Coats /hats scarves - how do they manage?

[stirling]

Really strange question but I need to keep my new Year 7 DS warm, he's really susceptible to colds and flu.
He wears a blazer with a synthetic jumper underneath.
Has a short walk to school. But sits outside with friends for lunch. Weather bitterly cold at the moment, so this week I gave him an insulated waterproof jacket, a beanie and scarf to wear - but of course he's got to lug it around all day as the locker he's been allocated is a detour to reach and a couple of buildings away.

Jacket etc delaying him between lessons - I've told him to just wear it to and from school, and at lunch, but he's struggling to store it in a rucksack that's crammed with books/ packed lunch etc.

Any suggestions? Do you think buying him a thermal Base Layer would suffice instead of the coat? It'll be Base Layer, shirt, pullover, blazer.
Then just hat and scarf.

Any advice appreciated
Thanks

[chicaguapa]

I thought being cold wasn't linked to getting colds/ flu and that was an old wives tale?

A base layer would make him too warm during lessons, especially when the heating is up high. Maybe look for a lightweight but warm top layer, like a micro fleece, that takes up less room in his backpack.

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Why is a jacket delaying him between lessons??
Surely he can just carry it? Not exactly something to "lug" around...
A base layer would probably be too warm and he couldn't remove it.

[RedSkyAtNight]

At DC's school they have a no bag policy and tiny lockers, so no one wears coats at all.
But if your DS is cold and struggling to manage a coat I agree base layers are the way to go. Is there a school jumper he can wear over his shirt and under his blazer?
Or ... he just gets smarter about going back to his locker at break times and has less in his bag.

[Margomyhero]

When DS was in high school none of the students wore a coat. Ever.

Few wore the school jumper either - so it was just a shirt, with polyester blazer. Lockers weren't always near enough to the classroom for the final lesson of the day - and heading back to a locker for a coat could have made him miss his bus. (one per hour).

DS did eventually start to wear a thermal long sleeved top underneath his shirt on snow days

If anything a beanie and a light scarf would be small enough to stuff in his rucksack? Or just a buff - for either neck or to use as a beanie?

I live on a street where school children from a couple of other local schools pass by and none of them dress for winter.

[halcyondays]

He'd probably be roasting in shool with a base layer, schools are really warm these days.

[Ttbb]

If you buy him a jumper made of wool plus a silken thermal base layer he will fine. Synthetic fibre just aren't as warm. You could try lining his blazer with wool also.

[BowlingShoes]

I don't have a secondary age DC yet but I am baffled about how uncomfortable pupils are expected to be. In the summer, MN was full of threads about how their DC were sweltering because schools won't let kids take their blazers off in hot weather now there isn't provision for them to have a coat in cold weather?

How long is lunchtime? Why isn't there time for him to get to the locker?

[halcyondays]

Most schools don't eat lunch outside so if you bring a coat you can usually just hang it in the cloakroom at the start of the day. You wouldn't need to carry it around all the time.

[IAmBreakmasterCylinder]

Can you tell me how you managed to get him to even look at a coat?!

DS looks at me with a mix of pity and disgust when I suggest he might want to take a coat. He does wear a hat at least.

[Hannahbal]

I ended up buying a plain wool jumper as it became clear logoed jumpers were not necessary.

Then I moved to getting thinner "shell" raincoats rather than warmer padded ones.( Got windproof ones from outdoor outlet shops.) This could be put in the bag some days but was easier to carry at least. Not enough lockers in the school and Some teachers have a no coat on chair rule!

[Hannahbal]

I'm in Scotland by the way, coats are an easier sell in winter here.

[RedSkyAtNight]

Bowling Most secondary school DC don't wear coats anyway, so it's a slight non-issue.
There will be time for OP's DC to get to his locker at lunchtime; he's just choosing not to.

[Fucky]

Absolutely no way would any of my dc wear a coat to school.

[Badbadbunny]

DS has to take a coat as he has a mile walk to the bus stop and then a mile walk at the other end between bus station and school.

His school don't have lockers and don't have cloakrooms, so they have no choice but to wear or carry coats between lessons (rucksacks are already full with books so no room for a coat too!).

At least because there is no alternative, the teachers don't give them a hard time about it. It's pretty usual for to see kids wearing their coats between lessons and putting them on the seat backs.

[stirling]

Thanks everyone. I feel bad forcing him to wear a coat now! Ok, I'll skip buying the base layer today.

Hmm. Yes I've done all the research for ages and yes, you can't catch a cold from the cold. What does happen apparently is that your body's more susceptible to whatever virus is doing the rounds when at a lower temperature.

[Scabbersley]

Dd has a lightweight uniqlo padded jacket, folded up really small in the front pocket o her backpack. She wears that sometimes on the bus home.

[Seeline]

You won't force him to wear a coat - he will wear it until out of your sight and then it will come off. If he has nowhere to store it at school, or has to carry it with him it will be 'lost'.
So glad you've decided against the base layer - not only would ha have roasted during lessons, but he would have been a laughing stock amongst the others.
If he is feeling the cold, you may get away with a light-weight quilted jacket type thing, or an active-wear style waterproof, but only if he wants to.
Yes - colds are not caused by getting cold. Make sure he has a healthy dies, vitamin supplements if he is fussy, and he washes his hands properly. That should help reduce colds, although TBH the classrooms are so hot and stuffy it is hardly surprising they spread like wildfire.

[AveEldon]

If he wants a coat an ultra light down from uniqlo will compress super small.

[stirling]

Thanks again, I'll look up those foldable jackets..

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Is he still in year seven mode of carrying all books with him at all times? (Some of our’s are still doing this rather than repacking for each day) Just wondering because my year 11s stuff their coats in their bags to replace the space their very crumbled blazers have just vacated. —followed by deep sighs and eye rolls as I’m insisting that they are in full uniform during my lessons—

[schoolgaterebel]

Never seen a teen wearing any sort of coat to school round these parts.

Just their school jumpers.

The school busses and classrooms are well heated (too warm for comfort according to my teens)

[MrsBartlettforthewin]

Schoolgaterebel I think at our school it’s because they hate the blazer so much that they’re trying to wear it as little as possible and have the excuse of ‘oh no I forgot to put it in my bag this morning as I wore my coat to school’

[CruCru]

Would something like this work? It folds up really small and goes up to age 13.

[chronofix]

Decathlon have good hooded gilets that my secondary son will wear, quite scrunchable.