Girls play outside less than boys even at two years old

[WarriorN]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/oct/18/girls-play-outside-less-than-boys-even-at-two-years-old-uk-survey-reveals?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

I find this really sad.

Could it be linked to internalised parental sexism attitudes?

I do remember going to toddler singing groups with my two and being quite surprised it was mostly girls.

And I also remember one day where most of the girls were very scared of Dinosaurs, which happened to be the theme. (I bloody loved dinosaurs from an early age.)

I wonder if the bit about gross motor skills is hitting the nail on the head. I know their are exceptions but of all my friends children and DDs peers, the boys have been far quicker to get on the move and the girls have been chattier early therefore more roleplay &;better at fine motor things like Colouring. I wonder if they just fall into the trap of doing more of what they are good at and thinking they aren't as good as the boys/girls at certain things?

@MarieDeGournay she's a girl. And yes of course a lot of environmental factors at play.

I was going to say the same. When I was a child it was very normal for girls to wear trousers, t-shirts and practical shoes. We’ve gone backwards many ways.

Yeah, likewise about persuading about trousers but I'm wondering how old the DD is? My DD is very slim so it can be difficult to find waists that fit her too but she almost always wears trousers, usually stretchy pull on leggings but sometimes jeans with a bit of stretch, or draw string joggers. We often buy ones with the adjustable waists, and it's a lot of trial and error as shops will have trousers with vastly different waist sizes in the same size, which I never understand! Or some brands like Benetton just seem to be made for slimmer children and fit her better too. She's 6 and not confident about using a belt yet.

Do they not do adjustable waists in girls' trousers? I think pretty much every pair of trousers I've ever bought for my boys right up to teenage have had adjustable waists.

Yes they do but there’s a particular kind of girl parent that doesn’t even bother looking for them - they go straight to the dresses

On a practical note, my son was and is the same very slim build. I found buying leggings, tracksuit bottoms from french brands in general meant they fit and stayed put.

What was it about the reporting that made you no longer want to read The Guardian? I am an intermittent reader of news, so I missed this particular story, but would like to know - I googled it, so I now know there was a horrific assault perpetrated on hundreds of women ... did the Graun downplay the event/fail to report on it properly?

There was a widespread view at the time that the Guardian had downplayed the Cologne attacks. This opinion piece by Gaby Hinsliff was one that a lot of people felt engaged in a degree of victim-blaming:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/08/cologne-attacks-hard-questions-new-years-eve

I think girls playing out less than boys is more to d with safe-guarding than sexism. I played out with my friends, both boys and girls and was allowed to go on the bus into town with same friends to go swimming or to Saturday morning cinema. My children played out - boy and girl - with friends around the area we lived without any great concern from me, they were with their friends who lived next door. However, I think the perceived rise in child abduction since the 90s has made parents wary. I am not sure of actual figures, but girls are perceived to be more at risk from paedophiles than boys. Perhaps this is why few children play outside now, and girls less than boys?

A lot of people(more than we'd like to believe) have very strict ideas about what boys and girls are like and what they need. They act, raise, teach these children accordingly.

Very difficult to find in my experience. School trousers for primary years - yes, adjustable. Shorts/joggers etc - the girls variants often have no drawstring, or even worse, drawstring that is non functional and decorative only.
For secondary school, neither the girls skirts no the trousers are adjustable (logoed and only available from a single supplier). The boys trousers from the supplier are adjustable.

Me too.

Very difficult to find in my experience. School trousers for primary years - yes, adjustable. Shorts/joggers etc - the girls variants often have no drawstring, or even worse, drawstring that is non functional and decorative only.For secondary school, neither the girls skirts no the trousers are adjustable (logoed and only available from a single supplier). The boys trousers from the supplier are adjustable.

That's very frustrating, they seem to be standard in boys clothes I've found, even cheap brands, I've been surprised even as my son moves into 14-15 year old clothes they're still prevalent.

