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.

So many patronising comments here. "Children should be dressed for the park" My daughter has her own opinion on what she wears these days and still climbs up everything. I cannot imagine what sort of child's dress is restrictive for climbing over anything! They're hardly going to be in a long sheath dress. And sometimes you just end up at the park after doing other stuff - not all of us plan every moment of our lives.
Ergh.

I do wonder if OP is one of the annoying parents who used to hover around my poor, inappropriately dressed child saying, "Oh, be careful!" And giving me pointed looks as if to say, "Can't you see, your 3 yo is making my 7yo boy look bad engaged in free play and taking the risk of potentially falling onto this soft rubber floor? Aren't you going to stop them?"

You are so welcome to come to my house tomorrow morning to dress DD before she goes to nursery to play all day long her in dress and sandals. I’d give you 5 minutes with her before you’d back down. She’s 2, she really doesn’t care how impractical her favourite clothes and shoes are, she just wants to wear them.

Surely OP your point is basically that parents shouldn't buy poorly fitting shoes? Well fitted strappy sandals work just as well for climbing and running around. I don't agree with you that sandals or dresses are a hindrance, unless one particular dress is a hindrance (eg so long they trip over it), in which case a tighter fitting pair of boys trousers could also be a hindrance. I think you are being over the top, though I agree with buying well fitting shoes - I buy one pair per child of more expensive shoes that fit properly versus 3 or 4 cheap poorly fitting pairs. It makes all the difference.

My 6 year old son wears sandals to the park with no issue

I would say as long as your own kids were dressed how your think is appropriate it’s a non issue and not worthy of a post

I agree- I see so many boys in stiff, tight jeans which aside from being uncomfortable and impractical for play also suck up moisture like a paper towel on a TV ad and retain it all day.

Never felt the need to start a thread about inappropriately dressed boys on Mumsnet though.

I figure that that's for the parents and their sons to work out!

It’s the slip on ballerina style shoes that are really hopeless for running around in. They’re not suitable shoes for school.

You didn’t wear strappy sandals though did you?

They could have but I can’t imagine being barefoot on this equipment would be particularly pleasant.

Boys don’t have to endure these learning exercises when it comes to suitable footwear though, for some reason.

Why do you care what other kids are doing so much?

I said 'she's fine'

😆

Er, what? 😂

If you put your foot on a rung in front and higher than you it’s easy to slip on a dress. No such hazard exists in trousers or shorts.

We must have different thoughts on what strappy sandals are. I am talking about the type I linked to earlier.

I can imagine people saying the same about corsets 150 years ago.

Girls should just manage in their inappropriate clothing.

OP I totally agree. I had two boys and thought this a lot at the park. However my third is a girl and insisted on wearing inappropriate clothing to every event of her life until about 6 and a half. I started just letting her choose her outfits and get on with it or we'd have never left the house. She managed fine.

Hmmm so we’re just out here ignoring all the parents commenting that their sons wear sandals too…? 🤔

DD and ds both wore sturdy velcro sandals in summer for the park. Never had any problems climbing. They used to walk miles in those sandals. It's not wearing sandals that's the issue. It's wearing the wrong type of sandals. Some footwear is entirely unsuitable for young feet.

Exactly this! My boys wore sandals for years in the summer when they were little, I wore them all summer as a child, they were extremely sensible. Don’t think this is a sandals problem so much as a sensible footwear problem.

Boys are not wearing the type of sandals I've described and linked to, at all.

I don't allow my daughter on the play equipment in sandals or dresses. It's neither practical or safe. When she is choosing her outfit for the day, I remind her of what we will be doing that day and she can make a choice based on that. If she makes the wrong choice, she misses out.
The other day she asked if we could go to the park on the way home from her friend's house and she had wanted to wear a dress to that. She then said 'I'll pack some shorts and trainers in my back pack to change - the girl has got it sussed!

I fully agree with you. The ways we treat girls and boys differently from infancy are often subtle but do build up. Sandals may well be fine, but not as practical as trainers for climbing, running and kicking a ball. Dresses and skirts may be fine but not as practical as shorts for the same. Yet we wonder why more boys prefer sport and are better at sport from a very young age... the decisions we make for our girls are playing a part in that (footwear, clothing, slogans on clothing, TV choices, book choices etc - they all play a part in shaping a young person).

PS those who don't believe me... try wearing a pair of trainers and some shorts to climb a ladder, kick a ball, and run a race, then do the same in sandals and a dress. See if you notice any difference at all. I'd be shocked if everyone said no.

Yes! Smart girl 👍

So now it’s not just sandals, it’s only the specific kind of sandals that count for the argument? Kids trip, they learn, they get stuck, they figure it out. Bare legs on a hot slide, trainers in a cold puddle, wellies in a scorching summer, no beanie in a biting winter, they make daft choices and, within reason, the natural consequences are good for them. It’s really not that deep. Everything doesn’t need to be turned into a ‘thing’ or a saga. Honestly, at best it’s exhausting at worst it’s incredibly patronising to girls as if poor little poppets don’t know what’s good for them and will clearly never figure it out. 🙄

Sandals are never going to be as practical as trainers for most physical activities, for girls OR boys. But, even if all chilsren in a playground are wearing sandals, there is even a big divide between girls' and boys' sandals choices. Have you seen supermarket or shoe shop choices? Sandals marketed for boys are often thicker and sturdier with chunky grip. Sandals marketed at girls are often flimsier, thinner and more delicate. Parents don't have to buy their daughters the sandals marketed at girls, but of course many do. This does make a difference.

Its not to do with them being sandals, and everything to do with the fact 'girls' clothes and shoes seem to be more decorative than practical and it has real effects on little girls being able to confidently climb and run and play properly. I used to get my kids the closed-toe the walking sandals types from clarks or mountain warehouse.
I wish more parents considered this tbh. Some of girls shoes are a deathtrap