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.

Respectfully there are things that are purely female things and male things such as sanitary products (girls) the coil (girls) condoms (boys) sports groin guards (boys) urinals (boys) Teaching children there are no such things as girl stuff or boy stuff is actually wrong.

No. Idiots are idiots, whatever the age.

I was conflating age with old fashioned ideas about acceptable gender attire.

Maybe that’s just lazy on my part and it’s nothing to do with age, and more to do with education or intelligence.

I'll start with a disclaimer that I don't agree with school uniforms in general and especially with ridiculous rules and dress codes that are made just for appearances.

That being said. Are those allowed in your child's school? If yes and your child wants to, why not. I don't really see those as girl coded.
They are shorts. I'm assuming if these are allowed then the school dress code is quite relaxed so I don't see why he would be bullied if everyone can wear stuff that is close enough to the uniform.

Maybe walk past the school at lunch and see if any kids are wearing them but I can honestly say in my 20 years of school runs I’ve never seen a child wearing those shorts. The girls wear a blue gingham dress but otherwise grey trousers/shorts

Well yes, those things are directly related to sexual organs, though, aren’t they?

We’re dismantling gender stereotypes here, not moving towards a single human sex.

There are female urinals these days, by the way. And female condoms have existed for a while.

Genuinely astounded at how old-fashioned these beliefs are. Wonder where the line is.

Gingham bad, caring profession ok? Girls can wear gingham but not do maths?

@Dumbdog I clearly understood, you were the one that had the issue with the understanding of what I said. You then tried to be smart, and was then ageist.

🤣 ok.

I was ageist, you were sexist.

Let’s call the whole thing off.

Intelligent people can normally read what is there infront of them, not making up answers to questions that weren’t asked. Even most uneducated people are able to do that

Normally, but not always. If they are second screening, for example.

You’re very riled up over me making a mistake. 🤣

@Dumbdog no it’s the fact you tried to belittle someone when you were the one who had made a mistake.

OP, I started typing then realised you’d already changed your mind.

🤣 I’m sensing you need the win more than me, so well done. You got me good. I completely retract it all. Sexism rules.

Good for them, I haven't seen any boys wear cardigans in school, infact I don't even remember boys wearing cardigans in the 1980s.

I couldn't tell you when I last saw a bloke in a cardi at work either. They are a bit dated for men, Jack & Victor of Still Game, are about the only two cardigan wearing men I can think of!

I'm a great believer in gender equality in all aspects of life. I'm also not deluded enough to think the majority of women are as physically strong as men which makes most males more suited to certain extremely physical jobs. This despite the male & female exceptions in the spectrum of physical strength.

Loads of boys wear cardigans in my kids’ schools. Girls wear jumpers, too. Some of the girls also wear trousers and grey shorts, which is disgusting, imo.

The world is going mad. Next we’ll have women trying to play football and men cleaning houses.

As I said, lots of boys wear cardigans at my DC’s school. Some of my male colleagues wear cardigans too. Nothing wrong with a cardigan! Wasn’t the first cardigan worn by a man anyway?

Women generally have much better endurance than men, and a lot of the perceived ‘wisdom’ about men being hunters etc is being shown to be false with the latest (less biased) research.

When you adjust for size and weight, superior male strength isn’t a given.

Plus, we used our brains to invent robots and machines so brute strength isn’t as necessary these days.

My DGD's 7 school had a non uniform day recently. A boy in her class sent in by his mum in red/ white striped shorts.His dad was dropping him off it took him 20 mins of persuading and the boy still wouldn't go into school from the playground. The teacher had to effectively drag him in. It was because his shorts were"babyish" the others had sport shorts. Kids like to be the same as other kids.

You can tell your children not to judge it; no one has suggested otherwise as far as I can see in this thread.

But keeping your children in the dark about how their choices are perceived when that may lead to them being ostracised or ridiculed is sacrificing them. You don’t need to tell them you agree with the attitude, but not telling them and allowing - or encouraging or forcing them - to adopt those things just because you feel they ought to be ungendered is unfair.

If they want to wear or do something regardless, then of course you support them - but still not by trying to keep them oblivious.

Those shorts are sold as shorts for girls and were regarded as girls’ shorts by most people on this thread. I’m afraid that’s a fact. It may be one you disagree with, it may be one every single one of us thinks is stupid but it is a reality of how things stand nonetheless.

Allowing your children to live outside reality to further your agendas is imo sacrificing them.

Agreed, although for those males who do possess typical masculine brute strength I for one wouldn't like to tackle them 😂

But “when you adjust for size and weight” is quite a big qualification here isn’t it.

Plenty of stereotypes come from teachers and especially support staff. All of them in this case.

What would people say to a girl wearing grey shorts? Interestingly, probably not much.
My 5 yo girl sometimes wears cardigans and skirts, sometimes trousers and jumpers. And nobody thinks it odd.

Especially support staff??!

Do you know anything about how cruel kids can be?
You want your son to be teased/picked on/ bullied? Carry on and put him in pretty shorts.
You don't like the regulation school shorts but you don't have to wear them. Your son does.
It's school not a pretty fashion show. Don't be so wet! Let your son be a proper school boy like the others.
However, nothing saying you can't wear pretty shorts yourself in the playground. Doubt anyone will tease you.