Do primary school girls not wear trousers?

[shaniahoo]

DD just started reception, she wore a skirt the first couple of weeks when it was hot. Last week it was raining so I put her in trousers. All the boys are in trousers now rather than shorts but every girl in her year that I've seen is still in a skirt. This morning I was looking around on the way in and out of school and I didn't see a single girl in trousers. I'm just thinking aren't their legs cold? I remembered when I was in infant school a couple of times when I was the only one in trousers and I remember feeling really embarrassed about that, and my DD loves skirts so I bought her some thick tights and put her back in a skirt so she's not different from the others. But that's so much more difficult in the bathroom isn't it? Do girls start wearing trousers in winter when it's proper cold??

@steppemum I think at my daughter's school they wore plimsolls for indoor PE so no bare feet.

Barefoot?! Unheard of where I went to school - it was shoes at all times. Socks maybe for gymnastics

All those feet 🤮

If she struggles with tights you could try over the knee socks. My DD wore pinafores and long socks in the winter as she hated tights. With regards to hair, longer hair and tightly tied back is far better for avoiding the dreaded nits that she will pick up at some point. One infestation of nits was enough for us, I even grew my DD fringe out and we never had issues again. The girls with bobs were always plagued with them.

Trousers always on PE days as easier than faffing around with tights when they have to change. You'll see more of this in Y1 as the reception parents going up a year have wised up to how impractical tights can be - It just takes a few trendsetters to get it going.

And with regards to nits I used to spritz DDs hair with the vosene defence spray or use vosene shampoo. We have never had them despite a couple of outbreaks. Bit gutted as I have a nitty gritty comb unused.

Dd wore a combo of pinafore/skirt/jersey trousers in reception to year 2 then swapped to grey tailored shorts or trousers. She won’t wear the summer dresses either. It’s good when school let them have a choice.

My brain goes round in circles with the fairness of it all. I remember friends primary kid not wanting to wear shorts on a summers day to a climbing place as she didn’t want to be the only girl not wearing a skirt.
And girls are told to adjust their skirt when they sit cross legged or not do handstands but boys don’t have to worry about it. I think all primary kids should wear trousers.

I’m with you OP. I wear trousers all the time and haven’t worn tights since I was a teenager. I see my granddaughter in tights and a dress and feel a bit sorry for her. 😂

Primary: no girls wore trousers in the younger years. A small number did in KS2.

Secondary: a fair number of the Asian girls wear trousers, most others don't. DD would wear trousers if we could find ones that were the right shape for her, she only likes straight leg.

I agree that when it's really cold I wouldn't dream of wearing a knee-length skirt (and some of them are way above knee length, having been rolled up a few times). Either a full length skirt/dress or trousers, so I can wear both leggings (sometimes 2 pairs!) and thick tights underneath. DD goes out with just one pair of 100 denier tights. I'd bloody freeze! Her coat isn't even full length either, her longest one is mid-calf length. Meanwhile I'm standing at the bus stop with her in a coat I got specially imported from Canada with nothing showing except my toes and eyes. I wonder if there was ever a time in my life where I would have prioritised fitting in over comfort. If there is, it is long lost in the mists of time.

It’s not a state school and there are a lot of Muslim children.

I see a complete mix in DDs school, she is always in skirts or dresses as I can't get her into trousers (or culottes) but wears shorts or leggings as well to keep warmer when needed.

Other girls are in trousers or shorts depending on preference

We get uniform from M&S and she hates the trousers. Currently in year 4 but prefers the knee high sock and a skirt and dresses for the summer.

My DD wore a pinafore style dress, with tights in winter, until summer when she wore a summer dress. By the time she got to juniors she hated the pinafore dress so then went to wearing tailored school shorts all year round (tights underneath them in winter). She never wore trousers until secondary school as hated them and I dont think she was alone. The trousers she did wear to secondary were super skinny ones - she couldnt stand any other style. If she could have, she would have worn shorts there too.

My 7 year old wears trousers as skirts/pinafores are too impractical to ride her bike to school and for the climbing frame etc.

Haha two girls here who want elaborate hairstyles! We have more time in the mornngs than nursery

My daughter wears socks or tights depending on the temperature

My little girl just started reception and she chooses what she wants to wear. If she wears a skirt and socks she will wear cycling shorts underneath, so no less hassle than tights really. She's just done a year at the preschool so is used to the uniform, but this week decided on trousers and I realised the ones we bought had a zip and hook but shes managed fine so far! I can't say I've noticed what the others are wearing but I will keep an eye out next week as I'm intrigued!

I've always put my daughters (now aged 8 & 11) in trousers at school, except for summer dress season. They're so much more practical. But almost all of the girls at their school wear skirts/dresses all year round. No idea why!

My dd just started school and I haven’t bought her any trousers tbh. I just assumed the uniform was skirts, I am not actually sure if it said trousers were allowed. At my sons primary most girls wore skirts or dresses but I did notice towards the end, year 5/6, there were one or two which wore trousers.
my main issue with tights is she can’t put them on herself in the morning, so while she can get dressed herself she can’t do the tights. Trousers would solve that.
I also do plaits etc, it’s not for fashion and it’s definitely not to show off…it’s to avoid nits!! Even in a Bob cut I would be attempting in some way to get it tied back tbh. I would never allow her to wear it down and I even don’t like ponytails for the nit reason. She wears plaits every day in some form and I do different ones just so it’s not boring, I always had to have plaits for the same reason and my mum always just did one long one down my back and I hated it and felt very boring. So now as an adult I understand the plaits but I don’t want my daughter to feel the same as I did, so I do different ones. I YouTubed how to, and I’m not very good but I’m getting better and it takes me about 15 mins most mornings to do her hair. We get up at 7 and we leave at 8.30, so plenty of time to be honest. Our mornings aren’t rushed at all.

We’ve always done a mix of pinafores and skirts but some girls have worn the shorts instead of summer dresses and trousers.

I'd put my DD (she's 5) in trousers but she refuses point blank to wear them.

YY to the plaits to reduce nits, plus less tangles to deal with at the end of the day.

Trousers caused a major tantrum today because they were "too long" by about half an inch and will no doubt become "too short" in the not too distant future. Skirts and pinafores have a much wider "acceptable" length range in growing kids too (when they have their own opinions).

I really think that pinafores are much more practical and comfortable because there is no tight waistband (tight enough to stay up before hips develop), no need to tuck in a shirt or polo and unlike a skirt doesn't rotate around if slightly loose.

In my DC’s school no girls in reception, Y1, Y2, Y3 wear trousers. Some girls in Y4 and above wear trousers but mostly skirts. After reception most of them don’t seem to wear pinafore either. I guess it is personal preference.

@shaniahoo tights

Just ask her what she wants to do. I used to be a teacher and we had a bit of a mix but it was just what the kids chose (some girls just hate tights!)
If she has both choices just let her choose in the morning and then all will be good.
I remember being at school and my mum used to force me into wearing the knee high white socks with my skirt and I hated them! Used to roll them down every day and pull them back up just before I walked through the door but was a needless argument every time if I was just allowed a choice.