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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Little girls in shorts

12 replies

notonacokebottle · 26/06/2025 20:24

Today was the last day of term at my 9-year-old DD's all-girls primary school. (Not in UK, another European country.) They were allowed to wear their own clothes instead of uniform on this occasion. There was no communication beforehand as to what clothes were or weren't allowed. My DD was wearing an ordinary short-sleeved t-shirt (I knew they were funny about spaghetti straps etc), with what seem to me to be perfectly decent bum-covering denim shorts. It was a hot day and they were outside eating party food, playing water games and then they were supposed to watch a year 6 v teachers handball match. My DD and some other girls were not allowed to watch the match because, apparently, their shorts were too short - i.e. more than 2 inches above the knee. They were sent to sit inside instead. Oddly noone said anything about her shorts prior to the handball game and she was allowed to participate in the other activities fine.
My DD wasn't that bothered about missing the game tbh, but some of the other girls were in tears about being punished in this way. AIBU or is the school completely and bizarrely off the mark on this one? Some of the other parents are hopping mad and planning to make a complaint. Am half-minded to join them although I doubt it will achieve much!

OP posts:
Auroraloves · 26/06/2025 20:26

YANBU. Did the my penalise any boys with shorts more than 2 inches above knee?

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 26/06/2025 20:38

It’s an all girls school

LittleGwyneth · 26/06/2025 20:39

I would be making such a fuss about this, and I'm not a fusser normally. Excluding children on the basis of clothing that they're not old enough to control is cruel, impractical and sends a message that what they're wearing is more important than how they behave.

FlippyKiYayFlippyFlipper · 26/06/2025 20:47

Absolutely complain.
I find it virtually impossible to get anything other than almost hot pants style shorts for my girls and even if I can they now refuse to wear them as they are so used to short shorts.

Stompythedinosaur · 26/06/2025 21:09

They can't punish kids for a rule they never told you about. How ridiculous!

SailingYachty · 26/06/2025 21:12

How awful, yes I’d be making a complaint over this. Surely the whole point was to be comfortable and cooler than school uniform. Punishing the girls like this suggests a horrible school culture,

NameChangedForThis2025 · 26/06/2025 21:16

YANBU. Make a fuss. They’re body shaming 9 year olds. That’s awful.

LlynTegid · 26/06/2025 21:20

If the school had made it clear beforehand what was acceptable, I would support them.

ItsUpToYou · 26/06/2025 21:21

Unbelievable. I’d hit the roof.

tsmainsqueeze · 26/06/2025 21:28

LittleGwyneth · 26/06/2025 20:39

I would be making such a fuss about this, and I'm not a fusser normally. Excluding children on the basis of clothing that they're not old enough to control is cruel, impractical and sends a message that what they're wearing is more important than how they behave.

I completely agree .

ShoutOutLucile · 26/06/2025 21:47

LittleGwyneth · 26/06/2025 20:39

I would be making such a fuss about this, and I'm not a fusser normally. Excluding children on the basis of clothing that they're not old enough to control is cruel, impractical and sends a message that what they're wearing is more important than how they behave.

Me too.

susanandlucypevensie · 26/06/2025 21:52

9 years old. SMH. That is so depressing.

It's pretty much all my DD (7) wears out of school in the summer, she'd be devastated to be made to sit apart from her peers and miss out on something, while at the same time being told there's something shameful about her clothes.

I feel so sad for those poor girls and I would be extremely angry.

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