Kids school uniforms - shorts and skirts?

[rhaenyraT]

Dd just started reception so I’m new to this. Had a message a few days ago reminding parents that girls wearing skirts and dresses must wear shorts underneath (this was never specified in the initial uniform instructions). I will get dd some cycling shorts but haven’t been anywhere yet where I can pick some up cheaply. Teacher ‘reminded’ me again today. Is this a thing in schools? I’m presuming it’s for modesty reasons but they are 4! Is it a big deal? Obviously I’ll do it but if it’s so important I’m not sure why it wasn’t mentioned in the initial welcome pack.

Seems bonkers to have skirts as uniform if they want girls to have shorts under them. Surely you must get girls Bermuda style school shorts, similar sort of cut to the boys shorts.

I have read on MN before that pants used to have a wider gusset so were more modest than today's girls pants.

Maybe there is a gap in the market for modesty pants for girls, a bit like what girls would put under sports skirts or dance kilts.

Rather than pants, shorts, skirt

Two pairs of cycling shorts in Sainsbury's right now for 3.75

Lots of girls (or their parents) do choose to do this but I haven’t bothered, my daughter isn’t bothered. She gets very hot so an extra layer in summer wouldn’t be welcome! Definitely not tights weather so far - 23 degrees at pick up today!!

I’m surprised school are insisting on it I have to say, I’ve never seen it in a uniform policy.

I don’t understand this view. The purpose of pants is to protect modesty - to cover ‘private parts’ of the body.

Why is there now a panic about seeing pants? As if the pants themselves are somehow immoral? Next it will be - cover up the shorts!

I say this as a teacher in a primary school! Most girls (or their parents) in my class choose to wear shorts or tights under skirts - that’s fine. But think it’s ott for the school to specify it at such a young age.

I think it’s unreasonable to make it a uniform policy for girls. It’s certainly not a policy at my DD’s school. But saying that, from about year 2 onwards both wanted to wear shorts under their skirt / dress. They were at the age where they didn’t want everybody seeing their pants when playing / sitting on the floor etc.

My daughter is always doing cartwheels at breaktime so seems sensible to put shorts on.

so you’re happy for people to see your pants then I take it?

I think if a child chooses to wear them for their own comfort and modesty that’s fine. But to enforce it - especially with no previous mention of it being policy - is weird. My dd is 4. She doesn’t care. She is just getting used to getting dressed and wearing uniform. If I add shorts in the mix she will ask why and if I’m truthful and say “so nobody sees your pants” I just think it opens up a conversation that is unnecessary for such a small child.

I agree. It’s totally unnecessary, unless she proactively wants to wear them.

Yeah, you're not baiting me on that. You know full well what I mean.

Huh? I’m not baiting anything. I’m unsure what the issue is with modesty and why someone wouldn’t dare mention it.

clearly it’s more controversial than I think if you’re responding like that.

I'm surprised you're not tuned it to the controversy.

All you have to do is Google "whis is modesty in little girls controversial?" and you'll have loads to read up on

My DD is in Y8 and when she started Reception she wore a mix of dresses and trousers. Nobody suggested she wore shorts under her dresses (and as she was struggling with making it to the loo on time for most of Reception it would have meant an extra layer to battle with so I'm glad they didn't).

I don’t see the issue really and seems sensible to wear shorts under skirts. I do.

maybe they’re getting lots of knickers flashed and easier to just have the shorts. Also not all knickers are tight to the body and gaps can appear.

I could google a lot but this is a chat forum so I replied and asked here! 🤣

You aren't adding to the chat though! You're all like...

As a teacher of smalls it's not the nicest being met with a row of little girls underwear while I'm trying to teach. Some are loose and gapey. The sights I've seen 🙈 Kids roll around a lot. Boys cop an eye full. If I had daughters I'd want a bit more coverage if I'm being honest. If not so my kids could be care free and not worried about keeping covered when sitting.

I disagree with the idea that we shouldn't be having those conversations at a young age. I actually think the opposite: it's important to teach these principles (i.e. the pants rule, privates are private, etc) early so that they're just normal and not a big deal later on.

I have ensured my daughters wore shorts under dresses ever since they were babies. It's not a complicated message: it's their choice what they wear, but knickers are underwear and we don't show our underwear in public. So if they're going to wear dresses + do cartwheels (and I absolutely encourage cartwheels!), then shorts go underneath. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I find it quite oppressive and sexist, the idea that there's something unseemly about girls in dresses.

Who were the messages from OP? It isn't in the uniform policy so wondering if this is actually an unofficial attempt by an uptight form teacher or head of year to push their preferences on the class/year?

In a way, I think it's sexist to NOT give little girls shorts to wear under their dresses. You might say "why can't we just let our girls be carefree" but we never ask boys to just be carefree. Boys in school never have to show other people their crotch in underwear.

That, plus girls are trained and expected from a young age to be more revealing than males - which carries over into adulthood as a part of female identity. School skirts are still not considered sexist and sexualized by the mainstream.

5 pack for £8 from Asda https://direct.asda.com/george/kids/shorts-skirts/black-cycling-shorts-5-pack/G008337694,default,pd.html

You’re being quite rude. It is normal on a chat forum for people to chat about a topic, rather than racing off to google anything they wonder about.

Asda do a two pack of ‘jersey shorts’ in black, navy or white. They’re shorter than proper cycling shorts style shorts. This is what my daughters wear under their skirts/dresses.

They’re upper primary and have started their periods and have the absolute fear of sitting cross legged in the hall at that time of the month.

This is fine until the kids start being mean and teasing her that they can see her pants. It’s not policy at our school but both DD requested shorts so the boys would leave them alone. It made them very self conscious, understandably. And I naively thought DD1 had had a one off experience, but happened with DD2 aswell.