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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask WHY there are little girls with bare legs and ankle socks in this weather ?

201 replies

BlahBlahYeahYeah · 11/12/2014 22:39

Are you the owner of one of these amazingly resilient (possibly frozen) little girls, sporting bare legs and ankle socks in Mary Jane type shoes in this weather?

Can someone PLEASE explain this mystery to me, because I just cannot get my head round it.

As a parent to a school age dd and toddler dd, I couldn't contemplate bare legs in this weather for either of them.

Are these parents BU? Or am I??

OP posts:
Micah · 12/12/2014 09:24

My 10 year old is one of those :)

She refuses point blank to wear tights or long socks. Always has. We walk to school.

I figure it's up to her. She's old enough to say if she gets cold, and does have tights to wear if she wants.

She's never cold though. As a 4 week old baby I took her shopping in February, well wrapped up. She screamed and screamed, until we figured she was hot and started stripping layers. She got quieter with each layer until I was pushing her round the shopping centre fast asleep in a vest.

I think we worry about it too much. They'll soon say if they're cold and want a coat!

PrimalLass · 12/12/2014 09:25

I used to judge my friend for the opposite thing - her kids were bundled up at all times. It made me feel panicky and hot just looking at them. And they are not allowed outside without shoes EVER (cross ref the slippers thread from the other day).

Micah · 12/12/2014 09:25

Cowboy joe- I always see babies and think that baby looks hot!

MindReader · 12/12/2014 09:25

I saw a child in the playground yesterday.
Y6 and wearing shorts and short socks.
3" of Snow lying in playground.
He looked properly cold, poor kid.

StarOnTheTree · 12/12/2014 09:28

if you are 'up north' i cant even believe you are complaining about this. only big southern jessies feel the cold

Haha, I'm a northerner and a real wimp when it comes to being cold. But it is freezing here and even my teens (14/18) wear coats to school/college. We did have a couple of years where they didn't though.

With DD3 (7) having covered legs in winter is non-negotiable. I either get moaning about the tights (the fit, the size, the seams, the twistiness Hmm ) or I get the moaning about being cold. I'd rather have the battle in the house where it's nice and warm than outside when it's freezing. She could wear trousers but won't for school and we walk a mile each way right on the North East coast. I think I'm going to go and buy some cheap black leggings today, that could solve the problem.

MissPenelopeLumawoo2 · 12/12/2014 09:29

Another tights refuser here. Long socks are also the devils work. Ankle socks are just about tolerated. When she was in reception she did a whole winter in trainer socks, she just could not bear to wear anything else. it was not for want of trying on my part!

unlucky83 · 12/12/2014 09:37

Scotland here, need to scrape the ice off the car etc...
My nearly 8 yo DD has just walked to school wearing trousers, polo shirt, cardigan and coat.
But she has refused to button up her cardi or fasten up her coat....no vest - so on her front it is a polo shirt between her skin and the icy wind.
She also complained when I tried to make her wear a hat and scarf - she is wearing the hat but not the scarf (which has pockets in it) - she says she has gloves in her bag...
Her sister was even worse - used to come out of school in the snow carrying her coat and jumper... now a teen went out to the bus in a thin blazer, school shirt and tie, no jumper/cardigan/coat. She did wear a white tshirt under under her shirt yesterday but said today she doesn't need it.
A friend's DS (8) was coming out of school in summer, boiling hot with his coat buttoned up, hood up - now it is arctic he comes out wearing just a polo Confused
It really isn't worth the battle - if they are cold they will learn to wrap up...they aren't going to die...just get maybe a bit chilly...their choice, their problem...

lynniep · 12/12/2014 09:48

My 5yo wears shorts to school. It is entirely his choice. Its not a battle that's worth having tbh.
Every morning I say 'don't you think you should wear trousers today' and wave a pair in front of him, and every morning he says 'no, I'm wearing my shorts'. I bought him knee socks but he just pushes them down. The minute he gets home, his socks are removed and flung across the hall.

If he is too cold, he will realise he needs to wear trousers. I'm just relieved he has agreed to start wearing a coat.

(DS1 on the other hand wears thermals under his uniform)

Stylistformyboys · 12/12/2014 09:49

Perhaps buy softer tights in a larger size for the poor DDs? Much more comfortable then. It pisses me off seeing mums at school wrapped up in north face coats and boots while their children look depressed with the cold wind and rain blowing up their skirts.

BramwellLovesSnowflakeBiscuits · 12/12/2014 10:00

Perhaps buy softer tights in a larger size for the poor DDs?

but then they ride down between the legs and are even more uncomfortable. Plus some schools choose such ridiculous colours that you struggle to get any that colour, let alone nice soft ones.
yes DD's school, I'm looking at you with your fucking maroon tights that only one shop sells

MissPenelopeLumawoo2 · 12/12/2014 10:04

Perhaps buy softer tights in a larger size for the poor DDs? Much more comfortable then

Oh yes, silly me, I never thought of that in all my years of battling with her to wear tights! Never spent a fortune on seamless socks that she won't wear either, oh no!

It pisses me off seeing mums at school wrapped up in north face coats and boots while their children look depressed with the cold wind and rain blowing up their skirts.

Perhaps the kids looked depressed because they just did not want to go to school, or they had just spent 20 minutes with their Mums begging & bribing them to put some tights on, all to no avail. Or any other reason.

