Covering up mirrors in school toilets with body positive messages

[Nimbostratus100]

I love this! There seems to be outright fury in much of the British press where it has happened, but no school girl ( or boy) needs to look in a mirror during the school day.

And the anti make up messages that are being used in many cases give me hope that the tyranny of make up may be losing it's hold

I hate seeing girls fall into it's clutches - beautiful young girls taking on skin-care regimes before they are even teenagers! and needing to cover their faces with crap before they leave the house.

I really hope this movement spreads - lets take down all mirrors in all school toilets

aleteia.org/2017/04/05/high-school-replaces-mirrors-in-girls-bathroom-with-love-notes/

Flipping stupid idea. Everyone needs to check they haven’t got toothpaste/lunch on their face.

Are you a toilet monitor or something?

why can’t girls expect privacy in toilets without anyone preaching at them?

reasons for pupil to use mirror that are not make up related:

to check hair is neatly brushed
to check tie is straight
make sure skirt not tucked into knickers

I'm assuming / hoping this is a wind up by the OP and they don't really feel this way.

I'm old and dont use mirrors much as a consequence, but teenage girls certainly do.

It is ridiculous.
Considering the strict uniform rules in many UK schools, a mirror is needed to check that you are not breaking the uniform rules eg after a PE lesson. Much quicker to look in a mirror than have to ask a friend to straighten a tie or adjust hair.

Light makeup is allowed in many secondary schools ime. I would hope that any teens covering spots for example would be treated sympathetically.

Are the teachers mirrors covered so that they can lead by example ? I bet not

My neice needs a mirror to help put her contact lenses in after PE

I would argue that many people with poor self esteem avoid mirrors so you're not improving self esteem.

Why are they “inspecting” girls toilets?

that’s a weird thing to do.

quite creepy

What if a lass has got food trapped in her braces and wants to pick it out near a water supply? Or as another PP said, a girl wants to adjust her headscarf? Blocking mirrors with messages about how to think is reductive and condescending.

I wore braces (the 'train track' type, on my bottom and top teeth) during secondary school, and I constantly got food stuck in them. Would have been so self conscious if I couldn't check in the bathroom mirror after lunch.

I’m so relieved most people don’t agree with you. Leave poor teenage girls alone. Girls have far too many people telling them what to do and what not wear. If girls want to wear mascara, it is a matter for them.

If they ban mirrors in toilets; all kids will do is use their phone selfie camera as a mirror and fix their face in class; which is significantly more disruptive.

Makeup is an art form and some children are absolutely amazing at it, and we should allow them to nurture that talent. We should also allow them to show individuality. They are already so limited with uniforms.

I don't know of any schools where make up in banned and to be honest I see nothing wrong with someone checking mascara hasn't smudged in their break times.

I also see nothing wrong with teenagers learning about skin care and looking after their skin, especially when skin issues are such a point of insecurity at that age with acne etc.

As long as they are learning when they are in the class rooms, who cares if they are wearing make up or not? Most adult women wear make up even if it's only from time to time, so why shouldn't teenagers learn about it if they want to?

They can show their individuality outside of school.

But I agree they should have mirrors in the bathrooms

FFS. This is so ridiculous on many levels. OP, you do realise that removing mirrors in girls' toilets will just result in them bringing pocket mirrors etc in to school to use instead. Girls absolutely have the right to to be able to check that there is no food in their braces, that their tie is straight, that their skirt isn't tucked into their pants.... this is nothing about the 'tyranny of make-up', just about treating our kids like sensible human beings.

I guess I just don’t see an issue with makeup in school. I had bright pink hair for most of high school and it caused me zero issues.

I’m sure loads
of us remember having a spot coming to a head during the school day.

and popping it in the school loos at break. Cos who wants to go around with a big red spot with a big white head? And yes, we all know “don’t squeeze spots” mantra - but kids just want to get rid of the evidence.

so now boys can do this, but girls can’t?

how crap.

I didn't ever wear makeup at secondary school and it was still handy to check the mirror from time to time.

removing something stuck in your eye, administering eye drops, checking for injury after a bad episode of tic, none of that should be happening in the school toilet

So you'd go to the first aid room for an eyelash in your eye? What a waste of time.

I never wore make up at school, but I was shit at doing my school tie, and I did need a mirror for that. It didn't need redoing all the time, but after PE etc it did.

what a bloody wind up, you're being ridiculous of course girls should have a mirror in bathrooms, they have to check they look presentable ( honestly couldn't give a shit whether teenagers where makeup at school and i think people massively overdramaticise the issue) check they haven't got blood on them when they're on their period, check they haven't got food in their teeth, check their hijab for those that wear them and check they aren't accidentally violating the uniform ie tie's undone or collars stuck up on one side, also teenage girls don't need passive aggressive posters stuck to everything, it won't make them feel better it's just shit toxic positivity