Teacher telling girls to wear shorts over pants if their dress/skirt is too short

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

Hi,

My daughter's last day of school yesterday (she's 8) and as she was getting dressed in the morning she said her teacher had told her that she had to wear shorts if she was wearing a dress.

I discussed this with my daughter, i.e. would it be ok if she wore swimsuit or tankini bottoms instead? Her pants are covering her private area so why cover up what's already covered up? Did she know why she'd been told this? (She didn't).

Anyway, I gave the teacher the benefit of the doubt as I know innocent comments can be misinterpreted by kids.

After school I talked to the teacher and she said that she had told her class that if, on the last day, they were wearing dresses too short then they should wear shorts so they don't show their pants on the climbing frames. She laughed and said it wasn't school policy.

AIBU to be fuming?

[flashnaaz]

@walkingdeadfangirl yeah whatever

[flashnaaz]

@walkingdeadfangirl
Nice shoehorning to blame 'those bladdy muzlims'

[maresedotes]

My DD (10) was told to go inside at lunchtime by the midday supervisor to put on shorts (she was attempting handstands) because, and I quote, “the boys will be able to see your knickers”. My DD was bemused because she told me the boys play football and were not interested in watching her.

I mentioned it to the headteacher and she said “not again, it’s not school policy” and sent an e-mail to the staff.

We should not be introducing this. I would speak to the headteacher. I hate this modesty crap.

[Poodletip]

The more I think about it the more I think the problem is the expectation that little girls wear dresses or skirts. What utterly impractical clothes they are for small children who want to run and play and cartwheel and climb and hang upside down. Not to mention sitting on the floor.

At what age does it become inappropriate to see girls knickers on display? I mean it does at some point. There's no way my teenage DD would be flashing her pants at her classmates and teachers. Lots of girls go through puberty in primary school now though.

[helacells]

My daughters school uniform for girls was skorts which solved this problem.

[OhGodWhatTheHellNow]

I'm somewhat bothered by this, primary girl's uniform hasn't really changed since I was at school in the seventies, but we would never have considered secondary underwear - when exactly did this become a thing? Unprompted by me, my DD started raiding her PE kit at school this year, at 6!

[Kimlek]

This is tricky. I have girls. Their school uniform has always been dresses in summer and skirts/pinafores in winter. Trousers never an option. At Co-ed primary they were expected to wear gym shorts (like cycle shorts) under dresses in summer as often did cartwheels etc. And was deemed inappropriate to flash their white knickers. Yet in assemblies & on a stage would be expected to sit cross legged with a whole row of white knickers on display. Ridiculous!! Never understood the differing rule. Now, my girls are teens & sit legs ajar and I do say not to flash knickers. I’m hypocritical as my rules changed when they became teens. I wonder why knickers shouldn’t be seen?

[flashnaaz]

Isn't this a question of manners rather than modesty? I find flashing boys or girls underwear weird. Yes it's all innocent blah blah but even as a child seeing my mates (dirty) undies while she sat crossed legged at story time a bit uncomfortable.

[DickTERFin]

I’ve just caved and bought my five year old some shorts to go under her dress for next year as she spends as much time upside as she does right side up but it marks me.

I buy her low legged/high waisted boxer style knickers that give full coverage anyway and apart from the colour, there will be no difference in the amount on show but she was made to feel self conscious by other children and some parents commenting on being able to see her knickers and I didn’t want embarrassment to curtail her physical activity.
Stupid though. Little girls pants should be a non-issues (grumbles about having to do PE in knickers and vest and no one being bothered).

[DickTERFin]

Narks not marks.

[LovingLola]

Here is a recent thread on this topic. Runs to 19 pages.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3283399-School-and-rules-re-shorts-under-dress

[TheVanguardSix]

Her dress is too small/too short.
Time to go up a dress size, OP.

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

Thanks everyone. For info her dresses are to her knees, but thanks. However, the shorts she wore were 1 inch longer than her boxer pants that she finds so comfortable (yes, I did measure 'cause I'm that petty). The teacher didn't stipulate the exact length she personally decides is too short.

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

Oh, and kids can wear whatever they want, my daughter wears trousers in winter but insists on dress in summer.

[kitkatsky]

Fuming is a massive over reaction. I'm rather jealous that this is your fumarific problem tbh

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

And again, thanks everyone for your various views. I really appreciate it.

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

kitkatsky

Way to ignore all my previous posts

[CherryPavlova]

If a young girl ( or indeed an older one) is happy to do cartwheels in her knickers, there is surely no problem? The knickers ensure decency. They don’t need to be covered.
If a girl feels more comfortable in shorts, that’s fine too.
I don’t think it’s anything to get excited about unless it’s a fifteen year old displaying their thong to the world.

[Shampooeeee]

Send her in a handmaid’s costume in September, that might make the teachers think about where they are going with this.

[daffodildelight]

Pants are private. The NSPCC teaches children this and rightly so. (NB it's not just what is underneath that is private but the pants/bra too).
Can you imagine the uproar if children were made to do PE in their underwear now a days.

[Pingipinguin]

Pants are private. The NSPCC teaches children this and rightly so.
This is a really good point!

[Justcheckingimnotmad]

NSPCC PANTS rules relates to the private area under your pants. It's a handy acronym.

[Tomatoesrock]

My DD on last day, wear your own clothes, the school said any shorts or skirts to the knee. If your DD is confident and wouldn't be bother if someone seen them then it is fine, My DD would be mortified if boys or girls seen her flash her pants.

On a swimming lesson recently all the boys wore shorts and one wee boy wore the swim pants, All the classes there laughed uncontrollably. My DD was mortified for him. Anything different will make them look, I do not think it is for sexual reasons but it can be a distraction on a boy or girl.

[Pulipatchouli]

I like the growing norm of girls wearing shorts under dresses.
Younger kids always sit on the carpet, meaning all their knickers are on display.as a teacher it is nicer not to have to look at a whole row of knickers.
If you would be happy for your girl to greet all sorts of people in your home,whilst showing her knickers, keep on protesting.