Things are not always as simple as they appear.

CMOTDibbler · 12/12/2014 10:06

My ds is at a school that has shorts as uniform for boys until y6 when they may wear trousers. His winter long socks are usually round his ankles, and he feels no need to wear his school coat, track top (for after sport), or even his rugby base layer. Yesterday he would have got changed into rugby shirt and shorts at lunchtime, played all afternoon, then went to afterschool club and was outside playing till 4.30ish. Still wasn't cold

PatriciaHolm · 12/12/2014 10:07

Ds wears shorts to school all year round, his choice. Has done for several years (he's yr 4). He is always warm when others are cold, he's just like that. He skies in at least one layer less than everyone else too.

PatriciaHolm · 12/12/2014 10:08

PS - Ds just wears a short sleeve polo shirt too. He went to school like that today, though carrying his coat in case of rain later. He's plenty old enough to know whether he's comfy or not.

jay55 · 12/12/2014 10:11

I really feel for the small boys in shorts with blue knees on my train in the morning. Heavy wool blazers and tiny shorts seems torture summer and winter.

PrimalLass · 12/12/2014 10:13

Why does it piss you off Stylist when many people have said that their kids refuse? My DD hates tights because it makes getting changed after gym difficult.

MelonOfTroy · 12/12/2014 10:15

My son insists on still wearing shorts and ankle socks. We have perfectly good school trousers he just says his legs don't get cold.

He's 9 so I just go with it, I probably wouldn't let my 2yr old wear a skirt/shorts without tights though.

SeasonsEatings · 12/12/2014 10:17

It was -1 at 0900 on Tuesday and I saw babies without hats or gloves. I have pmt and welled up.

Kaekae · 12/12/2014 10:24

Until about three weeks ago my daughter refused to wear her tights. She also insisted on rolling her long socks down. She gets eczema on the backs of her legs so I think this is why she hates it. Kids get so hot in school, the heating is set to high and desks are placed next to radiators which I'd hate to sit by all day. My DD also refuses to wear her hat and gloves. I don't worry, if she's cold she'll put them on. I know loads of children who hate wearing hats and gloves too, so I don't stand there in the playground judging other parents.

PeppermintInfusion · 12/12/2014 10:29

At one high school I went to, girls (up to age 14/15) had to wear ankle socks without exception sept- end of oct and start of April-June which I thought was awful. I can remember a particularly freezing and snowy April in bare legs Hmm some schools have ridiculous rules.

Dionysuss · 12/12/2014 10:31

My dd is one of those children.

She will not tolerate tights, she's 9 now so I've just accepted no amount of nagging will make her wear any. She's not allowed leggings and trousers are not allowed as part of the school uniform. To top it off she will also not wear her blazer under her coat. So she carries is separatly outdoors. She has a shirt and a skirt with bare legs on her way to/from school. But she has a wool deer stalker type hat so her ears don't get cold

LoisHatesChristmas · 12/12/2014 10:31

Its rarely warm enough for skirts and ankle socks where I live so dd doesn't have that many. Her uniform is mainly trousers or pinafore and tights with big snow boots! I seen a couple of underdressed toddlers this morning on the school run, its usually with younger parents for some reason. A generation used to central heating maybe? They don't know how to handle coldness!

DarylDixonsDarlin · 12/12/2014 10:35

Wow, nice to know I might be judged on my children's clothing choices...who'd have thought it eh...Hmm

I've never bought DD tights for school, she's had them for home wear a few times and I've seen what happens - not.worth the fight I'm afraid. She will sometimes wear long socks but doesn't like them, they feel really very uncomfortable for her. Id hate to be forced to wear something uncomfortable, she can barely stand the feel of her cardigan when her coat is on as well, its just too much for her.

At the moment she is wearing Next ugg style boots to school, doesn't like them either but she is starting to accept that they are warm and she needs to make warm choices in cold weather.she has normal school shoes for the occasions she needs to look smarter at school (plays,assemblies, the Christmas dinner etc)

I think she may have some sensory issues but we've never had anything diagnosed, I don't think it would make any difference anyway! (she has food problems too)

DD2 regularly strips off socks and shoes, even outside. DS is quite compliant and has worked out over the last few years that he will feel cold/wet if he doesn't choose the.correct clothing, so now at 8.5y he makes good choices.

It's quite simply no one else's business, unless you have some other concerns about the child and the care they are receiving. As a stand alone issue, just meh Confused

PurpleCrazyHorse · 12/12/2014 10:37

DD wears long socks, which fall down to her ankles on PE days (twice a week). She's 5yo and struggles to take her tights on/off when they change so she has to wear socks for now. She has a warm coat and mittens (not freezing here yet) and she skips to school Grin

hairylittlegoblin · 12/12/2014 10:40

DD is always hot and hates tights. When she was in Yr1 we had major sensory issues with her - she couldn't tolerate seams touching any part of her legs or feet. So no tights, leggings, trousers. She had 2 pairs of socks that she could wear and I washed them in roatation. It was horribly stressful for everyone and made mornings an absolute nightmare (one one memorable day it took 2 hours to get her dressed and we were late for school).

It was a very cold winter and I used to think that all the parents would be judging me for sending my 6 year old to school in socks. Good to know that they were!

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