8yo girls must wear shorts under skirts...

[MyFirstMyLastMyEverythingBagel]

... In order to play on the bars in the school playground?!
My 8yo DD came home from school yesterday upset as she wasn't allowed to play on them - the teacher had said she needed to have shorts on as the boys would see her knickers.
I'm really upset by this, she is 8 years old and has a life time ahead of her to be worrying about modesty/body image without the school instilling it in her at 8. We've had a lovely summer, much of it spent splashing in the river / sea, DD totally in self aware in her knickers and a t shirt.
I'm actually pretty cross and plan to speak to the head about it, but want to know if iabu? How would you feel about it? My child is a child and I don't feel she should be made to feel self conscious about a brief knicker flash when she is playing.

I would take issue with this if it had happened when mine were at primary. It's normal for boys and girls to be curious and giggly about such things but anything more that that needs to be dealt with. And not by making the innocent 'cover up'.

Baby, those girls could wear shorts or bigger pants through choice. It shouldn't be forced on all.

TheSunnySide - Why on earth were the boys and girls being told to line up separately?! Is it a religious school?

DD came home one day saying an older girl kept asking to see her pants (she is 6!). I wasnt happy about this so the next day I sent her with some shorts on under her dress so she can still go on the monkey bars. We did this for a couple of days. The girl lost interest in teasing her (for whatever) at that stage.
I agree it shouldnt be necessary but the other side is its a practical solution to nipping the irritation in the bud.

We need a MN climb-in with big navy knickers flashing all over the place.

To be honest I got my daughter to wear shorts...At our last school there were a couple of boys who had ....issues... and clearly saw far too much of the adult world and they would comment and behave inappropriately, which wasn't nice. We've moved away and I now work in a secondary school, it is utterly scary the poverty, deprivation, abuse etc that some children live through and you don't know if the teacher has said this with the knowledge that there is some potential issue at school..... Having said that this should be a whole school thing where they suggest girls wear shorts! It makes me sad as like said before girls have a whole number of years ahead of them where they need to watch their modesty and 8 feels far too young! :O(

At first when I saw this thread I thought, why shouldn't they wear biker shorts underneath? It would make sure they're protected from anyone at all seeing or looking at anything under their dresses and my child's school requires those biker type shorts underneath any dresses or skirts. The girls are also allowed to wear shorts and pants obviously too.

However, after reading the post and the comments, it does seem like the schools are going about this the wrong way maybe. If there are boys trying to sneak a look, which at 8, usually boys and girls think each other are icky at that age so they wouldn't, but anyway, if for any reason there's somebody trying to look, that person needs to be dealt with, not punish the girls and wearing extra layers in the heat and also, it takes away the fun of wearing the skirt or dress if you have to wear shorts underneath, what's the point. I don't know, I'm conflicted about it. The younger kids shouldn't have to worry about it, I agree. There's a rule about skirt/dress length anyway so it wouldn't come up too much when they're on the bars or whatever.

It's a shame. Would she be happy going to school in shorts i.e. uniform shorts.

No YANBU op - speak to the ht. Tell her her staff are arseholes.

Fucking victim blaming wankers.

In the 1960s we had to do PE in our regulation grey knickers and that was in the first year of secondary education at an all girls comprehensive.

Write to the school and ask for an explanation. Do the girls have the option to wear trousers as school uniform? Because if not, essentially they have been barred from play equipment fr adhering to the school's uniform rules. It's revolting that they are trying to make 8 year olds feel ashamed of their bodies. If skirts are risque, why are they wearing them?

Unfortunatly not all children are innocent. In this day and age i feel if as parents you dont go the extra mile to protect your kids, especially when they are not actually with you, then they are easy targets. Sadly it is not unknown for a child to abuse another even whilst at school. I think shorts under skirts or dresses is a very good idea. X

That is so ridiculous, of course YANBU!
Get together with some other likeminded mums, and sort this out at the school, 8 year old children should not have to worry about things like this!!!!!

At that age, I don't think boys or girls should understand why seeing each others underwear becomes inappropriate. It's a shame that children aren't allowed to remain as innocent children anymore. It's one thing to protect them, but it's becoming a paranoia! There are a small minority of people with paedophilic tendencies but somehow we've managed to convince ourselves that it's everyone!

Yes do tell us how a pair of shorts wards off rapists, perves and paedos. Are they magic shorts?

I have yet to see a primary school boy with their underwear on show??

Well my very inefficient dresser 4yo DS would be your first then. Cannot pull up his trousers all the way to save his life. Usually wears his polo shirt hanging out but after going to the loo he often pulls up his pants first, then his trousers, over his shirt.

At his school they all wear their PE kit all day on PE day.
Girls may wear leggings under skirts for religious reasons only. Shorts and trousers are for all.
I totally agree that it is unfair to say girls have to wear extra clothing beyond uniform.

Though we do sometimes tell DS nobody wants to see his pants, we tend to pick the bigger battle of "nobody wants to see your bottom, go and get dressed".

At our school some children wear legging type shorts under their skirts but that is parental choice - it's not obligatory regardless of the activity. Children should be allowed to be children. As another poster said if boys are making a fuss about it that should be dealt with as that is an issue not girls wearing properly fitting knickers.

These Teachers have same mentality of the Muslim communities, to maintain modesty around boys. Instead boys need to be taught to respect girls, not limit girls in behaviour and play

Mentioned this to DH who suggests we dress all 8 year old boys in straight jackets and chastity belts to stop the uncontrollable sexual monsters from acting on having seen a girls knickers

This is very sad for boys and girls, what message does it send to the little boys that they can't be trusted around girls