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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why does my daughter have to have butterfly or heart zipper pulls on her school uniform?

282 replies

MsMotherOfDragons · 30/08/2018 13:15

Just that, really.

Why do the school uniform options for girls not have things like rocket or dinosaur charms? And why don't they have pockets?!! It drives me wild.

I've looked at several of the main supermarkets and they all seem to have the same problem. Eventually I went for the Sainsbury's ones on the basis of price and quality, so we're stuck with butterflies on everything.

Can I replace them with something else... does anyone know where to get rocket charms or similar? Can anyone recommend a better supplier? I'm kind of appalled that all the gender nonsense starts so early. It's so unnecessary.

OP posts:
nuttyknitter · 30/08/2018 14:44

My DGD loves dinosaurs. She's due to go to school in September and is already picking up stereotyping from other children at Nursery. She loved the dinosaur coats in Asda but is savvy enough to realise they're in the boys' section. The girls' coats are adorned with flowers and unicorns - I despair! Trying to persuade her that we're not letting the boys have all the best stuff, but peer pressure is hard to resist even when you're only four.

businessModel · 30/08/2018 14:45

This reply has been deleted

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SoupDragon · 30/08/2018 14:56

I would agree about the lack of useful pockets and that carries on into adulthood. DD was forced to try and hide a mini lightsaber in her sock because she had no proper pockets.

aperolspritzplease · 30/08/2018 15:04

My daughters m and s school skirts all have pockets, as do their school cardigans, as do their jeans, denim skirts, most of their shorts do come to think of it.

I've just bought a new pencil skirt from m and s for work, it has pockets, proper ones. Most of my clothes have pockets, I've never thought about it before. Wearing a denim skirt today, lots of pockets.

bringincrazyback · 30/08/2018 15:06

News to me that zipper pulls have anything on them at all! #showingmyage Grin

Confusedbeetle · 30/08/2018 15:09

I don't know how old your daughter is but most children want to be the same as your friends, so beware of making a statement she may not be comfortable with. Even small children, sadly are affected by this and just want to fit in

mouthkisses · 30/08/2018 15:09

I don't think it's a non issue. But replacing 'feminine' zippers with 'masculine' ones (as society sees it) surely just suggests to girls (who are exposed to it without us even knowing) that stuff boys like is better than stuff girls like. If I can't bring my daughter up in a world where nobody gives a shit, I'd rather she liked 'girl stuff' and thought being a girl was great, rather than thinking 'feminine' things were shit and embarrassing.

Now if she liked rockets more than hearts then that's fine, I'd have no issue buying the boys stuff but that's not what this is about.

No doubt I'm missing some fundamental issue.

SoupDragon · 30/08/2018 15:10

it has pockets, proper ones

I bought some men’s jogging bottoms for myself once. The depth of the pockets was a revelation!

steppemum · 30/08/2018 15:11

I can't get excited about the butterflies on the zips.
But I DO get really irritated with girls uniform.

Let's assume your girls can wear trousers (well, that is a big assumption for a start, but hey)

  1. girls' trousers are thinner and therefore colder than boys
  2. girls' trousers are mostly like thicker leggings, so body figure hugging
  3. girls' trousers don't have any pockets. No place for tissues/hanky, and in our kids' school, no place for your dinner ticket.
  4. girls' socks white polos are figure hugging shaped and have shorter tighter sleeves, so are overall less comfy. We always buy boys polos. But why should my daughter have to buy boys clothes to get a comfprtable one? Why not make ONE style of white polo and then it is just unisex
  5. girls' pe T shirts are slimmer and have shorter tighter sleeves - see above
  6. girls' school shoes - don't even get me started. Totally impractical and unsuitable for the winter, but peer pressure means if you wear black trainers you are in 'boys' shoes)

On the plus side

  1. girls can wear a cardigan (in our uniform) which has pockets
  2. in summer girls's shoes are better (for those 2-3 weeks of the year when they are at school and weather is fine)
  3. shops have finally started selling girls' shorts for the summer
kaytee87 · 30/08/2018 15:11

I agree with you @mouthkisses. It's as if traditionally 'girly' things are inferior. Of course a girl should be encouraged to explore lots of things but they shouldn't be discouraged from liking things that are 'girly'

zzzzz · 30/08/2018 15:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Isawthelight · 30/08/2018 15:17

My 7 year old is away to school in a grey pinafore with pockets and an unadorned zip - Tesco £8

Problem solved. Or take the butterflies off.

Eliza9917 · 30/08/2018 15:20

@IncyWincyGrownUp Dorothy Perkins have pockets on some of their trousers. Or they did last time I bought some in there.

Isawthelight · 30/08/2018 15:21

I looked in Sainsburys today for some white school socks for her. There was a choice between ankle socks with frills, ankle socks with hearts and ribbons, or longer ones with glittery threads in them

Why didn't you buy the boys socks then?

SlipperySlipper · 30/08/2018 15:24

"Why didn't you buy the boys socks then?"

Because there were no plain white boys socks.

steppemum · 30/08/2018 15:24

Isawthelight - because packs of school socks come in girls=white and boys = grey or black.

No multi packs of white boys style socks.

Jaxhog · 30/08/2018 15:31

Amazon have a variety of different paperclips that would do as well e.g. squirrels, penguins etc. Or use a car shaped button.

AlphaBravo · 30/08/2018 15:32

School uniform should be unisex and come in several different sizes to cover the avg sizes of both sexes. It should not have fucking buttetflies or rockets or anything in it at all but the bloody fucking school badge.

businessModel · 30/08/2018 15:35

"Because there were no plain white boys socks."

So this isn't the 'the world is anti-girl' rantette you were hoping for, then?

Nanny0gg · 30/08/2018 15:39

Pockets in trousers are a menace from a school pov. Either full of rubbish that they fiddle with or easy access for fiddling!

JynxaSmoochum · 30/08/2018 15:39

My dungarees are amazing! Soft, comfy loose fit and pockets so deep I can get a phone in them. What's not to love? Grin

Justforlolssss · 30/08/2018 15:39

Apparently girls don't do pe I've had a nightmare getting a pe kit for my girl!

SlipperySlipper · 30/08/2018 15:41

"So this isn't the 'the world is anti-girl' rantette you were hoping for, then?"

Eh?

Dixiechickonhols · 30/08/2018 15:42

M and S do plain boys white ankle socks, DD had to wear those as her primary school wanted plain and all the supermarkets do frilled.

A school uniform shop will do a traditinal gingham dress, skirt, pinafore without the charms but the price will be 3 or 4 times more.

queenofthemountains · 30/08/2018 15:44

Thank god I'm past primary school uniform, but without any doubt in my experience it makes fuck all difference whether it has a star, flower, butterfly, and honestly I wouldn't waste any of your time thinking about it.