To think that 5/6 year old little girls don’t need to wear shorts under dresses to “protect their modesty”

[Darthwazette]

Just what the subject like says really. I’d be interested to know other parents thoughts. I’m not a weirdo, this request has been made of my daughters from school and it makes me feel a bit icky.

It's ironic really. When I was at primary school in the 1960s and early 1970s girls did cartwheels and handstands in the playground all the time and an ordinary pair of pants was enough coverage. I used to listen in surprise at the long-legged knickers my mother had to wear to school.

Now we're back to the same as my Mum but we call them "shorts" and it's not the school imposing them.

@AuntieJune

Which cultures only allow skirts? Possibly some Orthodox Jews but not all.

And it's a uniform. It's not supposed to grant freedom of expression.

Surely the happy medium is robust pants? Like the boxer short shaped ones. No need for two layers, but not going to shift and show anything if cartwheeling

Knickers don't fit these days I remember trying different styles on dd to get the fit right because she had kidney issues and was prone to thrush an extra layer would not have been helpful! fortunately she was not one for cartwheels

Boys pants fit better

I have always put shorts on under my daughter's dresses for school and in general. It's not nice sitting on a wooden bench / grass in the playground in just pants-scratchy and burning hot if the sun's been out. She prefers it also for when she's 'practicing her cartwheels'!!

Yes that's what I put dd in because they stayed put

I worked with children for many years and never saw anything.

Clearly not a Reception teacher then.

I agree that pants do need to stay in the right place, and I’m against modesty shorts only on the condition that the pants provide proper coverage. I know lots of supermarket pants for little girls are very flimsy. I buy Boden pants - thick material, comfy, wide gusset with solid but not pinchy elastic, plenty of material, stay in place. Granny pants for little girls, basically. But I’m sure cotton cycle shorts worn as pants would also work.

I agree with this.
Nobody should be putting thongs or pants on young girls that do not cover things anyway.

I'm of an age where P.E at primary was usually done in vests and knickers. Even did at secondary - a girls school - we had "divided skirts" which were not compulsory until we were 14 although most of us did have them before that; but in the gym it was usually knickers (as we didn't have leotards).

I dont recall people flashing thier bits, but then I think our school knickers were rather more substantial both in style and thicker fabric than theybare these days.

It’s up to them. I wore them because if I didn’t I couldn’t do handstands. Even at that age I didn’t want to show my pants to the world. And some daft boys sometimes tried to lift my skirt thinking it was funny

Nonsense 😂 every girl at my secondary school 25 years ago had a skirt rolled up so short it was eye watering. Take your rose tinted glasses off, good lord.

Not the point of the thread but do loads of adults really wear cycling shorts under dresses and skirts?! Sounds hot!

Do adults really use the word ‘icky’? 🙄

The shorts we use are like this, not long cycling shorts or anything. I just think underwear/pants are private. I wouldn't like showing mine off either.

To the PP who mentioned dance costumes, I understand the same amount of skin might be showing but it's not your private underwear (my DD is a dancer).

For example, I will wear a bikini in public but I won't walk about in my bra and pants in public despite showing the same amount of my body IYSWIM.

@MrsMikeDrop perhaps she just feels more comfortable wearing shorts under her dresses. Very strange of you to question why she would do that. Is it an issue for you?

I kind of get the cartwheel issue, but generally, wearing extra tight layer for whole days sounds uncomfortable and unhealthy.

Would different style of knickers help? Boxer pants in darker colour, so they wouldn't be see-through and wouldn't move?

I don't see that big issue with catching a glimpse of knickers (in general), as long as the knickers do they work and provide the expected coverage.

The only women I know who do this are pretty fat and do it to stop chub rub. I don't know anyone who wears them otherwise.

Most adults don't spend their days doing cartwheels in summer dresses

@GrumpyPanda maybe the child wants to wear a dress or a skirt as opposed to just shorts? Duh.

I wore proper knickers as a child-no one thought anything of it-we certainly didn’t have to wear extra layers. Is it because knickers are so cheap and flimsy these days? But it beats me why adults want to wear shorts under skirts and dresses-unless they’re standing over heat vents a la Marilyn!

I agree with this

That's what I use unless she's actually in her dance outfit when she needs dance nix for under her leotard. I'm waiting for the day when the girls are told to stop flashing their modesty shorts.

Mine is year 6, there's possibly 3 or 4 girls in the whole school who wear shorts under dresses, there started to be an issue with some boys when they were all in year 4 but the school made it clear that the boys were in the wrong and that the girls did not need to modify their behaviour/clothes. I'm very impressed with the head dealing with the misogyny rather than pandering to boys will be boys

Don't be so ridiculous what a way to bring up a daughter.