Minor thing, but would you raise with school or leave?

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

Something and nothing but just after some thoughts really....

DD1 is in Y6. She is short, but very slim and willowy. As a baby she was on 2nd centile for weight, and until very recently when her shape started to change around age 11, she could often still fit into clothes from age 6 or 7!

She is friends with another girl, J. J is a dancer and also very slim. Recently DD1 started asking if she [DD] was fat. I said, of course not!

Upon asking, it emerged that J had been taking DD1 into the centre of Y6 girls and initiating "thinness contests" with her. From what I understand, J and DD stand in the middle of a little knot and compare body parts, like wrists, tummies etc.

DD is sporty and has some muscle/ glutes, and also is developing a little, so apparently the girls had decided this made DD "less thin" than J (who is still very straight up and down).

Obviously I talked to DD about healthy bodies and how we need muscle, not being cajoled into doing stuff she wasn't comfy with, etc.

But I'm wondering if a head of year/ PSHE lead or similar would want to know if the girls are up to stuff like this? Just to maybe chat about healthy bodies and so on, as I know a lot of girls get fixated on weight at this age?

Yes definitely, even if they don’t immediately act on this it gives them the heads up to keep an eye out for it

I would definitely talk to the school, even though they will presumably be leaving soon! The teacher can unpick this and hopefully talk to them about healthy bodies and not competing in this way. Some children are naturally very slight and slender but to be discussing their bodies like this at their age needs to be addressed.

Thanks, maybe I will then.

They are in last couple of weeks, but J will be going to same secondary as DD so mightn't hurt.

Mind you, am sure DD will hear much worse from older girls come September 😬

Yes, absolutely tell the headteacher -from someone who works in a school