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

[MsMotherOfDragons]

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.

my dd uses her socks for things like that count!

How about when she’s older and maybe wants somewhere for a spare pad or tampon?

Nobody walks around with a spare pad in their pocket.

My DD5 chose it because of the butterfly zips. YABU to not imagine some girls like them.

I can answer from a shop worker view but it won’t be popular- during my time working in a school wear retailer the girls items with charms sold more than without

Yes! I actually LOLed when I saw this thread title because I agree so much!

When DD1 entered reception, I spent ages looking for clothes that weren't overtly 'feminine' - she was only 4 ffs! Ended up buying boys' t-shirts because they were plain whilst the girls' had frills everywhere. I've given up now she's got to year 2. All her friends have butterfly and heart charms, so she wants them too.

If I could find rocket or dinosaur charms, DD1 would be delighted. DD2 would want hearts or stars. Not all girls want the same thing!

Dd always wore boys stuff as she hated the pinched in design of girls polo shirts and the twee scalloped collar. Banner do nice plain skirts and pinnies without pukey hearts and butterflies

Nobody walks around with a spare pad in their pocket.

Wow! You know everyone?

(Clearly not given that I have something in a pocket if I am in a scenario where I don’t have a bag)

Ok, nobody except you

Dd has a discreet little tin she keeps in her schoolbag.

Nobody walks around with a spare pad in their pocket.

I do. In fact, I have spare pads in my coat pocket, the pocket in my gym bag, and, finally, in my handbag.

Dd has a discreet little tin she keeps in her schoolbag.

Such tins are only usefully discreet if you take your schoolbag/handbag to the toilet every single time you go. If on the other hand you leave your bag under the desk to pop to the toilet, and realise your period's just started during that visit, the discreet tin is useless. So I, like many other women, keep a pad in my pocket as well.

I don't want to carry a handbag with my main supply of pa with me

Last line shouldn't be there.

I'll suggest it to her. Can't see it being well received, though.

Well, that's her choice. I don't care, so long as I find it easy to find clothes that will work around what I find convenient.

I agree completely.

I nearly started a thread about this a couple of weeks ago. Why not do something like an & or an exclamation mark or something that isn't so typically girly.

I also hate pinafore with the bright silver zip so have bought the m and s ones as they have a grey zip but think I might take the butterfly off.

I've bought unisex poloshirts as they are a looser fit and non frilly.

I had to get pinafores as DD doesn't find trousers very comfortable and hates the elastic you get with adjustable waisted trousers.

Slight tangent, but having a potty training dd (after two boys), I wanted a good reliable source of underwear and thought M&S (live abroad but they deliver). But they have NO underwear for small girls that doesn't have bloody bows on Just why?! Tried boys' but it's the wrong shape (which didn't occur to me before). Ended up getting some very plain and simple (sadly expensive) girls' pants from a shop here. I really, really object to the idea that if it's 'for girls' it needs to be adorned with (potentially uncomfortable and scratchy) bows. A clearer statement of 'girls (even tiny ones) are decorative' is harder to imagine. M&S' children's clothes are very gendered in general, as well (yes, the space pyjamas are all in the boys' section, apart from one pair described as 'astronaut' but in pink and including a fairy wand in the design ). Another instance of them getting it very wrong.

DD's got a pencil case with pads, hand gel and wipes in her school bag.

@minisoksmakehardwork There is a lete clothes be clothes campaign!

I spent the majority of my maternity leave writing letters and emails as part of the #dinosaursforall campaign by Let Clothes Be Clothes.

I'm glad so many of you have daughter's that benefited from this .

liquidrevolution thank you for your service

@AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight Now I love bows on pants (and vests) - helps little ones put their undies on the right way round. I often wished they'd put something on boys underwear (maybe a little logo)to help with that. Glitter on pants or silvery knicker elastic IS something I hate, though - terrible for sensitive skin.

“Why is the message to girls that their clothes should be decorative rather than wearable?

Why is the message to boys that their clothes should be utilitarian and lacking in any kind of colour or expression?“

That’s not “the message,” OP. That’s what you have interpreted it to be and you’ve mistakenly decided everyone else sees what’s not there too.

@TacoFriday have you ever been into a shop in the UK that sells children's clothing?!

I challenge you to go into a high street clothes shop in the UK and find:

• any items in the boys section with hearts, butterflies, unicorns, princesses or flowers on them
• any item in the boys section that is a colour other than: black, blue, red, brown, khaki, poo shades, orange, green.
• any items in the boys section with messaging/logos about love
• any items in the girls section with a tractor, car or rocket (ok, you might get the occasional rocket) on them.
• any items in the girls section with messages about science on them

Next, do a comparison of the leggings/trousers. What proportion of the leggings/trousers in each section have pockets? How about knee reinforcement? Which are thicker material, and which are thinner? Are any of them restrictive in terms of tightness? Would it be hard to climb a tree in the item of clothing? Are they soft and comfortable, or is the material rigid and/or coarse?

But no, it's definitely just in my imagination that there are any messages here!

Obviously it is quite possible to get clothing in the UK that doesn't follow these "rules" but you would be hard pressed to find it on the high street or in supermarkets (unless you shop across gender sections, which is of course fine but many children are resistant to this as they think the other section is "not for them")...