AIBU to keep my child off school sports day in 32C heat?

Phew. Idiots going ahead with it in the first place though!

Absolutely crazy, school should be cancelling. We are being told to be sensible and keep cool and here school think activity in 32c is a good idea.

I'd firstly email and ask them to use their common sense and cancel, if they plough on regardless keep your ds off.

I’d let him have the day off on Sports Day even if it wasn’t too hot tbh.

I know I'm missing your point, just offering that when you have cooled off, if you put on lightweight, light-coliured billowy full-coverage clothes (long sleeves and long legs), you will insulate your cooler body temp close to your skin and it will take longer for you to feel hot again.

On a hot holiday you can cool off in the sea or swimming pool, wouldn’t normally exercise for 4 hours straight in the full sun, can have a long lunch in the shade to avoid the midday sun/peak UV and there’s always the option to nap in an air conditioned bedroom should it be needed. It’s in no way comparable.

I do wonder what people do when they go on holiday and its hot? Do they worry about the heat and stay inside, or do they put suncream and a hat on and get on with life?

I find it's sensible to do what the locals do. Which is stay indoors during the hottest part of the day. There's a reason Mediterranean countries rise early, and eat and socialise much later at night than we do in the uk. Their bodies are also acclimatised to the temperatures, so there's that as well.

No, you misunderstand me.

'Fuck it', as in given that there were no closure notice issued by the local authority, we did not have an option to close. 'Fuck it' as in we know there's no point in complaining and wringing our hands: we have to find workable solutions to keep children safe in education (you are clearly familiar with this statutory requirement). 'Fuck it' as in needing to make decisions about provision based on unreasonable conditions: all classrooms to hot? Classes migrating to learning in the shade outdoors, in a cool corridor, in the hall; breaks spent not playing but sitting in pockets of shade in the playground, reading, playing games or crafting.

That kind of 'fuck it'. Because we really care. For many children, a school closure means they are not able to be kept safe in education and we ensure, even when school does shut, that those families are still cared for by senior leadership and the children fed.

'The new normal' is exactly what this is. We, as professionals working with children in schools and other education settings, will do everything we can to mitigate the direct impact of the changing climate on our workplaces. What about the phrase suggests we would not? It is part of keeping children safe in education. We cannot change that 'some bad thing is happening' -current rising global temperatures are now locked in, despite climate scientists and activists having warned of precisely this scenario for decades- it truly is outwith our control. But we, as is our primary focus every day, move mountains if necessary (although this week, it has 'only' been a case of moving learning spaces) to keep children safe. And you'd be surprised at how helpful a dose of gritty 'fuck it' is to mobilise change for the benefit of children.

We were just in Turkey last week and it was 32 degrees. I had to keep going in the pool every 20 mins to cool down and was only in a bikini and was sitting in the shade from 12 till 3.

It's madness to have little kids in direct sunlight in that heat, doing sport which they won't be used to in such hot weather.

Doubt they do sports day though. What a ridiculous comparison

I teach in a hot country - it’ll be 36 degrees by 2pm here today. Term finished a fortnight ago.

We hold Sports’ Day around March, Ramadan permitting (it’s moved earlier or just later if needs be).

We also have shaded spectator stands with room for kids not competing in a particular event, water dispensers every few yards, a staffed indoor library where anyone finding it a bit much can be escorted for a quiet break, & a private ambulance on campus...

(The ambulance would be overkill in the UK I grant you - where we are doesn’t have an NHS).

It’s perfectly possible to run Sports’ Day sensibly in a hot climate. Starting with: pick a cooler time of year.

At the very least I’d want your dc’s school to have non competing spectators under shade, so dc are only exposed to the full heat & UV during relatively short bursts in their events.

I'm really not a fan of the phrase 'the new normal'. Whenever I hear it used, it always seems to be in the context of people saying that some bad thing is happening, but it would take too much effort to make changes or try and ameliorate the potential harm, so we're just going to shrug and declare it's the new normal, as if that magic phrase absolves them of any responsibility. Is your school in the habit of saying 'fuck it' to issues of children's health and welfare? I can't say I'd fancy sending a child there with that attitude.

@Saralocky28 - If you are going to be there , I would let Ds go , suncream , bottles of water - hat - all that gubbins. I'd take an umbrella to sit under for shade and if he's struggling let him have a time out. I'd try it rather than not going at all , but I wouldn't hesitate to let him bail out for a while between activities. I don't know the format of the thing so I suppose I'm saying I would give it a go with all precautions and decide during the event than just not go at all.

If he won’t enjoy it, keep him off. If you send him, make sure he has plenty of sunscreen and water.

My school partially shut during the last heatwave, but when this one came along, we thought 'fuck it' and figured we'd just have to tough it out. No classroom below 31°C, no fans and learning definitely impacted, but we just can't keep shutting -this is the new normal. Irritated to find the same parents wanging on about staying open this week, as complained when we shut a fortnight ago ("teachers getting a break for nothing") and whinged about our Y6 Climate topic. Apparently, global heating is too scary for 11 year olds and, simultaneously, is also a hoax perpetrated by the net-zero elite.
Just go away.

In hot countries, people generally have the sense to avoid going out during the peak of the heat, which is why customs like the siesta exist. It's quite baffling to watch some people react to heatwaves by acting as though they're in some kind of competition to prove how little they care about the potential risks to health. It really makes me understand the origin of that old saying, what was it, about mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!? 😅

Keep them off it's not worth risking them getting ill. I would think poorly of a school that is holding sports day in those conditions and I wouldn't trust them to safeguard children if they think that's a good idea.

I think if he wants to go you should let him. However, if you're really worried he won't be safe and the school won't be sensible then keep him off.

Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, go for a swim, hang out in the air conditioning, or at least in a building that has been designed to be cool in the heat…people in countries that are hot do not go outside during the hottest part of the day, eg the siesta.

@StopPlayingGames i dont think the OP has specified what age the children are...they could be teens. As long as people have suncream, water and a hat, i dont see the issue...for example when the schools shut the other week most people roundabout here went to the beach...not necessarily in the sea...(in fact schools sent out the dangers of going in the sea on hot days)...just to the beach to fry themselves on the sand, happens every weekend including with children who run about on the sand/play football/volleyball/cricket.

We go.inside during the hottest part of the day, sit in the shade, eat ice lollies, we don't run around in the sun

I bet they can't cancel because they've paid for the field, were allowed to postpone once but can't again.
DD's.school had loads.of gazebos outside, ice lollies, chilled water, hats, sun cream and only did 2 events each. It was hot but they coped. An open field.with no shade in the hottest part of the day is nuts

When you’re on holiday in a hot climate you don’t sit outside at the middle of the day for several hours without any shade.

Well I am a teacher and we have sports day tomo and I am concerned. Tbh I’m more worried about spending 5 hours outside in direct sunshine, very little shade, certainly not enough for all the kids and staff. The events themselves are short and not that taxing but it’s the supporting I am concerned about. I would never spend 5 hours outside in direct sunshine with no shade on holiday. Yes I go to hot places but we sit in the shade and we swim to cool down.

I do wonder how some people get up in the morning,

We didn’t take our kids to very hot places when they young. As they got older we stayed inside with air con during the few hottest hours, as advised. We had a pool. We spent some time in attractions with air con. We didn’t make them do sports, other than swimming.