To think we do girls a massive disservice?

[Sexnotgender]

Just dropped off at primary school, the vast, vast majority of girls are in stupid little Mary Jane type shoes with ankle socks. No jumpers.

The boys are in sensible waterproof looking shoes, long trousers and jumpers.

I stood next to a young girl waiting to go in and she kept saying how cold she was. I felt so sorry for her.

My daughter is in biker style boots that she has been wearing all year as she doesn't like the girls shoes. She also has tights and a cardigan on and a warm winter coat. I am trying to get her in a pair of trousers as it is freezing here, but she likes her dresses/skirts.

My daughter wore weather-appropriate clothing in primary school regardless of stupid uniform rules. Literally, who in their right mind is going to sanction a kid for being warm and dry?

She's now in secondary and wears weather-inappropriate clothing regardless of stupid uniform rules - and has the detentions to prove it 😀

Foot wear (apart from colour and if necessary activity) should not be regulated.

Foot health and stability are incredibly important and individual needs and preferences vary.

Boots, trainers, tennis shoes, sandals etc. should be considered acceptable.

At least girls get plenty of choice of clothes ,it infuriates that supermarket ,s have row upon row of girls clothes and half is row of boys clothes.

Have a 6th fomner here, so we've been through many years with those silly Mary Janes (because everyone else wore them). I did put my foot down to ballerina's as they're even worse for walking and running around. Luckily, she finally came to her senses a few years ago and agreed something sturdier and practical is called for. Have a hunt for some girls lace up brogues next time your shoe shopping.

The Clarks and M&S websites have lots of varieties & price points. Daintier and chunkier ones. The chunkier ones are more practical but a dainty pair was her entrypoint. It helped that she'd noticed lots of other kids at secondary were wearing more sensible shoes (probably due to the extra walking to get there).

I order men's t-shirts now, and vaguely wish I could tailor shirts and trousers too.

I'm wearing jeans and a hoody. No front pockets. The jeans for my tiny infant son? Pockets. I mean, what's he going to keep in them?

It's sexism & isn't just in schools, I remember watching lots of kids at an event this summer. Most of the boys had walking sandals enabling them to easily navigate the slippy hill, most girls were in wee flimsy delicate sandals & couldn't play in the same way (soles were less grippy & feet slipped about in the sandal)

This is a great article about checking clothes to make sure they dont inhibit movement
https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/make-sure-their-clothes-are-recess-ready/

I'm a parent of a boy and a girl.

My girl goes to school in doc marten boots, long-ish socks, trousers, a shirt, tie, and fleece lined cardigan. She then wears a ski jacket, and has a hat, scarf and gloves in her bag.

My son isn’t of schooling age yet but he pulls socks/shoes/hats/gloves/blankets off instantly. If I’m lucky he will leave his jacket zipped up. Oh, and he’ll jump into the nearest puddle.

Any school which attempted to dictate to me that my children couldn't wear weather appropriate, comfortable clothing would be informed otherwise. They'll still be wearing uniform but nobody is going to tell me that my kids can't wear coats (seriously??) thick tights or trousers or boots. Especially on the walk to and from school which is none of their business. Why do people conform to this? That's how schools get away with it.

And they wouldn't be staying for any silly detentions for it either.

How ridiculous. But we're in Scotland and it seems to be different here although I'm sure some schools do try these things.

I think the op has valid points.
My dad's primary has a no boots policy in the uniform long as I can remember. I ignore it every year and send dd2 in parent ankle boots of her choosing when it is cold as well as trousers. Last couple of years she has chosen the genderless Nike school shoes which are at least practical.

That said our primary includes a logo fleece jb its uniform which dd2 requested and wears very happily. It's so much better that a cardigan/jumper and lasts longer and doesn't look scratty after a term. Hardly any kids have been bought the fleeces in the school and it's a very affluent area. Btw I wouldn't push it on dd2 she's very fashion conscious but apparently rhe navy fleece is all good!

We do kids a massive disservice with uniform. It should be warm and practical as a first consideration and non gendered.

