To think girls shouldn’t wear sandals in the park?

[Canyoucreateoneplease]

It’s been a beautiful day here so I was at the park. DS was on the climbing which is huge, designed for older kids, not toddlers.

There were so many girls crying and panicking getting across it because their sandals were getting trapped. Their feet were sliding out of them because of their angles, and their dresses were hindering them.

AIBU to think girls who are going to park should be put in sensible trainers and trousers? The boys were managing with ease because they were suitably dressed. A substantial amount of the girls were struggling because of what they were wearing.

And boys are always running about tripping themselves up in crocs 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also sparkly trainers exist :)

My daughter loves weighing dresses and doesn’t appear to be hindered. I would make sure she has longish shorts underneath if she’s going to be going down a slide (park/soft play). I agree about the style of sandals you’ve posted though. I wouldn’t buy my 3 year old any like that. She does have sandals though but they are much more like walking sandals.

Perhaps because she was never encouraged to think about her clothing choices for herself.

I had great fun climbing around an adventure playground while wearing Teva sandals and a long dress last week. Fortunately I was wearing under-shorts which spared my teenage sons any blushes
(They're described as "slips" but frankly "bloomers" is more like it; my great-grandmother would have been so proud of me)

Sandals are not a problem.
Ill-fitting, footwear with slidey soles is an issue. Teenage boys often struggle with impractical secondary dress codes requiring formal shoes deeply unsuited to walking to school and running around playing football.

The only issue I've really seen is occasionally a girl wearing a huge, puffy, pale dress and parents stressing about them messing it up, but that's been a handful of times in 14 years of loitering around playgrounds.

Sounds like they were wearing flip flops if they were sliding around, but yes that would annoy me. It annoys me that boys clothes are more practically superior , eg boys / men’s running shorts have better deeper pockets that zip up.

And of course none of the kids notice that it's the clothing stopping some of them from being able to run, climb, kick balls etc. So then the girls think "I'm no good at this", and the boys think "girls are no good at this".
It's depressing.

Well, I’m sure that DD at 15 who loves clothes was really scarred by her early life 🤣🤣🤣. I’ll let her know your thoughts and prayers are with her, shall I?

Boys sandals are more robust than girls, my daughter used to wear her brothers sandals because of this reason 🤦🏻‍♀️

most girls sandals have flimsy straps and are made to look pretty rather than being hard wearing- or at least they were 18 years ago.

I didn't say they were. I responded to the OPs assumption that it was a shame for the girls, by pointing out they may have preferred wearing their sandals to being able to climb easily, as i would have done. Just as my 3 year old DGS preferred to wear a long frilly dressing up box dress than be able to kick a ball properly on Saturday. Obviously a chip off the old block!

”Scarred”

I think it’s nice for children to have some say about the little things in their lives.

Tricky one because I snapped my leg when I was a child falling off my bike awkwardly and it was partly caused by my sandal slipping off the pedals on my bike. My daughter pretty much always wears trainers unless going to the beach.

That’s what they used to be (I think I probably had these as a child) but no one would call them sandals now - not even Startrite do!

“Nice”

I have said about a dozen times that dresses and strappy sandals can be worn in many other circumstances. But for the park they are stupid.

Why are you so militant and indignant?

I do….

Dresses especially are a terrible idea

What a hazard!

Nicer than not giving them a choice.

Some choice over breakfast, their clothes, how they like to wear their hair, which toothpaste they like, how they want to decorate their bedroom… lots of little things that give them some autonomy. Nice.

Do you mean playground when you say park?

Do you have a DD? You’re over-thinking it.

My DD (4) completely outshines boys who are 2-3 years older than her at all physical activities. At 3 she confidently climbed to the top of the largest climbing frame much more quickly than her older brother and his 2 friends with us on a play date. One wouldn’t climb it at all. His most sporty friend absolutely applauded her! Always the youngest one on the very fast zip line, climbing the highest slide, etc.

Similarly, 2 older boys cheered and clapped her riding her pedal bike completely unaided at just 3 years old at the park.

Oh, and on both occasions she was in a day dress, tights and sandals (well-fitting, supportive ones).

She can swim, plays football, regularly climbs. But absolutely adores wearing dresses.

I have never seen a dress restrict her movement, or experienced boys thinking she can’t do anything. Boys are nothing but encouraging of my DD and her sporting abilities 😊

It literally says sandals in the link.

I don't dress my DD because she is 5 and has a brain and opinions of her own. She chooses her own clothes. She wears dresses and sandals most summer days and as I said, I've yet to meet a child of any gender, in any outfit, who can match her climbing. I would suggest that dresses are actually more practical as they have more bare leg under the dress which is much better for a good grip on the climbing frame. But I actually don't care what your kids wear- mine is happy.

🙄 A park with a playground in. Several playgrounds actually. Obviously, given I mentioned the play equipment.

That sounds a bit like an order!

Do you usually try and tell ( order) people what to do?!