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.

There was someone who was making matching gingham shorts to wear under girls summer dresses this year :(

Not sure we're on the slippery slope with regards to the rollback of equality for women and girls but, because I'm aware of how slippery and sloping it is, I'm concerned that we're straying too close to the edge, and lots of silly little things like this might trip us over it.

Rihanna why wouldn't it be ok to see an 8 year old's pants?

Mypocket, let me answer you with a question: would it be ok to see an adult's knickers/boxers?
Answer is NO.
Age has no baring here.
Just because someone is 8 does not mean to say it's ok. It's private. (Unless you want to show them to someone as a consenting adult - that's a different story then hehehe)

Doh before anyone jumps to say anything :
Meant to say "show your knickers as an adult to another consenting adult - now that's A different story"

I don't think an 8 year old should be showing their pants to a consenting adult...

That's the difference - a grown woman has sexual body parts, in our society we don't allow those to be on show. An 8 year old doesn't.

mypockets some 8 year olds do. My daughter started growing pubic hair at that age, even though she didn't start her periods until years later.
I notice some people saying they had to do PE in their vest and knickers when they were at school. I can't remember ever doing that and I was at school in the 60's and 70's. Personally I would have found it embarrassing.

An 8 year old isn't a sexual being however much pubic hair she has. And the tennis player analogy is stupid - sports people regularly compete in titchy pants.

Have you RTFT? The problem with this is it tells little girls (who are wearing the uniform the school insists on) that there is something sexual about their pants. There isn't anything sexual about an 8 year old's pants. I can't see how that is in any way a controversial statement!

mypockets an 8 year old can be physically mature though, even though obviously not sexually active. Following that argument, it would ok for a 14/15 year old to run round doing PE in their knickers. I think most people would disagree there.
I suppose it's just a matter of opinion. I would have hated showing my underwear at 8 , and wouldn't allow my daughter to do it either. It's just a matter of boundaries. Incidentally I think both my sons felt exactly the same way.

It's only a matter of opinion if someone isn't telling your daughter off in the playground for it isn't it?

And no I don't agree - an 8 year old is incredibly different to a teenager. An 8 year old is not a sexual being and if she's being told to cover up because people/boys are looking at her in that way that is a fucking HUGE problem.

There's also nothing wrong about an adult showing their pants to other adults, they're pants...

The tennis thing is slightly interesting - wimbledon has rules dictating white underwear if it can be seen, those exist, and are enforced because people do see tennis players underwear. The female players almost exclusively choose to wear dresses or skirts too, despite being free to wear shorts if they want.

Well pockets we'll just have to disagree. To me underwear is underwear ie not to be seen in public.

I agree sirfred - I'd happily fight for a forty year old's right to swing upside down from the parallel bars if I were called upon to do so

Just trying to keep to the issue at hand

Fine to agree to disagree. But if you tried to impose your views on my daughter I'd be fucking pissed off. As the op is. As doubtless you would be if I tried to impose my views on yours. That's the point.

I've put my dd is shorter under dressed and skirts since she was 5/6
More about the pervs out there than other kids and also to instil some modesty for herself

And again with the magic shorts.

Where do I get a pair of these?

Why the hell don't we just put girls in shorts then? for the millionth time

Does the research into "pervs" actually substantiate an interest solely in pre-pubescent girls underwear? I'd've imagined (and I'm not going to google this, no-one would believe the "research" defence!) that while it may be a fetish for some, it's unlikely to be the definining characteristic in all of it.

And to repeat again, don't punish the victims!

I WANT MAGIC ANTI-PERV SHORTS.

In gingham if strictly necessary.

Where do they conduct 'research into pervs' sirfred? Is that a new university discipline?

Looks like you have to go to Modena Mypockets which is a lovely part of the world, but not enough to draw my interest in the masters.

I remember the navy blue knickers and sorted shirts at primary school ,the only mortification felt was if the knickers has white bobbles on them.
Also in primary school swimming is a mixed activity so what is the difference that makes the coverage here different to that offered by knickers?I think it is a pity that girls are being restricted from healthy exercise by adults who should know better.

Bearing in mind what DH saw I'm perfectly happy that her school want her to wear pair of gym shorts under her skirt.

Seriously??

If he was turned on by young girls doing cartwheels a pair of gym kickers would not have made one single jot of a difference. All these 'modesty pants' do is make parents think they're doing good work by thwarting some pervs. Whereas what you're actually doing is making girls feel ashamed of their bodies.

Well done.

Funny isn't it. Some people get all bent out of shape that someone might see their kids knickers...yet not a single worry when they're in their swimsuits.

I've always taken a very 'So what? They're knickers that cover your private bits, that's their job. Who cares who sees them?' approach.

Thanks sirfred - and I'm assuming that at the end of a two year taught masters in perviness (for which I will have to move to italy) they will give me the key to the secret magic shorts room? Otherwise I'm a bit busy now tbh...