Boys and girls wearing kilts

[Ally68]

Hi
My dilemma is to do with the very cold weather we are having. When our children were very young, we made the decision to ensure that they grew up disciplined and smart. One of our rules is that both our boy and girl look smart for church on Sundays, and to that end, to reflect our Scottish heritage, they both wear kilts for this and other formal occasions.
Because of the cold weather, our daughter has been wearing thick cotton tights and boots with her kilt, whereas our son has to make do with knee length socks.
He continues to moan he is cold, and thinks that the fact his sister is allowed to wear tights is unfair, and wants to wear trousers. We have been resistant as once he starts wearing trousers, it'll be hard to change back.
Do you think we are being unfair, as its only for a couple of hours and although the kilt is a childs kilt, and not as warm as a mans, it shouldn't be that chilly?
We'd be interested to hear what others think.

Hi
Not a wind up- sorry.
The adults and other kids at church are all dressed smartly, some of the other boys wear kilts. 95% of the girls and women wear skirts of some type. I'm really suprised that your kids wear jeans to church- now that would stand out here.
Not sure what you think this has got to do with tights in the summer tough, sorry.
Oh well, were of to church in a minute. It certainly has been an eye opener postng here. Not sure if i'd do it again either!

So to make it fair, your dd is going to be cold too??????

How old are they?

I can't understand why someone puts looks before practicality. It is cold-too cold for bare knees, so it calls for a bit of flexibility.

Surely they don't wear woollen kilts in high summer?

Aye, Otter. Here in Argyll (I won't bother with the rural part because that's pretty much the entire area) it's clear as a bell and stunningly cold today.

You'd really stand out if you took your weans out like that! People would even comment on it to your face!

The kirk round here is old and full of damp and cold as a bellringer's arse in January.

The girls at DD1's school can opt to wear trousers as part of their uniform.

I'm trying to figure out where in England it's routine for wee lads to wear kilts . . . or for lassies to wear tartan skirts about.

You sloppy jockos, you, wearing jeans to church. Wot are you like?

Is it possible that the OP is in some more-Scottish-than-the-Scots outpost in Canada or Australia or something? I can't think of anywhere in the UK where the wearing of the kilt to church by children every Sunday is considered routine!

Your son has complained about being cold in these sub zero conditions. So your solution is to make his sister cold as well? Whilst you and your DH are all cosy? I'm sure God would be really impressed with that line of thinking

It is possible, seeker.
Or is it possible that the OP is in fact a sad, middle-aged lonely, man, sat at his computer, getting all excited at just the thought of little children wearing kilts?

I grew up in an area where boys wore kilts for parties and formal occasions such as weddings-they didn't wear them weekly for church. I am making the assumption that the OP doesn't actually live in Scotland but is set on making a statement.

That's what I'm thinking, seeker.

Expat- the public school quite near us makes them dress in the kilt for church and for school.

They get used to it (apparently) and they wear the really thick woollen kilts which are warm in winter and cool in summer.

What really does hack me off is that they still do outside games, rugby, cross country etc wearing shorts when it is snowy and freezing. The children are pretty hardy.

Oh, don't get me wrong, the children here are tough as leather and the local school has enormous grounds where the weans are turned loose in all weathers for play times.

But if the weans complained of being cold, well, they'd be allowed to put more klaze on!

The kirk put underfloor heating in a couple of years ago. And when they pulled up the floorboards, there were skeletons under there, dozens of them, even of children, some still wearing bits of Campbell colours.

The kirk was often fought over by them and Lamonts.

Freaky deaky!

At my school the boys up to Primary 6 had to wear shorts all year, and this was in the north of Scotland. Just layer up with pants, boxers and shorts underneath.

I have just realised one of my earlier posts contains a glaring error

"As far as I know no child wears school uniform to school church in England unless they go to boarding school or a choir school"

Years ago when many many children had only 2 or 3 outfits their best would be their school uniform - worn for school, church and all formal occaisions. Any other clothes would be their former best clothes or any other bits they might own
Schools years ago didnt have uniforms (that is a very modern concept for most schools) children wore to school whatever they had that was best

History lesson over!

Sorry - you are surprised that my children wear jeans to church?

There is nothing in the Bible which says that children (or anyone) must dress in an appropriate way for church. My children wear jeans - or dress up - depending on how they feel. I honestly do not think God cares what we wear to church, He's just glad we are there!

This is a wind up!

You won't say even roughly where you are, what kind of 'church' this is, even a basic denominational style, how children in kilts and posh clothes and kilted skirts are supposed to deal with a decent Sunday school meeting every week, and are considering (or presumably now have made) your daughter cold to "even things up".

Either you are deliberately cruel to your kids, or looks are more important to you than your children's comfort, or something else. Is your dh the minister?

Or you are winding us up.

Coming into this a bit late but I have read entire thread, you can get kids kilts in the Edinburgh Woolen Mill for £15 so not too expensive to buy every year. However you can also buy mens for under £45 here so no excuse for your DH to not wear one either!

Expat - is that true about the skeletons, that is fascinating if so!

Have any of you who live in scotland ever seen a child regularly wearing a kilt to church? - I just cant imagine it!

Honestly if I asked my ds to wear his best outfit on a regular basis to church - he would look foolish, as none of the other kids do - they wear whatever they would normally wear when not in school!

The only children I know of who wear formal clothes to church every week are from Morman/JW/Christadelphian families - and they dont refer to their buildings as a church as such!

Just seen your last post weegiemum and totally agree!

It is Scots not living in Scotland who like to make sure everyone knows their heritage. I'm sure that if the DCs turn up most weeks in a kilt then people will have got the message and you can relax when the weather is too hot or cold. I don't think that pride in your DCs appearance should come before anything else-there is room for flexibility.

In Scotland there are certain areas and branches of Presbyterianism (mainly) where formal dress (suits and ties for men, hats and skirts for women) are still very much the norm.

Tends to be the Free Churches (not the same as the Free Churches elsewhere in the country - THe Free CofS, the Free CofS (continuing), the Free Presbyterian Church, the Associated Presbyterian Church and some plain Church of Scotland congregations).

Tends to be remote, rural, northern, island.

So formal dress for church - yes.
Kilts - not so much!

Weegie - that is exactly as I thought

In England my interpretation is that children attending catholic/anglican churches probably dress formally

Kids in morman/jw/etc families definitely do

Children attending any free church are unlikely to wear anything fancy - or would be thought of as rather geeky/OTT if they did!

Not to suggest that children wearing formal clothes is wrong in any sense - just the different traditions that different churches/families tend to stick to

But kilt wearing
By children
Every Sunday
In Scotland

Nope sorry but I dont buy that!

Yes, Laura, it's true about those skeletons.

The church that stands there today is far, far smaller than the original, as the area was actually an abbey first.

There is a large cemetary round it now, and houses, too. Makes you wonder what's under those houses!

It's the most peaceful place, though. It is restful, with a beautiful view.

You don't even have to go into the Church to know there is a God. All you have to do is look round you there.

We go and get pinecones there, to decorate for Xmas.

But I wrap up the weans for it. It's cold out there, and DD1 is so tall and slim.

I would bet OP isn't taking her DCs to church in Scotland.