To ask if boys can wear coloured gingham school shorts?

[Makingitupaswegoalong]

DS starting school in September. I’ve never liked the grey boys’ school shorts. I think they’re horrible.

Could a boy wear the shorts version of the summer dresses in the warmer months? The ones like this:
https://direct.asda.com/george/school/shorts/light-blue-girls-gingham-longer-length-school-shorts/G008057152,default,pd.html?redirectFromInt=1&cmpid=ppc--geor-------_-dskwid-_dm&utm_campaign=pla:Fashion-School-_Performance_Max&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17501196607&gbraid=0AAAAADt8Wcm1oMWVYoBrMZRAaJmY4OxHM&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgIXCBhDBARIsAELC9ZgYG9pdeZibdgD76_xniRBLDqnyyvZArL9DdLA7VsYiWE5zGC1CWE0aAkIFEALw_wcB

The little boys round here wear a lot of brightly coloured patterned leggings.

Why couldn’t they were these shorts? Are they obviously girly? Would people bully him or think we were weird? I just think they’re nicer.

A lot still do. My son wore them from reception to end of year six as only shorts were permitted. At break time they wore boiler suits as playing outside was very much encouraged and they were allowed to do things like climbing trees etc so the boiler suits were brilliant especially for the girls in dresses as it meant they could do what they wanted including hanging upside down from the monkey bars without worrying about showing their underwear. Grey shorts were so practical as they didn’t grow out of them so fast and no busting through the knees. Most of his friends hardly ever wore trousers at weekends and holidays either as it is what they were used to.

You honestly can’t send your child in gingham shorts because you prefer the look of them. It will be a social disaster both for your son and you with the other parents who will all be talking about it behind your back, plus they won’t last 5 minutes anyway. Let him wear the grey shorts and then buy whatever clothes you love him in for weekends and holidays.

I’ve never even seen those shorts on any of the girls in our primary school. The girls tend to wear the dresses or if they’re in shorts they’re the grey ones.

I remember my db wearing really short shorts at the end of primary school. He was already 6 foot tall at 11 and had the whitest legs. We also lived in the north.

Do you correct her when she says there is such a thing as a boys/girls item of clothing, toys etc?

Every damn time 😊

This thread has surprised me, only because I’ve never known boys or girls to not have to wear grey/black bottom half for school where I live!

My teen DS is very much a “boys boy” and lives in sports wear. But he’s got a fantastic collection of football shirts from all around the world that he wears most of the time. They are so lovely and colourful. So even a more “stereotypical” boy doesn’t need to wear drab colours if they don’t want too.

Gingham Shorts are probably being sold to wear under the (usually) compulsory dresses for girls. So they can play without exposing their pants.

If you want his mates to laugh at him - go ahead.

This thread is raising a lot of valid points that people just don't want to tackle because the issues feel too big. Like why are little girls allowed - even encouraged - to wear versions of the uniform which are less practical but more pretty? Why aren't little boys allowed or encouraged to do the same? And why are children being bullied for their clothing choices? Where are such little children learning how to be exclusionary and unkind to peers who make slightly different choices to them? And why is there such a powerful focus on conformity and social norms in respect of children who are far too young to understand them? Why is it ok that at my son's nursery it's absolutely fine for him to wear a princess dress from the dress up box and the girls to be plastered in mud from the mud kitchen, but in just a year when he starts school he'll have to wear grey shorts or face bullying?

I don't blame any parent either for wanting to protect their child by sticking to the social norm, or any parent deciding they aren't going to clip their child's wings by forcing them into boring uniform choices. I can absolutely understand both approaches. But there should be a wider conversation about why there is such a strong gender segregation and focus on conformity with such young children, and what we all need to be doing collectively to move away from it.

Children should be able to choose which piece of approved uniform they prefer - my DD will not wear a pinafore or trousers, so she wears a skirt.

But there is big difference between you not liking the grey shorts and your son being unhappy to wear them. If it’s just you not liking them, then yes you are being unreasonable. It’s not fair to have him dressed differently to the other boys if it’s simply your preference.

If HE is unhappy to wear grey shorts and wants the gingham ones (if school approved) then you are not being unreasonable.

@Makingitupaswegoalong ds is ND and had sensory issues. I used to buy him cotton rich school trousers- he refused to wear shorts.

You chill the fuck out Jesus.

Even at 4, my son wouldn't have worn those.

I find it strange that you say you work with primary school aged kids so you know how mean kids can be and yet you want to start your kid's school career with a target on his back.

Honestly all gender stereotyping is bullshit. But being the kid to fight it depends on the kid.

Both mine, having been given free choice as toddlers, wanted to continue to mix and match their styles in primary school. And both (different schools) got the oh so predictable: "you can't wear THAT! You're a boy!" and the new progressive version: " you must be a girl now, because you're wearing purple/ gold/long hair etc"

One kid found it upsetting and has gradually brought his tastes in line with the junior gender police. And the other (more self confident) shrugged and continued to present himself how he fancied.

Bullying should always be reported obvs but not all kids are saying this stuff to bully. They're simply pointing out what they know about the sexist society they find themselves in.

Re those school shorts though.... If you get the ones with combat style pockets on the leg kids love them because they can fill them with found treasures.

Oh I know. And I couldn't buy shorts then, hence me saying get them early

Believe me. You will be thankful for grey. The mess they come home in is incredible 😂

This is not strictly true. Scouts in Germany are organised along regional lines and each has its own items of uniform, to a greater or lesser extent.

It's a uniform though. It isn't an expression of their personality like their personal clothes, nor is it meant to be.

Why have you put this in quote marks? Quote marks are for when you're literally quoting someones exact words and that's not what I said.

Contrary to everyone else…our school uniform is relaxed and boys wear a range of shorts. Blue/denim/ patterned etc. No one would care/comment if a boy was wearing these - they are blue and white shorts. One of the boys in school nursery wears shiny gold leggings with the uniform…he looks great.

However, if you have a stricter uniform policy they might stand out more.

Are you that Mum from 'About a boy'. That's the kind of thing she would do.

agree - I think the days of gingham dresses for girls with no comparable option for boys should have passed by now.

My DD wore grey shorts and cullottes to junior school because she couldn’t climb trees or even sit cross-legged in assembly without showing her knickers. Initially she wore white knee length/cycle shorts style leggings underneath them, but there is no way for a 4-8 yo to run around like a lunatic at playtime and protect her modesty in a gingham dress. Many schools have done away with them and all kids wear grey bottoms regardless of their sex.

Even a new hipster in Bushwick in the dog days of August wouldn't be wearing those.

That's a no.

He will be bullied. He shouldn't be if course but he will.