To think it's sad to see little girls carrying handbags as school bags instead of practical rucksacks.

[Sophiehoney]

Does anyone else feel like little girls are being dressed as mini versions of their mums far too early?

At my daughter's primary school I'm seeing more and more often that the girls from about year 4 onwards are carrying big heavy handbags on one shoulder. The type that an adult woman might carry. They often struggle to carry them as the weight is all on one shoulder and they are bigger bags designed for adults. They look like they would be much comfier with a proper school rucksack.

I've also noticed a lot of them are starting to have heels on their school shoes and very short school skirts. In primary school.

This isn't just my daughter's school as I also work opposite a primary school and see the same there, and see kids going to other schools on my way to work.

AIBU to think it's all a bit sad?

Rucksacks are often really uncomfortable and the reason that many adult women eschew them is because they’re impractical.

In a world where we don’t have pockets being able to dip into a tote bag for your phone/tube pass/lipgloss/keys is infinitely easier than having to remove rucksack, place on floor, unzip, root around for item.

I can see the attraction to be honest

If I need to take large heavy items, I use a rucksack but wear a small cross body bag for purse, phone and keys. As much for security as practicality, it's too easy for someone to dip into a rucksack unless it has a pocket that sits against your back (I do have a mini rucksack with that handy feature).

Not seen anything like this here.
Bookbags and trainers at primary
Backpacks and trainers at secondary

I bought dd a Longchamp Pliage for her birthday recently. She says it's perfect for school. She teaches GCSE, is that OK or might she be a bad influence?

Definitely not seen it at any primary schools.

Secondary schools have always had bag fashion. When I was in lower secondary school, tote bags were all the rage.

We all wanted River Island Carrier Bags and those tubular Head holdalls . My 15 year old daughter walks 40 mins to school and back so uses a backpack as do most of her freinds. Younger daughter in primary is the same. But if they didn't I wouldn't care . I remember my Mum saying I would send up with backpain... I'm 46 now and one of my few freinds without a bad back !

Handbags are definitely not out of fashion. Also ‘handbag’ is much too broad a term.

OP is referring to the tote style shoulder bags – most definitely still in fashion.

Here, all the girls in my eldest's friendship group at secondary school use tote bags. Tbh there are much more serious things to worry about as they get older so I am picking my battles with that one.
My youngest has asked for one when she moves up in September. Some of the girls in her year have them already (and don't get me started on inappropriate shoes!). Over the summer I plan to let her walk around for a day with an old tote of her sisters and fill it up with books and see if she still thinks it's a good idea.

Actually no, it's nothing to do with that.

It's because they are heavy on one shoulder and bad for their backs. It's because they are focusing on grown-up fashions and what looks good instead of what's practical for moving around and just being little girls (I'm talking about year 4 girls).
It's also the high heels on the school shoes. They are bad for their ankles, posture feet etc, are uncomfortable and they can't run around and play in them.
I'm not sexualising. I'm not thinking about men. You did that all on your own

That is what I am refering to yes, I am so out of touch with the right terms 🤣

oh I am so envious! All my mates had one , I wasn’t allowed, my daughter (now 27 ) was just after a Jane Norman carrier !!

I do roll my eyes at them at primary, but my yr8 DD has a tote bag.

Definitely not dressed as a mini version of me, I literally just use a cross body or my pockets!

We were all exactly the same at school - had to have the "cool" bag, nothing to do with trying to be a grown up

Funny you thunk they are "being dressed as mini versions of their mums" whilst having entirely missed that handbags are completely out of fashion for women and most women wouldnt be seen dead eith one, especially on the school run. Its all buggy bags and changing bags for little ones.

Eh? Maybe we have a different definition of handbag. Once out of the pushchair stage most Mum’s need something to carry their stuff around in. They don’t continue to use a changing bag. Not to mention the totes that many of us use for work.

Who cares. It’s up to them what bag they use

You've got a point however I still remember the sheer joy I felt when my mum let me have heeled shoes in y5, and how grown up and fantastic I felt wearing them. When I got to y7 the "tractor" shoes came in fashion so it was more a thick sole than a heel so saved my joints a bit!

Where I am, you don’t really see handbags in primary, yet, but as soon as they’re at secondary in year 7 a lot of the girls have the longchamps style handbag. I see a lot of them walking with them struggling with the weight on one shoulder. My year 7 daughter has a black Nike rucksack which is much more practical. Luckily she’s not bothered about fashion or following the crowd yet but that may change

I'm the same age and i remember all the fads for bags and stationery. None of the girls ever had back packs

Sorry but i think we need to agree to disagree, they are most defintely out of fashion imo.

Can you share a pic of the shoulder tote?

Quite - nobody had a rucksack in the 70s. I remember the vanity cases, the psychaedelic plastic bags with white plastic handles, the raffia basket/tote with cover (I loved that). The book bag didn't prevail until I had my own children. At secondary lots of dd's cohort had cath Kidson totes but dd was happy with her pokemon rucksack!

Fashion has always happened.
When I started secondary in the late 80s we had rucksacks, but it was social death to carry them on both shoulders.

Well then you just sound ancient to be against it because of their posture. They're kids carrying a few reading books, not elderly, and if mumsnet is to be believed then they aren't walking further than the Range Rover double parked over residential driveways anyway. Suspect the unsupported plastic sears are worse for their backs but hard to be sure wothout a risk assessment

Oh I did this when I was a kid. And heels

All my daughters school wear rucksacks, I haven't seen any with a handbag. No heels, although some try to get away with black trainers. Skirts are getting shorter as move up through the school, every so often we get a reminder about skirts/shorts being mid thigh, as there was a trend for bum skimming Nike pro's for a bit.

The ones from our village going to secondary also seem to all wear backpacks - there seems to be this unofficial uniform of black north fave jacket, plain black rucksack and black trainers.

DeMellier, Reformation, Essen, Longchamp ... ? So many tote shoulder bags in fashion right now. Handbags never go out of fashion. Bowling-style bags very much in right now.

I’m the same age as you. We sometimes took a plastic carrier bag and folded it around the stuff inside and carried it in front of us. SE London circa 1975