Shorts under skirts for girls - a new thing?

[Biggrizzlybear]

A discussion on a school parents chat has brought up something I'd not thought about. Apparently a number of parents of September reception starters (girls) are looking for shorts to go under their daughter's school dresses "to make sure they're decent." I don't remember this happening when I was at school. Is that not what pants are for? I don't know what to think about it. On the one hand, I don't want my daughter to look indecent in comparison to everybody else. But I don't want to teach her that how she looks and dresses is indecent when she's fully dressed. If her dress is long enough, surely she'll be decent. I doubt she'll spend more than a minute or two a day with her dress over her head!

Do little girls wear these nowadays? Am I being silly or neglectful in some way?

I’ve even teaching for 20 years and on the planet for nearly 50. I’ve never seen a little girl accidentally expose herself sitting on carpet, or doing a cartwheel, or “risked my genitals” through the sitting on a rough surface in a dress and knickers.

If little girls want to wear shorts, great. If they want to wear a dress and knickers great. But why should they have to wear knickers, shorts and dress to be “modest”? Who has taught little girls that they need to be modest? This is ridiculous. Little boys don’t wear three layers of clothing in case they accidentally, momentarily reveal their genitalia.

They are compulsory at our primary school. I find it OTT but just go along with it .

@BabyDubsEverywhere what about getting changed for PE then?

And let's not forget that most girls,particularly EYFS/ks1 make that choice because someone pointed out it's an issue first.

My girls wear bike shorts under their skirts. I just think it's more comfortable for playing on slides and whatnot.

Really Gintime74? are the girls allowed to wear trousers if they want to? seems a bit OTT to make it compulsory!

We wore shorts under our uniforms at school in the early 90s. It made sitting cross legged and playing outside easier without worrying about pants being on show. I remember that being my choice, not my mum's or the school's.

My dd is only 7 months and there's no way she'd wear a skirt without shorts underneath, even more so once she starts school. I think all little girls should wear shorts (Lycra) under their dresses to protect them.

Mine wear skorts

I remember wearing matching over knickers when doing netball, but that was a short skirt so I guess necessary when we were hurtling round the netball court
I honestly do not see the point in shorts to cover knickers when wearing a skirt. As pp says, if it's an issue, just wear shorts! IMO it is just a way of getting girls to conform to societal expectations from an ever younger age. Soon baby girls will have to wear shorts over the frilly pants they wear over nappies when in dresses.

Yes cycling shorts under school dresses here too. I also hate being in the park and seeing girls climbing something in a dress with pants on full view! When I was at school we had to wear those big navy blue pants which we wore over our Normal pants do quite similar to wearing shorts

With all the NSPCC stuff about 'private pants' (I cannot remember the slogan, sorry) it makes sense that more and more girls will want to ensure their pants are covered.

That’s a complete misrepresentation of the NSPCC Pants campaign, the campaign teaches children - boys and girls - that their private parts are private, and how to get hep if someone is looking or touching inappropriately. Nowhere does it say your underwear is private - what goes under your underwear is, and oddly enough your underwear covers the parts that are private.

I think all little girls should wear shorts (Lycra) under their dresses to protect them.

Protect them from what?

My dd is only 7 months and there's no way she'd wear a skirt without shorts underneath, even more so once she starts school. I think all little girls should wear shorts (Lycra) under their dresses to protect them.

Protect them from what?

I also hate being in the park and seeing girls climbing something in a dress with pants on full view!

Why?

Perfect cross post @PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock

Kids are fatter these days than they were in the 80s. Could be against Chub rub?

Pants are not sufficient imo, and little girls are not ladylike, so it's significantly more than a few moments. I never thought about shorts, I think that's a fab idea. My daughter wore trousers until she was old enough to understand keeping herself covered. She was the only girl in her class too though, and the general consensus does seem to be its just acceptable and one of those things. I disagree obviously, but life has taught me to maybe be a little more cautiously protective.

So so far girls (as young as 4/5) are frequently showing their vulvas, that need extra protection on top of pants and they're too fat.

And everyone wonders why teenage girls have body and self esteem issues.

Because when I’m helping my children on something I don’t want to be looking up at someone’s pants. There was also a girl one day had one side tucked in her bum. Plus it can’t be that nice for girls going down slides etc, it’s better in shorts.

School summer dresses are very transparent and very short. Regardless of where you buy them from.

Only in the summer, but yes DD wears white bike shorts underneath her dress. Otherwise you can see through the dress and see the whole pant pattern. On the monkey bars you see everything. It’s not a rule per say at school, but all the girls feel more comfortable wearing shorts.

If they made summer dresses from a better fabric and made them longer dresses imo we wouldn’t need them.

I’m so glad no one was bothered about this when my DD was younger - she worn skirts, dresses and trousers. No shorts underneath or anyone interested in it.

I put shorts under my daughters dresses on cold days, not for decency. She's 5, she's decent.

Why are people putting girls in shorts over the knickers? My dd just wears the shorts as knickers under her dress.

At some point clearly little girls were told to feel ashamed about their knickers. That's a pity.

And this is the crux of it for me. I’m so glad I was a child so many years ago. No sexualisation, no peer pressure. Just innocent fun.

It is definitely an odd thing. To me in sexualises young children inappropriately and I find it quite strange. Knickers cover as much as a swimming costume would, so I don't see the need at all, even if they are doing head stands!