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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About 4 year olds and tights 😬

33 replies

Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:29

My daughter turned 4 over the summer and is now in Reception. She's umm, chubby with normal length legs. What to wear on her bottom half to school has been stressful... Leggings fitted ok but she was too little to understand she has to pull them up properly and kept having her bum on display 🤦.

Her teacher emailed me to suggest a change and we tried joggers which is fine for PE days but the other girls wear skirts / dresses. We found pinafore dresses which fit and she has knee length socks, but she's been telling us her legs are cold...

Any ideas? I know she would struggle with tights. Would shorts under a dress be pointless or too fiddly?

Be interested to hear what others do with very young ones. Thank you 😊

OP posts:
Sirzy · 13/10/2022 21:31

Leggings under her pinafore ?

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:35

Sirzy · 13/10/2022 21:31

Leggings under her pinafore ?

Would that look a bit weird? Have you tried it?

OP posts:
Wassyappy · 13/10/2022 21:36

Just teach her to pull up her leggings?

HypaHypa · 13/10/2022 21:37

Have a look at the PE type skorts in John Lewis. My DD can't do tights so she has those and over the knee socks or trousers. You can get jersey ones with elastic waists.

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:37

Just to add we tried trousers, but couldn't find a size that fitted as the right ones to fit her waist were too long in the leg 🤦

OP posts:
Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:38

Wassyappy · 13/10/2022 21:36

Just teach her to pull up her leggings?

Hopefully this will improve over time 😬

OP posts:
HappyHappyHermit · 13/10/2022 21:38

Mine just wears tights, they seem easier to pull up properly. What is it about them you think she'd struggle with? Could you give them a try?

Pinkflipflop85 · 13/10/2022 21:38

Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:37

Just to add we tried trousers, but couldn't find a size that fitted as the right ones to fit her waist were too long in the leg 🤦

Turn them up and re hem?

HypaHypa · 13/10/2022 21:38

In answer to your last - wonderweb 😁

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:39

HypaHypa · 13/10/2022 21:37

Have a look at the PE type skorts in John Lewis. My DD can't do tights so she has those and over the knee socks or trousers. You can get jersey ones with elastic waists.

Ooohhhh. These sound good! Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:40

HappyHappyHermit · 13/10/2022 21:38

Mine just wears tights, they seem easier to pull up properly. What is it about them you think she'd struggle with? Could you give them a try?

She's still very young, can't dress herself fully yet, only recently toilet trained and still has the occasional accident when she doesn't get to the toilet in time. I think tights would be too fiddly.

OP posts:
Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:41

Pinkflipflop85 · 13/10/2022 21:38

Turn them up and re hem?

Show quote history

Yes, maybe, although I am crap at sewing and local seamstress charges £10 a pair for tailoring 🤦

OP posts:
PumpkinDart · 13/10/2022 21:42

If it helps Asda do plus school trousers that are a bit bigger at the waist.

HappyHappyHermit · 13/10/2022 21:43

Mine can't really dress herself either (pretty sure she doesn't want to!) but finds tights better for going to the toilet in because they stay higher on he leg so you don't have to pull them up as far (if you see what I mean). I'd be tempted to try her with a cheap pair to see how she goes as they are the only real warm way other than trousers.

ofwarren · 13/10/2022 21:44

Marks and Spencer do plus size trousers for school uniform. The leg is normal length but the adjustment waist is bigger.

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:44

HappyHappyHermit · 13/10/2022 21:43

Mine can't really dress herself either (pretty sure she doesn't want to!) but finds tights better for going to the toilet in because they stay higher on he leg so you don't have to pull them up as far (if you see what I mean). I'd be tempted to try her with a cheap pair to see how she goes as they are the only real warm way other than trousers.

Thank you! Maybe I should bite the bullet 😜

OP posts:
Thatiswild · 13/10/2022 21:45

My daughters have all hated tights so wear leggings under pinafores and skirts and cycling shorts under summer dresses if a slightly cooler day in summer, absolutely fine, I do grey leggings or whatever colour of tights you’d have. Next do a lot of colours.

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:45

ofwarren · 13/10/2022 21:44

Marks and Spencer do plus size trousers for school uniform. The leg is normal length but the adjustment waist is bigger.

Thank you - I'll look into this.

I have the opposite problem with my son who is tall and slim and everything falls down 🤦

OP posts:
PumpkinDart · 13/10/2022 21:45

Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:40

She's still very young, can't dress herself fully yet, only recently toilet trained and still has the occasional accident when she doesn't get to the toilet in time. I think tights would be too fiddly.

Show quote history

My daughters are older than yours and both hate school tights, my one daughter is quite slim and tall so they never sit nicely so she now wears leggings most of the time and my other daughter insists on wearing long socks all year around as she likes wearing pinafores and skirts. Joggers look much more comfy, my son's the same age as your daughter and is a chunky thing I'd be stuffed putting him in anything other than joggers for school.

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:45

Thatiswild · 13/10/2022 21:45

My daughters have all hated tights so wear leggings under pinafores and skirts and cycling shorts under summer dresses if a slightly cooler day in summer, absolutely fine, I do grey leggings or whatever colour of tights you’d have. Next do a lot of colours.

Great, thanks!

OP posts:
KnickerlessParsons · 13/10/2022 21:47

Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:37

Just to add we tried trousers, but couldn't find a size that fitted as the right ones to fit her waist were too long in the leg 🤦

Shorten the legs?

Original poster
Usernamqwerty · 13/10/2022 21:48

PumpkinDart · 13/10/2022 21:45

My daughters are older than yours and both hate school tights, my one daughter is quite slim and tall so they never sit nicely so she now wears leggings most of the time and my other daughter insists on wearing long socks all year around as she likes wearing pinafores and skirts. Joggers look much more comfy, my son's the same age as your daughter and is a chunky thing I'd be stuffed putting him in anything other than joggers for school.

Show quote history

Awesome, thank you. I was a bit worried about the leggings beyond her nursery year as I don't think they are mentioned in the school uniform policy, but I think it's about what they are comfy in and can manage practically 🤷

OP posts:
RandomMess · 13/10/2022 21:51

Asda used to do stretchy trousers in differing lengths so buy short/extra short length in the size that fit her waist/hips.

I used to have to do the opposite, go down and age and get extra long as DD was so slim.

Confusedabout · 13/10/2022 21:55

Wonder Web! Buy trousers that fit the waist then simply iron the hem up. Brilliant stuff.
There are plus size school uniform websites, I used them for my DS as he didn't fit standard sized ones.