To think was a a bit wrong.

[Canthisonebeused]

Not sure why but this doesn't sit right with me, what are others thoughts. It's not a big deal but did bother me a bit.

7 and 8 year old girls doing handstands and cartwheels in the playground at school. Boys being silly laughing at their pants and did not die down after being told not to by playground staff. Therefore girls are sent in to put PE shorts on under their dresses.

I just think they are little girls FFS who care if their pants are showing and the boys should have been delt with. I just don't think it's a good message to sent to girls.

it's nothing to do with boys seeing girls underwear, but about being able to play freely without having to show underwear.

I find it hard to separate these two things, Tabby. If it's not to do with boys seeing underwear, to whom are the girls potentially 'showing' their underwear and why does it matter?

I also keep returning to this: I will continue to ensure that children (of both sexes) play appropriately in the playground. What is 'appropriately' by your reckoning?

Yes I interested in this no children should show underwear thing, my boys are skinny things and they wear fitted boxer style underwear, often the waistband of their underwear is higher than their shorts, so if they are playing and crouching down, kneeling etc or climbing you can often see their underwear. Esp on climbing frames when polo shirts ride up a bit ad they climb and ditto when they hang upside down in monkey bars you can def see their underwear.,. But I am betting no one has or would say anything, partly because they are boys and partly because it's the waistband/ top of their bum that shows and that is somehow ok but a sighting of girls underwear is not?!

As I said, the idea that girls should take responsibility for boys' behaviour is very deep seated. So deep seated that many women deny it- and actually get quite angry about it.

still waiting for Tabby to say why she and her school think it's necessary for girls to wear shorts under their dresses, and what exactly is wrong with a quick view of someone's pants when they do a handstand. What exactly is so offensive about pants? I'm just hearing a load of waffle, tbh, and attitudes reinforcing how uptight people in this country can be about bodies.

My daughter likes to wear boys pants, the fitted boxer short style her brothers wear, she has some with dinosaurs on and some neon ones with stars and stars. Is it ok for her to show those pants when playing as they are 'boy' pants?!!

I don't get the whole shorts thing like they are somehow more appropriate... When I went put wearing shorts with leggings under them as s teen they didn't stop me being sexually assaulted... Or perhaps they were the wrong type of shorts and not modest/protective enough and that's why the boy couldn't help himself...

Watch you self 5madthings You'll have some Pearl clutches out raged you dd is wearing boys pants next.

Oh crap, not only do I let my daughter wear 'boy' pants and other clothes but I let my boys wear 'girl' clothes. Ds3 loves fairy outfits and for years his fave outfit was a pink silk party dress. He likes to sport a purple tutu with jeans as well.

I let them wear what they want but I expect good behaviour from all, regardless of gender.

That's so indecent and impractical however I'm glad to learn he has jeans on under his tutu for the practicalities of appropriate play.

I expect they have to wear dresses/skirts as uniform, yet they can't show their underwear, yet they are 7/8 year old kids who want to play. It's very restricting.

If school employees are going to get into a froth about this kind of thing, they should just make it so everyone wears trousers as uniform. Then they can just get on with playing and being kids. I don't know why some schools insist on skirts for girls anyway.

My Dutch friend's children (now 19 and 20) did PE in vest and pants at this age. I mentioned this on page 10, and people didn't believe me.

Children in the UK are taught that pants are embarrassing. I don't see any reason to teach children there is anything funny about pants.

In the 80s we would do PE in our underwear if we'd forgotten kit. It wasn't a punishment either, just practical.

Ultimately if the problem was over-excited boys (and I don't mean in the sexual sense), they should have been spoken to or separated until they calmed down. Making the girls to blame for their behaviour was the problem. It's one of those constant messages they will be bombarded with that they need to modify their behaviour or they will 'make' boys feel things or do things. Boys are never subjected to this crap...

Presumably all the people who think little girls should cover up manage to walk round Tescos without being offended when they see a packet of pants?

There is just nothing obscene or embarrassing about little kids in their underwear. People who think children's pants are indecent have been taught to believe that.

It makes me angry because it's like we are giving credence to the (sick, horrible, tiny minority of) paedophiles who find small children sexy.

I think that the teachers handled this badly, and I hope your daughter and friends aren't too bothered by it, OP.

This is a really interesting thread, because it's making me think quite carefully about this whole pants thing in general. I do pull down my daughters' dresses in public (on buses etc) and untuck their dresses if they've left them tucked in after going to the loo because "pants aren't for public".

BUT I don't want them to feel inhibited about doing handstands etc and I certainly don't want to imply that there's anything wrong in what they're doing..... anyone got any wise advice on this?