Can you imagine a 4 yo having to fiddle with a belt buckle every time she needed to go to the loo?

She's 4. She wears leggings sometimes. But my point was that I never understand why people think dresses are inherently less practical than trousers. She's not found any activity that she can't do in a dress yet. A lot of kids her age wear jeans, which are (at least when I try to wear them) stiff, uncomfortable, pinch at the waist in some positions, absorb moisture and then stay wet for ever. If you are trekking through thorn bushes and need fabric that can't be torn, jeans are useful, I suppose, but she has a pretty durable all-in-one rain cover which she wears for forest school.

I wonder whether some people assume that if a child is wearing a dress parents are more worried about it getting damaged or dirty? I buy most of DD's clothes on Vinted. She likes to look nice and I like her to look presentable when we leave the house, but I'm really not fussed how she comes back. Dresses go in the washing machine the same as trousers.

I'd have assumed it was stereotypes until I actually had children. For a while I was endlessly trying to encourage my daughter to play on equipment in the garden, take her to large play areas, chivvy her to run around in nice big outdoor spaces etc. But she just wants to sit in a circle and sing songs, have long conversations and listen to stories. I finally gave up trying to make her interested in things she didn't enjoy and now take her to things I know she'll actually love, which do happen to fulfil the gender stereotype. She'll go down a slide once and then just want to sit on a bench with me and talk about it for 20 minutes 🤷‍♂️

Because quite simply dresses are not as practical to trousers! It simply fact.

Climbing, crawling, sliding down a wet slide, swinging on a bar, kicking a ball all are less comfortable nor offer protection of knees that trousers do. Most children s jeans have soft material with a soft waist. I don't see too many wearing proper jeans except for family events.

How many athletes who climb, run, cycle, wear skirts? If you are going for a hike what do you wear? I doubt its a skirt.

Children need to be absolutely encouraged to free play for as long as possible. And it is ridiculous how early people comment to girls about "minding their dresses" . Remember your daughter will hear these comments, she won't be isolated from them.

How old was she when you tried this stuff?

All children need to move and explore, it is so important for their development. I really would encourage you to use what ever incentives possible to encourage her.

For example children who climb confidently show a higher understanding of maths. The climbing lights up the same part of brain.

Children who balance on equipment show better problem solving skills.

So I lead by example, not the most graceful but willing to climb, explore, build a den etc. See it, be it.

Well so far, she's not found anything she can't do in a dress and as I say she's much more adventurous than most of her friends, climbs higher and takes more risks. She's one of the only ones that can do the monkey bars. Most men that I know that have worn a dress or skirt for fancy dress have commented on how freeing and comfortable they feel.

I never found that I couldn't do anything I wanted in a dress as a kid either, but was always uncomfy and having to readjust in trousers, so it's a matter of opinion whether they are more practical, not a fact.

DD wouldn't pay any attention to anyone telling her to "mind her dress", because I tell her all the time to go and get muddy and challenge herself.

Can someone give my daughter the memo. Everyday she has to be bathed because she's covered in mud AGAIN

Well I guess we must agree to disagree.

She has managed but you aren't going to know how it limited her if she isn't in trousers.

When she crawls she is either on her knees or very thin tights. If she is climbing then she won't see her legs as easily to place her knees to grip. Short of the dress being translucent?

And you do recognise that sports are conducted not wearing dresses - can you not see the correlation? Is it dresses because you choose due to your experience, because girls wear dresses?

Depending on her age its very likely she will soon hear comments about exposing herself 🤢. So why not put her in trousers and see how much more adventurous she is?

And sports that often wear skirts:
Tennis
Badminton
Pickelball
Running
Hockey
Figure skating
Lacrosse

Many other athletes wear leotards or shorts, there's not many I can think of that compete in trousers.

@MrsSunshine2b sports where GIRLS wear skirts. The reason for that is social norms and expectations, not performance, otherwise male athletes would adopt the uniform.