I got caught out...naughty Nanna!

I'm wondering what she wore on top!

Ooh slapped wrist Calder I don't think you can be blamed for wanting to keep the nice dresses clean.

Just to say I loved to see both my GD's in tights and pinafore dresses and proper (Clark's) shoes. I wish I could turn the clock back.

Dresses for little girls have made a comeback, our DGD always wears a dress and tights or a tunic and leggings. It's hardly an offence for you to try and keep her clean is it? Yes, what did she wear on top?

To put everyone's mind at rest, the dress should have been described as a pinafore so she already had a long sleeved T-shirt underneath, so she wasn't topless!!! I must admit, like many of you I actually love seeing her dressed traditionally like a proper little girl with her Clarks patent shoes (even if they do have flashing lights on the side!). And not having had a daughter myself I am well chuffed to have a grand daughter and do all the girlie things. Really I was just sharing the irony of the day and having a bit of a laugh at myself.

If she is going to the park she would be much better in trousers so she can play and not worry about her better clothes getting dirty.

if I was your dil I would be very pleased that you had changed her dress I used to have a little bag of things for my gd when she came to stay and would always change her into leggings and tops.

A few months ago I went to do the school run for my three GC at 7.30 in the morning and realised I didn't have any car seats. The older two were ok - ish just strapped in and I sat the little one on a folded coat. As we set off the 10 year old said 'this journey never happened'. They definitely haven't told mummy and daddy because there have been no repercussions.

The saying what happens at grandmas stays at grandmas rings true here!

Humberbear what were you thinking? That was incredibly risky, not the getting caught out but the risk of serious harm if you were in an accident, which is more likely during peak periods.

I have a second hand car seat for my DGS when he visits that I bought locally but you can buy basic car seats cheaply from places like Lidl, Asda and Tesco, so there's no excuse really.

I also think it's very sad that 'pretty' dresses are now back in vogue. They're just not very practical for children and add to the unfortunate gender stereotyping. Luckily I've only got boys!

Also, Clarkes shoes are really crap these days. The quality isn't there anymore and I now spend about €60 buying school shoes for my 7yr old DS but at least they last the year.

That is so funny Calder but then there should never be a problem with sensible dressing.

Carole here too but in reality everything comes out in the end.

Skulduggery au contraire! I am so pleased to see that pretty dresses are back again and love to see little girls looking so happy and pretty in them. Most parents and grandparents have the sense to dress their little ones in the clothing appropriate to the activity so there really is no problem. As for the so called "gender stereotyping" - Vive la difference!

My GD always changes outfits numerous times in a day.....I thought they all did. You can't have any messy fun and keep your clothes clean and when climbing trees etc leggings are much nice no bark scratches............

I too love the dresses and nice shoes. a while ago I said to my daughter, 'I have some clothes of yours when you were little do you want them for the girls' and she said 'you always dressed me like a refugee from Little House on the Prairie, no thanks'. Then she changed her tune because vintage is all the rage and I can't wait to see those lovely things worn again.

My GD when through a phase of wearing nothing but those Disney costume dresses. She would arrive as Snow White, Cinderella, or Anna from Frozen. The dresses were down to her ankles. She had difficulty climbing stairs in them. Thankfully this phase has ended. I'm glad to see her running about in leggings now.

Calder - that is quite sweet and amusing. My step grandchild also loves to look like something out of "Frozen". Never seen her wearing anything other than this type of thing.

Just say you didn't want her messing up such a beautiful outfit if she were to fall over and you wanted to save the mother all the time on washing, so she could spend it revising Highway Code.

What is wrong with pretty dresses being in fashion?! I love seeing little girls in pretty clothes and they love wearing them. Why should they be dressed in tomboys clothes? Of course if they are going to the park or the woods maybe it's different and you would put trousers and a jumper on them. As you say you've only got boys so you don't have to worry about it do you? My granddaughter is 2 and I've bought her lots of beautiful dresses and I've also crocheted her many clothes including dresses. My daughter, her husband and my granddaughter are always really pleased with them. There aren't many children that get hand crocheted clothes nowadays.

I can`t see that you did anything wrong, what sort of reaction would you have got if the dress had been ruined.

Oh I have sets of clothes here for the DGCs as they come after school so they can change if necessary. People need to stop being so precious!

Climbing and playing in dresses is much harder than in joggers/leggings & top!

Think what you did was a good idea ....grandaughter comfortable for playing, dress remaining clean and unspoiled ! Wonder if anyone has any thoughts on the .news. in the press the other day about the little boy who answered the door to the food delivery man dressed as a fairy ? (the boy, not the food delivery man !)) who commented that he should be dressed as a super hero and not a fairy ??? Personally, and My opinion only, I really do not understand this current obsession with gender ....to my mind children are either boys or girls ...and it must be confusing at 5 years old to be asked which they are !!!

Calder Just imagine what would have happened if she had torn the dress or got mud all over it. I think you did the sensible thing. Best to be upfront and not try to hide things because little granddaughter might accidentally dob you in! Had to laugh because it is the sort of thing I would do.

As for little boys wearing sparkling fairy dresses....aren't you looking for trouble when you allow that to happen? That little boy must be getting PC views from his mother and personally I think she is setting him up for bullying when he gets to school.

I always change DGD into leggings and a top when she comes to our house we have dogs and a very muddy garden we live in a rural area and pretty dresses would get ruined. DIL knows and is quite happy with the arrangement far better than ruining her dresses which DIL prefers her in

Humbertbear, what you did was illegal never mind betraying the trust of the children's parents. What if there had been an accident? How would you have lived with that?

I believe there is some sort of exception to the law for unexpected, necessary and short journeys, when over 3s can travel in adult seatbelts. I'm not saying I think what Humbertbear did was right, but it may not have been illegal, depending on the circumstances.

doom and gloom pervades every thread here ! presumably the folded coats were instead of a booster seat , which isn't great but hardly a hanging offence