safe . At the minute she is feeling us (children) Vs them (teachers) she needs to feel us (rule following students + teachers) Vs (poorly behaved / risky choices students).

SoMentallyDrained · 27/12/2024 18:54

This is ridiculous, it really is a moot point