to think that dd1's school should not make her do pe in her knickers and vest when she has pe kit just because some kids didnt bring theirs?

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

sorry i know im starting a lot of threads about dds school but its my first time as a school mum so forgive me.

anyhow its not me who thinks its unreasonable i didnt even know about it untill i heard some moms complaining to the teacher that in the first week all the dc were made to do pe in the undies because a few children had not brought in their pe kit. those who did have pe kit did it in their undies too so that no one was left out i suppose.

they are only four and five and surely four and five year olds love being half naked i dont see a problem with it myself.

what do all think? i asked dh but he irritated me going on about peadophiles and how the teacher might be a perve and thats why she did it so i stopped listening.

FAQ - yes, absolutely. But the thing is, teachers (IME) don't often do what's in the best interest of the child, do they? So from their point of view, they just want everyone to remember their kit for next time, so to make everyone the same removes that burning shame sensation and renders the whole exercise pointless!

This way is much much kinder IMO. They're only tiny, after all!

I don't see it as a punishment, for God's sake, they're four and five, they probably thought that's what they were supposed to wear!

the teacher probably did it, not to punish them, but because they aren't allowed to wear the same clothes for PE as for school, and they are young enough for this not to MATTER

Urban - I'm sorry but 4/5yr olds are NOT going to remember that "I had to wear just my underwear because I forgot my PE kit" - the best course of action (IMO) for children that age is to send a note home with the whole class to remind parents to send their PE kit in.

Our infant school have it sussed, they take their PE kit in at the start of the year, if they forget - no worries we get letters home telling us which day(s) our child's class has PE (ie a reminder) and then once the kits are in school they stay their hung on the peg until half term.

As others have mentioned, they don't really sweat - so they're not smelly (not at that age anyhow)

I'd really rather my DS's weren't slithering around the hall (being snakes and gawd knows what else) in their school uniform - making them even dirties (and wearing holes) even quicker than they already do - especially as the hall is also used for assembly and lunch - so 180 pairs of little feet walk across that floor on a daily basis twice a day wearing their normal outdoor shoes......

Actually i think i may be reading far too much into this.

but why do you want to give children that haven't evren been in school 2 weeks yet a "sense of burning shame"

Does it really matter if 4/5yr are running around the school hall in their underwear?

Is it really any different from a few years down the line when they start swimming, and the boys are wearing their trunks and the girls their costumes???

Since when has wearing pants and vest to prance around in been a punishment? All the bits we tell children to keep covered are kept covered, there is nothing to be ashamed of, they aren't sexually aware (ds1 certainly isn't, indeed has to be reminded to put pants on).

I was being shocked that people saw this as punishment rather than thinking it was punishment myself.

No - I think we're agreeing here FAQ but I'm being really cackhanded about it.

I was trying to see it from the teacher's POV when that's not really the issue. I do think that if some kids have forgotten their kit it's much better for them all to be in the same clothes so that the kids who have not got their kit (which, let's face it, is probably the parents' fault, and not the kids') don't feel mortified and embarrassed like i did!!

I think Colditz's school's way is much better - just keep a pair of shorts and a t shirt at school and then there's no bother!!

lol Colditz - DS1 (at nearly 8) is just starting to be a little embarrassed about being naked - however he does on occasions jump out of the bath, realise he doest have his PJ's in their with him and run all the way through the kitchen (downstairs bathroom), through the dining room, up the stairs to his room to get them............then sometimes rather than putting them on up there runs all the way back down to the bathroom to put them on )

And as for DS2 (4.9) he gets out of the bath and comes dancing into the living room in his full naked glory

faq thats how dds school does it. pe kits stays at school at is brought home to wash at half term.

but this was the first week and not every one had brought theirs in yet. i can sort of understand why because i wasnt sure if dd needed hers as it didnt say to bring it in any of their leaflets but for the sake of carrying a little bag that was going to be staying at school anyway i just brought it in anyway.

dd said that thought her pe bag must have been for outdoor pe to stop them getting cold when i aksed her about it. so it doesnt seem to have been done as punishment. and she didnt even mention it to me untill i asked so i dont think any of the children were upset by it as she tells me things like "oh we were playing in the sand and x cried because she is afraid of sand" all the time so im sure she would have mentioned this if anyone had been crying.

Urban - yes what you've said in your last post is what I think - so yes we are agreeing.

DS1 and 2's schools do the "take the kit in and leave it there" too.

I'm sorry - my overtired and slightly fuddled brains isn't making much sense.

What I was trying to say originally is that if the thinking behind making the kids wear their underwear to do PE was, "Ha! I bet that'll make the little buggers remember next week!" then by making the whole class wear their underwear you remove that.

But I don't think that was actually the teacher's aim, which is why i said i was reading too much into it.

I am off to bed now before i fall in the big hole i've dug myself!!

We had to do gym in navy knickers and aertext top when we were in the first (and maybe second) years of secondary school. True they split up the sexes for that and it was only for indoor gym, though once for some reason the teacher did have us out on the netball court in knickers and no skirts.
I remember that as being mildly embarrassing.

I really don't think tinies will mind. After all, at this age you see them on the beach often enough in undies or nowt.

I must say I recently walked along the beach in my pants (hoping everone would think they were bikini bottoms) - felt rather daring and liberated!!!

FFS. DD (now 12) always did PE in vest and pants at infant school, as they all did. None of them were bothered and it also saves having to put on PE clothes by themselves. They have since changed their policy as they're now a primary, and clearly it's not a good idea to have 11 yr olds in vest and pants, but fot little children I can't see a problem. Why are so many people obsessed with paedophiles?

I also did PE in vest and pants in infants, and maybe in juniors too. In seniors we had shorts or skirts.
dd doesn't mind having virtually nothing on. I'm sure there have been a couple of times when she didn't have the right kit (my fault, not hers), and I think the school had a stash of spare shorts to lend!

When my children wree in reception they all did PE in thier vests and knickers. It is a lot easier for 4 year old s to do this then to change into Pe kit and then to change back again.

Dd doesn't wear a vest, would she be made to do it in just knickers?

Either pe kits or usual uniform imo, nothing to do with paedophiles though, just feel a bit uncomfortable with it.
And I don't think my dd would be very happy being made to run around in her knickers

I'd be happy for dd (now yr 1) to do PE in vest and knickers. Would have to remember to put a vest on her though!

We didn't have dedicated PE kit for the whole of infants, and TBH I can't remember having proper PE kit in juniors. Not sure though.

Would save on the PE lessons initially comprising getting changed, quick PE followed by getting dressed. They seem to spend most of the early weeks getting undressed, dressed into kit, undressed, getting dressed into uniform when really they should be storming around burning off excess energy!

Shesells, parents just love moaning, and to have an excuse to complain about how their poor darling is suffering, in only week 1 of the school year, wahey!!!! good for you not getting drawn into it

I'm not worried about perve, paedo's or whatever, but I don't agree with the vest/knickers thing. Seems misplaced...
Its the parents who forget, so perhaps the uniform getting dirty would have been motivation for THEM to remember...

Both my children would have been embarassed by this.

Did the teacher do the lesson in knickers and a vest too..?

"in my day" we did PE in our vest and knickers in the school hall. In fact, in infants I don't think we ever did PE outside, even in the summer.

Someone seems to be resurrecting threads about knickers. I'm going to report.