To not want my daughters' primary school to run a Nail Club (fingernail painting)?

[Bodkin]

It's one of the official after-school clubs. All the girls want to go. It's so popular they've had to limit it to years 5 & 6.

I've nothing against nail varnish, just think it's not a suitable primary school club and the time could be better used.

YABU. It's creative, sociable, fun and something that they've chosen to do.
Perhaps they wanted a club where they could sit and have a chat and relax without too much noise or running around.
I suspect many people would object on the grounds that it's sexualising young girls, or enslaving them into the patriarchal view that girls should look pretty.
Who's to say you have to be either/or?
Having fun and being creative with colour and intelligence/education aren't mutually exclusive.
It's different, but good on the headteacher for being open minded.

Who's to say you have to be either/or? interested in nails and beauty does not equal vapid and shallow is what I meant.

I'm genuinely interested Lequeen - why?

It depends on what else is available in the area.

My DD would have liked this sort of club, because she did a lot of sport outside of school (there was a lot availablein our area) and the clubs on offer were not suitable because of her dyslexia. This would have made her feel more of a part of school life.

This club will easily be adaptable to be fully inclusive.

My teen DS attends "Debate Mate" - now I'd like to get that one closed for a start!

He has an answer for everything and a bit more on top!

You could extend it and have temporary tattoos if you want to enrage people further include the boys too.
Children could design and sketch their own tattoo and then use a kit to make it. It's destroying the stereotype that tattoos (which I personally dislike) are for a certain group of people and that it defines you as a person. It doesn't. That's what the message of this group could be (if indeed it needs one. What's wrong with doing things because they're fun?)

What is wrong with letting them have some girlie bonding time-which is what this. Just because they are painting their nails it doesn't mean they fitting a stereotype, it just means they want pretty nails. Their views on how women should or should not be perceived shouldn't even be am issue. Let them be kids and also see that school can be social as well as educational.

Once they've been taught how to do it they could offer mini manicures as a fund raiser too.

YANBU. I think it's inappropriate for the school to run such things for girls so young. Talk about promoting the sexualisation of young girls. What is this country coming to? It would be one thing if it was for 16 year old girls, but 10 year olds. Why can't they do sports, fitness etc?

Painting your nails isn't a sexual act, or have i been doing it wrong

Exactly Birdsgottafly. This attitude makes me cross. These little girls just want to have some fun with colour and be creative.

Mondays: Nail Painting Club
Tuesdays: Diet Club
Wednesdays: Breast Enlargement Club
Thursdays: Your Future Career as a 'Beauty Therapist' Club
Fridays: Low Self-Esteem Club

Obviously someone has volunteered to run it. They don't have to go. Volunteer to run a club yourself, you will be welcomed.

Fanjo DH and I have talked through how we want to raise DD. We were talking about nail painting last night because I went for a pedicure as a mothers day treat (feet still have not recovered from pregnancy) as I was a little surprised to see so many little girls getting their nails done with their mothers (ages 3+). It hadn't crossed my mind to take DD to get her nails done in the future and I wasn't comfortable with the idea.

After school activites will never include nail painting for our DD and if she wanted to do this activity I would give her the option of doing art or something craft related (which includes things like woodwork etc). If other parents wish to allow their child to attend nail painting then that is their decision and more power to them. I don't think the option should be taken away as some parents are ok with this as an activity. Personally I think it is great that the choice is there. It just wouldn't be on the list that DD has to chose from.

Are they not getting high on the fumes?

Surely its the parents making this into an issue. The girls just want pretty nails. I really don't understand the problem.

Actually I think football is far more damaging than nail painting.

As far as I know there is no racism or hooliganism involved in nail painting.

And nail painting is far more inclusive than football at least all girls can access it which cannot be said for football.

So, what about boy scouts? Is that the sexualisation of boys too? Maybe they want to paint their nails. Should we insist on nail painting clubs for boys too?! How ridiculous do we really want to get?

There is that famous quote from an army officer training kids to shoot who was accused of turning boys into killing machines by running a gun club. His reply was along the lines of "he is equipping them in self defense not turning them into killing machines, just like the female journalist he was responding to, was equipped to be a whore, yet she wasn't one.

Do we strap our baby girls chests next?

stuart456 what a silly post. Just because you link those things together doesn't mean everyone does.

My daughter would like sweets for every meal.

But that's not what she gets.

It's me and my wife that make healthy eating into an 'issue'.

RetroMom

'Boy Scouts' doesn't exist any more in the UK. Scouting is now co-ed.

www.scouts.org.uk/wp_magazines/features/scouting-for-all/scouting-for-girls-why-more-young-women-are-joining-the-adventure

"These little girls just want to have some fun with colour and be creative".

They'd have far more opportunities with an art club then.

Eh? I don't understand the link.

Quite viper.