Am sure dd1 is lying. But, just to put my mind completely at rest, is there any way in this world that a teacher would have told her

[fryalot]

she can't do swimming if she is having a period because it is unhygienic?

By reading these bards, teachers have said alot worse.

unfortunately there si a possibility some complete twunt has said this to her

I think a teacher could have said this to her.

how old is her teacher?

I thought this was true

It is entirely possible that a teacher would say that we had a policy at my school that even if we used tampons we could exempt ourselves from swimming to avoid having to change etc. and in this H&S over PC world some schools might just say no full stop.

Is her teacher really old perhaps?

I can't imagine any teachers I have known coming out with this rubbish?

What was the context? Do you think they were talking about types of sanitary protection, and saying that if they used towels only they wouldn't be able to swim maybe?

oh

gosh!

am surprised. So do I tell her that in this situation it is ok to lie (or at least lie by omission)? Or do I accept that the official line is that it is unhygienic?

And what is that teaching her.

Oh fuck, I was totally expecting everyone to come on here and rage about teenagers thinking we'll swallow any old lie.

What do I do now?

I think a teacher may have said this, but I also think it's bolleaux.

Your dd may be worried about leaking in the pool, even with a tampon.

You could phone the school and ask, but I'd be tempted to let this one go, tbh. You could end up with a very embarrassed dd.

FWIW, I swim during my period and I've never leaked, but I can understand why some women may be reluctant to do so.

the context was

"I don't have to take my swimming costume to school today because I won't be doing swimming"

"why not"

"oh, I'm on my period"

"so?"

"well, we're not allowed to go swimming when we're on our period, it's unhygienic"

"wtf?"

"it is, teacher said so"

"you're lying aren't you, you just can't be bothered looking for your costume and you're going to tell your teacher that mum said it was ok, aren't you?"

"no"

"well I'm going to ring the school and complain about this"

"no mum don't do that coz you ring the school to complain about everything!" (I don't, but if I suspect she's lying I tell her I will)

It was a while ago, but my school didn't allow girls to swim when they had their period.

All of my swimming lessons were girls only and the girls who weren't allowed to swim had to stand at the side of the pool

(I didn't actually say "what the fuck" to her... I was paraphrasing)

Tell her if she's using tampons it's perfectly ok and it's absolutely none of the school' business whether she has her period or not.

No-one should be swimming in a pool in which any accidental blood loss would represent a hygeine threat - that is what chlorination is for!

Of course girls should be excused if they are worried about leaking etc, but if she wants to swim, tell her to get on with it and keep quiet!

Is she keen to swim or keen to get out of it?

I shall have a chat with her about it when she comes home.

I really, really thought that this was such an antiquated viewpoint that nobody would have said this to her, but perhaps they actually did say it.

not sure, blu... she changes her mind every week about what's fun and what isn't.

Last term I would have definitely said she was trying to get out of it, this term I'm not so sure as she has been keen about all sorts of pe and games.

She did seem to be telling the truth, it just seemed so outrageous to me, and completely implausible. She may as well have told me that school is closed tomorrow due to the aliens landing on the quad....

I'm glad of this thread because I have never been sure (and have always been too to check) whether swimming during period, with tampon, was socially acceptable.

I have often swum during period, but always rather guiltily.

I'm gathering from this thread that it is ok.

When I was at school if you had your period, you didn't (have to) go swimming. Have no idea whether other people used tampons. But as I've never been capable of using tampons, if I had my period I didn't go swimming.

well I would have said it was unhygienic too actually, am I showing my age?

This reminds me of my own teenage experiences. I know we tried this on one young ex-army nutcase of a pt-teacher we had. Sorry we couldn't participate that day becasue we had our period etc. He was so embarrassed he'd just let us off. In the end though he started noting down in a book when we had our periods (bless him) because he started to get his doubts at how often we were missing pt. Not that they're regular at that age anyway...

The poor fool really did accept having your period as an excuse for not doign the cross country run practice. Men are so easily fooled

Hmm, I guess the teacher could have said that , IMHO I'd tell DD that her teacher gave her incorrect information and that you feel it your responsibility to your DD and all the other girls that they aren't given the impression that having a period is unhygienic or dirty.

If the teacher did say this, she was very wrong !

If your DD is anything like my 11 yr old DS, I can always get him to admit he's fibbing by threatening to go and speak to the teacher.

But, my DS does have a tendency to tell some whoppers.

Wasn't one of the old Tampax ads about swimming when you have your period?

Honestly, it's ok!

Do you really think we would have any Olympic swimmers if they all stopped training for 5 days every month?

I agree, the policy is/should be, if you are on your period, you can choose not to swim.

I used to train (swimming) for 8 hours a week and always swam during my period.

BUT!!! I couldn't take my DD to her swimming lesson a week ago because I was absolutely flooding (Hmm, that's for another thread, need some advise on that one)

I think it's possible the teacher said it, but also equally possible that your DD doesn't want to swim when she has her period (possibility of embarassment, leaking etc. or she just doesn't like swimming lessons). DD1 doesn't do swimming at school when she has her period, but was more than willing to use tampons and live in the pool last summer on holiday

Maybe your dd doesn't want to do swimming while she is on her period - I often opt out to do any form of exercise whilst I'm on my period as I just don't have the energy. In my dd1 school there are no qualms about being excused from swimming whilst on your period and dd is too young in my opinion to wear tampons.