OT: Need Help Finding Girl's Overalls

[Rai's Mommy]

Long story short my DD has some really inappropriately touchy boys in her K2 class (sticking their hands in the back of girls' pants). While I am attempting to get the school to properly handle the situation I also want to take my own measures to protect my DD from this inappropriate touching . One step I've been trying to take is to have her wear overalls. While I've managed to find a few pairs of size 6x overalls at an Oshkosh outlet I was wondering if anyone can suggest any addition places to find overalls (preferably on the web).

Thanks for any help!

 

[Wickedmom75]

Try Old Navy and Lands End. We got a pair of overalls for DD10 @Old Navy a couple of months ago. HTH

 

[mom2alix]

Check eBay. I did a search for overalls 6x and shortalls 6x (since warmer weather is coming) and there were a ton of them! I even saw some cute Minnie Mouse ones. Good luck!

 

[KristiKelly]

I have no advice about the overalls. I know that my DD would not wear them. However, is the school doing anything to stop this? I would be furious if this was happening in DD's kindergarten class.

 

[AprilShowers]

Forget the overalls and call that school right away. Tell them in no uncertain terms that your daughter will NOT be returning to school until the sexual harassment stops!

I'm not kidding about this. I have a friend who was groped at school (at a very young age). She had troubles for YEARS.
All the adults took the stand that "boys will be boys".

 

[java]

Man this is the second time I have heard about this kind of stuff going on in a classroom. I would be all over the school. In my dd's class in K there was a "flasher" boy- he would pull down his pants and eventually got other boys to do it too! DURING CLASS! Well I went into the school to speak with the teacher. And pointed out that if she was unable to control the actions in her classroom I was forced to take it to the superintendent. So I wrote to him, cc it to the teacher and the principal. He called that day and it was handled the next day. The child was placed in a chair right next to the teacher. Where she could keep a better eye on him. Now 3 years later- he has a full time aid with him. That school better deal with it. And I applaud you for protecting your daughter in a very practical way.
Sorry I don't have any overalls ideas I would have thought the OshKosh route. I know my dd got some when she was younger at the Gap but I can't seem to see that size online- Good luck.

 

[tiff211]

Wow! Hopefully, the school takes action right away!! But to answer your question. Old navy has overalls and they are usually on sale for about $9.99.

 

[tcolbert]

I would recommend Old Navy, too.

 

[KristiKelly]

Another thought, does your DD know how to tie yet? Maybe try drawstring type pants. Maybe the teacher would work with her to help her get them tied & untied.

Please let us know how the school responds to this. I would hate for the little girls in that class to grow up and think this is the way boys are suppose to act. Good luck to you & your daughter

 

[Rai's Mommy]

Thank you for all of the helpful replies. I will check Old Navy tonight. While I agree with some that it is not up to me to prevent the problem from happening by covering my daughter up as much as possible I do want to do everything I can until I know the situation is properly remedied.

I am waiting to hear back from the teachers as to when we can meet next week. I have already spoken to one of the boy's mothers (the boy who seems to be egging the other boys on). I suspect that the teachers may be delaying their response on a meeting time because I made it very clear in my request for a meeting that I want to know what actions have been taken to prevent this from happening again as well as what measures will be taken should it continue to occur. They most likely need to follow-up with the headmaster before responding as to the ultimate treatment of these boys.

I realized by doing my own investigation of the matter that the teachers have been less than forthright on the subject and do plan on getting some solid assurances as to what measures will be taken to protect my daughter and her other class-mates.

In the meantime, I appreciate all of the feedback. Knew I could count on the boards! I'll let you know what happens.

 

[NotUrsula]

Dresses would work, too.

This used to happen to me at that age, but it really wasn't a sexual thing; it was more a buggin' for fun thing. If they couldn't go for the waistband they would go for the neck (we wore a lot of back-zipped dresses in the 60's.) I dealt with it by simply slamming back into my seat as hard as I could when the hand got into my space. Naturally, little Johnny would screech, and when the teacher would come over, I was perfectly within my rights to have leaned back in my chair--he was the one whose hands were somewhere that they shouldn't be. Once I managed to break a boy's finger; he kept his hands to himself after enduring the ER visit that ensued. (To say nothing of his father's wrath over how much it cost.)

If the kid is reaching through the desk rather than over it, ask the teacher to allow you to tie a pillowcase over the seatback, and wire down the corners so that it stays down. That way his hands will have to be on top of the desk to get anywhere, and there is more chance he'll get caught.

PS: Notice I didn't talk about defenses that involve hitting back using hands; that would undoubtedly get a kid in trouble. When I was little the rule was that they didn't care who swung first; anyone who struck out at anyone got in trouble. I was the kind of kid who worked out all the ramifications before I used a defense, and that particular one worked, because I kept my hands and feet to myself and never reached over the edge of my desk.

 

[tjmw2727]

I was going to suggest dresses as well. My dd loves them anyway and we just put bike shorts underneath so she can play.

Good luck dealing with the issue through the teacher and the admin, but like notursula mentioned, consider giving your child some stratgies as well.

My youngest is having a hard time with the general kids stuff in 3rd grade. I find I have had to really walk her through the things we more naturally did as kids. I think sometimes the classrooms are so well policed by the teachers at the earlier ages that the kids may not learn to stick up for themselves.

Of course the one time my dd did stick up for herself she got caught retaliating and that was another lessons for us all. At least nobody messes with her any more so in her words it was worth the missed recess!! Sorry to go OT -

OP, best wishes for a quick resolution.

TJ

 

[Samar]

You can try Carter's Outlet. I know they carry big girl sizes but don't know the exact range.

 

[Merriwind]

I was going to suggest dresses with shorts under too. Dresses will be easier for getting to the potty and nothing winds up dragging on the bathroom floor--yuck!

Good luck with pursuing this. I would have the principal or headmaster involved asap too! Best to you and your dd.

 

[java]

You know in thinking about this I remembered where I had heard it. About a week or two ago here in NY a mother sued a K student and his parents for sexual harassment. And they were kind of making a joke out of it..(like a 5 year old knows what sexual harassment is)but I can imagine the frustration that the mother of the girl must have felt and she got to the point where she couldn't take anymore.

 

[Rai's Mommy]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for the suggestions and provide a quick update for those interested.

I met with two of my daughter's K2 teachers and the headmaster last week. My issue, as I addressed it with those I met with, is not so much an issue about the boys being punished more severely (e.g. through suspension - which is what has occured in at least one Massachusetts school recently - I believe the one referred to by the previous poster) but more of an issue of general poor supervision and inadequate communication with the parents who need to teach their children more about appropriate and inappropriate touching. (To clarify, these incidents are not like the ones that I have heard about recently in the news involving over-the-clothes touching.) I was provided with a lot of incorrect information by both the teachers and administration and had to uncover the truth about what was happening by conducting my own investigation into the matter. I learned that the majority of these incidents went completely undetected by the teachers even though there were generally at least 4 teachers in the classroom at one time with 21 students! I learned that the parents of both the boys involved and the girls involved were not being notified of each incident. And, finally, I learned that this is not an uncommon thing in that school. The headmaster explained that it is common at that school for these things to occur in the lower grades and that he has even encountered them occuring, though rarely, in the upper grades.

Long story short, my daughter will no longer be attending a Boston Public School. I have lost all confidence in the BPS school system. I have signed her up for good old Catholic school. (I had just one teacher in elementary school for 20+ students and we wouldn't have been able to get away with half the stuff that supposedly goes unnoticed in a classroomed staffed by 4!)