Dd ffs not my dad

If anyone is looking for them I bought the dds their school ankle boots in Morrisons every year. They sell quite chic patent ankle boots in primary sizes and they are very reasonable.

Yanbu.
My DD (and lots of her friends) wore 'boys' shoes in primary school. Always trousers or shorts too.

Boys also need to be able to wear shorts all year round in secondary school.

How weird. Most of the girls at DD's school wear wellies to walk to school if it's raining, and are in jumpers and coats like the boys.

DD wears a pinafore and tights, I hardly see any children at all in skirts and little ankle socks.

Daughter likes to look like the average teen. She doesn't like to look all bundled up. However, now that the weather's turned, she's happily wearing the warm coat I bought her (despite her protests) . I also got her a few thermal tops, tights and socks to discreetly layer under her thinner, trendier clothes. Judging how quickly they end back up in the laundry basket means she's appreciating them.

We just need to teach them how to be warm. M&S and Uniqlo are good hunting grounds for thermals. Just wish they were cheaper. Sigh.

It’s going to depend if the girls are allowed to pick their outfits. I have a memory of being VERY particular about my shoes at primary. Huge meltdowns over it and wearing ridiculous summer shoes in winter.

I'm a bolshy cow and up for making a stand on these things, but my kids aren't/weren't. It's also difficult to fight back, so many conformist parents who think uniform is a good thing, so many posters on MN trot out the line that if you sign up to a school, you sign up to the rules. Overlooking the fact that few people have a realistic choice of schools, few people want to see their kids getting pulled up every time they walk down the school corridor or have numerous isolations and suspensions on their school record.

There's also no storage within school for coats and wellies. Lockers are tiny, anything left hanging around gets stolen.

There’s a parental revolt going on at a school near us. The new head banned boots and has insisted on a navy school coat, but also wants the kids walking to school…

Parents are sending notes en-mass basically refusing to allow their child any after school detention for non conforming footwear or a bright coloured coat.

@ByGrabtharsHammarWhatASaving no, the shops stock what sells. When the parents of girls start demanding sensible winter shoes for their daughters you'll find the on the shelves.

And yes, girls brogues have become much more common here in recent years (probably because of the crappy weather) so covered shoes for girls do exist.

I agree abou the girls shoes but my daughters won't wear anything else. Otherwise they wear trousers, tights or leggings, and jogging bottoms to school. Occasionally the four year old insists on knee high socks in this weather. They always wear a jumper and a coat to school. I'm a bit 🤔at parents not making sure their children is as warm as possible.

It makes me really angry that secondary schools insist on navy or black coats. It gets dark so early... surely it would be safer if they could wear other colours

I got my daughter full covering (unisex) shoes her first two years of school but this year she insisted on the t-bar style ones, and to be fair to her has not complained once about the shoes since getting them.

School shoes are too expensive for me to buy proper boots that she'd only wear for a few months, and the school won't let them wear wellies on the school run then change into the school shoes (which would be my preference for her).

She has always had a choice of skirts with tights and trousers in her wardrobe and chooses to wear school trousers (with leggings underneath when it's below zero) in the winter, but she's one of the very few girls who do at her school. I even had a parent comment to me when she started 'oh, are the girls allowed to wear trousers?' - the uniform policy is completely genderless just a list of possible items.

I wish there were full covering 'pretty' shoes to entice her into wearing more than the t-bar shoes, but I imagine they wouldn't sell as well so no one is willing to make them.

Yup it really annoys me. Dd school don't allow boots. I cannot find sensible girls school shoes. She won't wear boys shoes as she will get laughed at. Every day it's wet she gets wet feet on the way to school and has damp feet all day.

I usually find that my girl does herself a disservice! She is so vocal about not wanting a coat that I have to force on her. She wants socks instead of tights and I have to tell her that she must wear them!

From having conversations with parents they tend to find that their girls want to wear socks and don’t want coats because of some sort of playground trend. Whereas boys go with whatever (usually - this is what I’ve gathered from speaking with parents).

Not mine. She is wearing a coat, jumper l, heat tech and tights in this weather.