Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to send children to school when there’s a storm

184 replies

Bestofbothworlds19 · 23/10/2025 07:52

It’s rotten today where we live. Throwing it down with rain all night and this morning, set to continue all day. Winds are strong too, I can see one of the trees along our road has lost one of its branches (not a small one either) which has snapped into the pavement and is partly in the road. I then worry about anything like that happening close to us when walking to school. Fairly certain my youngest won’t even be able to hold her own in this wind anyway lol. I’m not talking about a typical windy rainy autumn day here, it’s far worse than that where we are. Would you keep your children off or not? (Mine are primary school age but question applies for any age really)

OP posts:
Anne004 · 23/10/2025 09:08

We're surrounded by trees and have branches down all the time, you'll be fine OP, try not to worry.

SunnyViper · 23/10/2025 09:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

herbalteabag · 23/10/2025 09:06

No, I would send them to school. If it was that dangerous the school would be closed, as in 1987. Here, I wouldn't have thought twice about it if the storm hadn't been given a name - it just seems like a normal horrible day!

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 23/10/2025 09:05

Katemax82 · 23/10/2025 08:45

It's half term

Show quote history

Not here it isn’t! Ours is next week

Bluffinwithmymuffin · 23/10/2025 09:05

Comeonbabylightmyfire · 23/10/2025 08:01

Are you in the UK?

If so I think that you would be setting a really bad example to your children.

If you are in Kansas in the middle of a hurricane and your name is Dorothy then Yanbu.

Grin
MrMucker · 23/10/2025 09:02

Only a tiny bit relevant, but in allegiance-
Shout out to all teachers today who know that wind equals hyped up kids, especially lesson 5!

Lovemycat2023 · 23/10/2025 09:01

You will see quite a lot of smaller branches coming off - the trees are stressed after the dry summer and leaves on the trees still mean they are more likely to come down.

brunettemic · 23/10/2025 09:01

erm…what?

Stillgroupie · 23/10/2025 09:00

FFS really? 😂

Happyjoe · 23/10/2025 08:59

scalt · 23/10/2025 08:56

I went to school as usual the morning after the great storm of 1987.

I never once had a day off school because of snow. We weren’t such delicate snowflakes in those days. We did our best to carry on as usual. This is precisely how we are raising generations who believe that everything must shut down at the slightest adversity, not helped by the total and utter hysteria and panic of 2020.

I was in Sussex in that storm - the schools in the worst hit area, where I was, were all shut. Spent the morning with my brothers photographing the damage.

Starlight1984 · 23/10/2025 08:58

Fairly certain my youngest won’t even be able to hold her own in this wind anyway lol.

😬

Happyjoe · 23/10/2025 08:57

Take them in, it's all life experience and could be quite exciting walking in for them, the leaves falling like mad etc. Make a game of it!

HannahHamptonsGloves · 23/10/2025 08:57

Glowingup · 23/10/2025 08:47

Not where I am, it’s not

Show quote history

Nor here - not till next week.

scalt · 23/10/2025 08:56

I went to school as usual the morning after the great storm of 1987.

I never once had a day off school because of snow. We weren’t such delicate snowflakes in those days. We did our best to carry on as usual. This is precisely how we are raising generations who believe that everything must shut down at the slightest adversity, not helped by the total and utter hysteria and panic of 2020.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 23/10/2025 08:55

Keep them off until Spring. But then keep them home in summer due to heatwaves....

SheSpeaks · 23/10/2025 08:55

I’m already at work and my DC are already at school. I’m assuming they are anyway. I left at 7.30am to go to work and they usually leave at 7.40am as their walk is just over 2 miles. I’m assuming they will have taken their normal route so the chances are that they will arrive at school muddy and needing to change shoes as they will go through the cow fields and there are stiles. I do warn them when there is a flood warning as they walk along the river path on their journey. But they also have to contend with a motorway underpass which is actually more likely to flood to knee deep than the river path which just gets ankle deep/muddy. Then they really have to take their wellies.

I won’t see them or know if they made it to school under I get back at about 7pm.

Im sure they will be fine.

Superhansrantowindsor · 23/10/2025 08:53

I remember being in school during a mega storm - 1990 ish. A child was killed at another school but that was like a full blown hurricane. A regular storm - unless there was a red weather warning- I’d send in.

NatalieH2220 · 23/10/2025 08:49

Honestly no because I still have to go to work.

Bloozie · 23/10/2025 08:49

I'm a worrier too. I would drive my kids to school if I could, or keep a very firm hold on their hand on the walk if I couldn't. I'd also fret about them sitting in wet clothes all morning. And I'd be watching the local forums for fallen trees all morning.

I get the worrying. But it wouldn't enter my head not to send them to school. I hope they got in safely x

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 23/10/2025 08:48

Katemax82 · 23/10/2025 08:45

It's half term

Show quote history

Not here it isn’t.

YourWildAmberSloth · 23/10/2025 08:48

I get that you're a worrier OP, and glad to hear that you are working on your anxiety. As people have said, its fine as long as the school is open. If you're not careful you run the risk of passing your anxiety on to your children, something which is perfectly normal like going out in stormy weather, will seem like a much bigger dangerous event if you keep them inside every time it happens. They will see danger where there is none, and in 20 years will be where you are with their own children. Also, I remember loving windy weather as a child - not the rain so much.

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 23/10/2025 08:47

You need to get help for your anxiety. Your DD isn’t going to blow away or get squashed by a tree.

Glowingup · 23/10/2025 08:47

Katemax82 · 23/10/2025 08:45

It's half term

Show quote history

Not where I am, it’s not

Glowingup · 23/10/2025 08:47

KimHwn · 23/10/2025 07:59

The "but it's okay here" posts are so weird. Weather is different in different places?!
If anything seemed really dangerous- including the weather- I'd stay at home.

Pretty sure the school would have closed if it was so dangerous. I don’t think there’s a risk to life in any area of the country. Unless the OP actually lives in the US Midwest and is referring to a hurricane.

Katemax82 · 23/10/2025 08:45

Thankyourose · 23/10/2025 07:53

Presumably you’re talking about the current storm in the U.K.? Take your kid to school, it’s hardly life threatening!

It's half term