….Is what I desperately asked Google the other week. And do you know what, there were actually a lot more parents with the same problem than I could ever have guessed.
In a nutshell, my Little Button (along with so many other little girls) hates wearing school tights. It’s no secret, that’s for sure. I’ve tried every trick in the book and bought every pair of tights known to mankind that scrapes into the ‘school tights’ bracket, and none of them (so far) have got the thumbs up from her.
The thing is, I can completely understand her point of view. School tights are wretched things. You have to shoehorn yourself into them, only to find that they are baggy and hanging halfway down your legs after an hour or two. The toe seams can feel so weird and the seamless tights often have funny off centre bottom seams that run all over the place. And as for the feel of them, they range from scratchy to shiversome, itchy to bobblesome. Then there’s the sweating or freezing that goes along with them too. Yes, life wearing school tights in winter isn’t always much fun. *Says the same mum who refused to wear them herself all those years ago at school.
Now that really is the question. You can keep trying different tights and sizing, try getting away with leggings that look like tights (strictly not allowed in our school) or even go down the route of trying to convince them to wear trousers instead (though that’s a whole different kettle of fish).
I’ve tried it all. Every single winter. And you know what, I’ve come to realise it’s more my problem than anything else.
You see, it’s me that gets all flustered when I see other parents mum-shaming me. Shaking their heads at Little Button in her school skirt and over the knee socks – giving me the ‘bad mum’ glare.
I’m the one that squirms when one of the teachers at the school gates comments just how freezing it is as she merrily skips off into school, flashing her super long socks.
And it’s me that wants to curl up under a rock when I see other children wrapped up like burritos from head to toe, whilst Little Button is still happy-go-lucky in her over the knee school socks!
Ultimately she’s happy, comfortable and warm enough. And that has to be good enough, until she says otherwise. And, ultimately, I’d rather take the disapproving eye-rolls from other parents, than see Little Button uncomfortable all day at school and not being able to focus on anything other than her tights!
In previous years I’ve fought with my eldest daughter for weeks until she finally relented and wore them albeit unhappily. She has SPD so we always go through this whenever there is a change in the seasons: hot to cold, then again cold to hot. This year, she is 9. She says that yes, she is cold when she is outside, but when she is inside at school, it’s too hot to wear tights or a jumper. So I have decided, for now at least, not to fight with her. She wears knee high socks with her school skirt. We did try the option of trousers one year, but that lasted one day. I’ve conceded defeat for now. Will see how it goes the colder it gets though.
Mom of Two Little Girls – www.momoftwolittlegirls.com
My daughter wouldn’t because they kept falling down and that she couldn’t pull them up enough to stay up, so we pop cycling shorts over the top of them. Problem solved and now she prefers them over trousers.
The Knight Tribe – www.theknighttribe.co.uk
Both my daughters refuse to wear tights/skirts/pinafores at any time – so they just wear trousers! -Beth
My daughter finds tights very uncomfortable as she has sensory issues. However, she will wear knee-length socks. Although this isn’t ideal, she feels happier this way. Another option could be leggings in the same colour as the tights if she is comfortable wearing those.
Blossom Education – www.blossomeducation.co.uk
Is it the tightness of the tights? That might sound a bit weird, but my little girl last year (aged 3-4) was really fussy over the tights. Even though they were the right size, she constantly pulled at them and complained they were tight. So I bought age 5-6, and even though they were a bit ‘Nora Batty’ (showing my age there!) she was much happier. So maybe try a larger size.
A Rose Tinted World – www.arosetintedworld.co.uk
Could it be the seams around the toes? My youngest sometimes complains about this so I get her to wear them inside out.
Confessions of a new mummy – www.confessionsofanewmummy.co.uk
One of my twins doesn’t like them if they are pulled up over her hips. She says that feels too tight so I buy them bigger. My girls are 5, but are wearing 7 year old tights. I also find they always shrink so that is another reason to get them larger. If she really can’t be doing with them then I would suggest knee socks and cycling shorts underneath the dress so only a small amount of her legs would actually be exposed to the elements. I’m not mad keen on tights and that is what I do to enable me to wear my summer dresses for longer.
Navigating Baby – www.navigatingbaby.com
Oh my that’s exactly the same issue I have with my daughter who is 6 she is now wearing either knee socks shorts or she’s wearing navy leggings with white socks underneath it although I am tempted to buy her navy socks. I did buy her tights a size up so they aren’t too tight sadly that trick didn’t work (just yet).
The German Wife – www.thegermanwife.com
What about leggings under her skirt/pinafore with black socks. Will look the same as tights but she might be more comfortable that way?
Mum of five staying sane – www.mumoffivestayingsane.co.uk
Wear long socks or trousers. My 9 year old doesn’t like tights, it’s not an issue. They are autonomous beings and they’ll wear tights if they are cold enough.
Life and the Lords – www.lifeandthelords.com
My daughter hates tights so wears trousers instead and is much happier.
Even Angels Fall – www.evenangelsfall.com
Fingers crossed some of these tips may help if you’ve been having the same tricky tights issue as us. Just don’t forget that you are definitely not alone in this one!
*Ironically, at the time of publishing Little Button has decided that after 3 school years, she is going to wear trousers next week to school! Hey-ho… let’s see 🙂
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What a great suggestion to pop cycling shorts over the tights so they stay up! #DreamTeam
My daughter wears leggings – that has to do….#Dreamteam (and in Norway wore the thermals as pants….)
We don’t have a school uniform or anything that we are required to wear but still had to try and six different sets of pants this morning before she found something that felt comfortable. The struggle is real #dreamteam
I feel you! Both my girls resist the tights as all costs! This year they have relented of their own accord but now they moan constantly about them falling down as we walk to school – I think I preferred it when they wore the socks!!!
Bless her! I love wearing tights but they are difficult to get a good fit. I’m 5’4 and a size 18 and have to go for the longest and biggest I can because they are just a pain in the bum otherwise!
Hope the trousers are a success x
My daughter is also not a fan of tights because they always seen to fall down and she gets annoyed with them! I’ve found sizing up really works for her and buying better quality tights that have more elastic in 🙂
Whenever I see a girl walking to school in Winter without tights I shudder as they must be so cold but then I remember I wouldn’t wear tights myself when I was younger.
I feel your pain! My daughter is only 3 but at the moment we have daily arguments and plenty of tears about what she wants to wear. Obviously, she thinks it is acceptable to be dressed as Elsa 24/7, but if she absolutely must change then there is about 2-3 other dresses which she might wear depending on the day. It is driving me slightly crazy … but it looks like I have years of it ahead of me. Send wine! #DreamTeamLinky
We had this issue too and finally the school agreed for the girls to wear trousers!! Solved it all.
My daughter always complains her tights are too small on her – sometimes I think I should get five sizes too big lol! I think trousers are the way forward because some girls just can not stand tights.
If she’s happy and not feeling cold, just ignore what everyone else says. There are schools that still make boys wear shorts all through winter, so it’s not much different from that. I hate tights myself, but I love wearing dresses, so I just layer them up over leggings.
I’ve realised as they get older, they can tell me if they are cold or not. That I don’t have to be the one to worry about it constantly. If she was cold, she would tell you x
We were recently having exactly the same issue with Olivia but she seems to finally be okay with them!
I have no words of wisdom unfortunately as my daughter wears tights and destroys them, mostly after just one wearing! I have tried to persuade her to wear trousers but she won’t hear of it #dreamteamlinky