Daughter and PE

[rachyrob]

Posted about this in July on Secondary wondering if anyone else has the problem....

DD is due to go into year 9 in September, PE kit policy has changed such that dance and gymnastics are now expected to be done in bare feet.

DD is really worried about this - so much so she wants me to write notes to get her out of PE...

Anyone else experienced this or have advice how to get round it?

What is she worried about exactly?

It's not unusual IME; at our junior school all indoor PE is done in bare feet.

She says she is shy of her feet!

The problem is she has never done PE in bare feet before - at primary it was pumps because of the hall floor. I know when I was at school dance was barefoot I was never that keen but just got on with it!

There's a week to go before school starts. Can you get her a foot file, some nice smelling foot cream (superdrug?) and a pretty but not too bright nail varnish? It might help her confidence.

It is pretty standard. I'm not an expert on gymnastics but for dance especially contemporary dance the style often done in schools barefoot is standard.

Would she as a compromise be allowed to use foot undeez, some dancersuse thenm for more high impact styles that still require bare feet. You can't point or flex your foot properly in plimsolls or trainers and ballet shoes are not really used for dance other than ballet itself.

Tell the school in advance. Be discreet and then let them sort it out. Don't let your daughter feel pressured into doing anything she is unhappy about. That will make her feel stronger in future when other people try to make her do things she is not happy about. And you can be sure there will be many such occasions too.
OK so there is no harm in doing PE in bare feet. I know that. You know that. But let your daughter see that her feelings count for something.