Would it bother you if your child's teacher said this?

[Anonymous]

Another poster who thinks it was a common sense suggestion by the teacher.

I grew up in the days of "I see London, I see France........." This usually happened on the playground, though. The teacher was just trying to prevent problems. And, if you have problems with him telling the girls to sit like a lady, then don't send them in dresses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't bother me one bit. I told my children the same thing. You can't sit on the floor in a public place with your undergarments exposed. Applied equally to the boys and girls and entirely dependent on what was worn. Boys in kilts or even jogging shorts might have the same issue.

OP expressly said that he wouldn't let girls with leggings under their dresses sit on the floor either. This isn't about hiding undergarments, it's about holding girls to a "ladylike" standard of behavior and letting boys be comfortable. It's total BS and I'd talk to the principal about it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird and off base. Is he telling the boys to sit with their legs together? Is he enforcing rules of deportment on both genders, all the time? Or are the girls held to standards of deportment and the boys not?

I take it you have never had a male boss or colleague who is careful not to be alone in your office with the door closed, etc.? Men must be careful. Male teachers must be very careful.

I work for a man and he and I have meetings in his office with the door closed all the time. His female assistant sits right outside the door.

You people are paranoid.

[Anonymous]

I would think that prior to him saying this he had some kids making fun of girls if they could see their undies. Hence trying to prevent future incidents of such bullying. Maybe he went this route rather than say kids will make fun of you if they see your undies, and it might have come as a lesson in deportment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter had a male teacher and he was (without a doubt) one of the best teachers she's had so far (shout out Mr Williams!). I could never see him saying something like this.

Is it all right for a male teacher to be a medium-to-good teacher, instead of having to be one of the best teachers she's had?

If he doesn't tell her how to be lady while the boys can do whatever they want... yes.

I'm pretty sure he wasn't focused on her underwear and she wore dresses daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:who cares? Stop policing teachers. He thinks what he thinks; children need to learn to adapt.

Can you please write that in a more ladylike way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100

Y'all are nuts to attack a male teacher about this. And leggings/tights are not pants.

I'm always reading on DCUM that leggings aren't pants, and I'm baffled by it every time. If leggings aren't pants, what are they?

I consider them more like tights and would not wear them out.

Sweetie, I have many pairs of leggings that are thick knit and are totally opaque. They are not tights, which despite having more coverage are never entirely opaque and are not pants by anyone's definition.

You're a prude. Just own it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think that prior to him saying this he had some kids making fun of girls if they could see their undies. Hence trying to prevent future incidents of such bullying. Maybe he went this route rather than say kids will make fun of you if they see your undies, and it might have come as a lesson in deportment.

So instead of telling the specific kids to knock it off, he tells all of the girls that they must sit on chairs like ladies if they wear dresses, including dresses with pants underneath?

That kind of reminds me of my daughter's middle-school PE teacher addressing the problem of boys not paying attention by telling girls not to wear short shorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+100

Y'all are nuts to attack a male teacher about this. And leggings/tights are not pants.

I'm always reading on DCUM that leggings aren't pants, and I'm baffled by it every time. If leggings aren't pants, what are they?

I consider them more like tights and would not wear them out.

Sweetie, I have many pairs of leggings that are thick knit and are totally opaque. They are not tights, which despite having more coverage are never entirely opaque and are not pants by anyone's definition.

You're a prude. Just own it.

Maybe honey, at home they are fine, but not to wear out for every day. Especially if you don't have the body for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a grown woman who doesn't wear pants under my dresses, and I've learned how to sit on the floor without showing my underwear. It is possible. "Flowy" skirts go in between your legs, and you sit "sidesaddle" in straight skirts.

So, I would be perfectly fine with a rule that said: you can sit on the floor as long as your underwear isn't showing. Period. No rules about what they can or can't wear.

But I would have thought the better course of action was for the teacher to take this problem to his supervisor and ask for some advice about how to address it, which would also have given him a chance to express his reasoning for seeing it as a problem. Maybe then that supervisor could have helped him come up with a policy that addressed his concerns without being so sexist. Because it is.

You have learned to sit in an appropriate, dare I say it, a lady like manner.

All the children are supposed to sit criss cross. It's part of teaching them to do what the teacher says, to do what they're supposed to do. Not argue with the teacher that kneeling or sitting with knees together or whatever is better for Larla today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's right, they shouldn't. Since they don't know that, someone needs to tell them, and if it's not their parents, it falls to the teacher.

This. And he's trying to protect himself.

Nope. Complete bullshit. The girls can sit on the floor of the boys can. I'd call him out on it and if necessary go to the principal.

Are you always such a combative bitch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:who cares? Stop policing teachers. He thinks what he thinks; children need to learn to adapt.

Can you please write that in a more ladylike way?

how dare you! my mommy will teach you a lesson!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You have learned to sit in an appropriate, dare I say it, a lady like manner.

All the children are supposed to sit criss cross. It's part of teaching them to do what the teacher says, to do what they're supposed to do. Not argue with the teacher that kneeling or sitting with knees together or whatever is better for Larla today.

OK, so all the children sit criss cross. There, done. That's fine with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be very, very bothered. It's one thing if he wants dress-wearers to have shorts or leggings so that their underwear doesn't show, but teaching them to "sit like a lady" is totally, totally inappropriate. I would escalate to the principal.

This. I'd be on the phone to the principal in a heartbeat. That's insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be very, very bothered. It's one thing if he wants dress-wearers to have shorts or leggings so that their underwear doesn't show, but teaching them to "sit like a lady" is totally, totally inappropriate. I would escalate to the principal.

This. I'd be on the phone to the principal in a heartbeat. That's insane.

The principal will be polite, listen and tell you that he'll look into it. He'll also roll his eyes, flag you as 'that' parent, and take you less seriously if you have a complaint in the future (and I am sure you will have many).