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Original poster

Hot chocolate ..don’t understand why it’s a “thing”

180 replies

MrsGrindah · 06/11/2019 21:48

Often read threads on here that include talking about hot chocolate as a treat. For example, “ snuggling up with a hot chocolate”, posh hot chocolate as a present, a pick me up when feeling ill etc. I just didn’t realise it was a popular treat. Never crosses my mind! Not judging it has just amused me that I am so out of touch!

OP posts:
Biancadelrioisback · 07/11/2019 17:51

@userxx I'm from Northumberland and went to school in the 80s. They definitely closed. Even the ones in Newcastle city centre would close when it was bad or the heating was knacked.

Aragog · 07/11/2019 18:13

userxx - even in the 80s they had minimum temperatures guidelines. Maybe your school ignored them. But lots didn't and they closed for various reasons. And yes - even in the north of England!

It is now legal obligations to keep a workplace (so staff more so than pupils in the case of the law) at a reasonable temperature - so if the heating breaks and the temperature falls below 16c inside we are supposed to close. If there is no water, we have to close as appropriate sanitary conditions aren't met, etc.

And these days we tend to out H&S as a higher priority. If it is snowing often staff cannot get into work. these days most teachers and TAs don't live in catchment (no one wants their pupils as neighbours!) and have to drive in, some a long way. If roads are dangerous and we are advised by the police not to drive then we shouldn't/ It ensures emergency workers and essential services have road access if we don't. If staff cannot get in then the pupil teacher ratio required will not be met. Therefore, pupils can't stay.

Before we close our school a lot of communication goes on behind the scenes. We have to make a decision by 8am, and we use a whole raft of information available to us. We don't just see a flake of snow and close! Infant in the past we have opened against advise and its been a disaster. Our current headteacher is fortunately far more sensible and prefers her staff and children to stay safe.

EstebanTheMagnificent · 07/11/2019 18:15

Also the schools round here close often for snow days because none of the teachers live anywhere near now due to house prices. If teachers can't get in then there is no one to supervise the children. When I was in school in the 80s they still closed on bad days but many of our teachers lived within walking distance.

It also used to be the case that all schools were under local authority control and all staff employed by the LEA. On a snow day staff would present themselves to work not necessarily at their usual school but at the closest one that they could safely get to, meaning that the LEA could co-ordinate at least a skeleton staff to open as many sites as possible. Those days are long gone - in the LEA where I live there is only one secondary school which is neither an academy nor a free school and therefore still under LEA control.

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General food
LadyMonicaBaddingham · 07/11/2019 18:20

I'm with you OP, the DC occasionally want me to make poncy American hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows and all that BS, but snow days are for chicken soup or hot mulled apple juice, imho

Veterinari · 07/11/2019 21:52

@userxx
Trudging in the snow to sit in a freezing class was exactly what we did. Not sure why you're so shocked.

Assume you lived somewhere fairly urban then. We certainly weren’t ‘hardcore’ Enough to trudge through a metre of snow to sit in dark classrooms and be taught by no one. I applaud you. I’m sure it’s resulted in you being entirely more. Successful than I am. What an incredible inspiration you are to resist the dark beguiling temptation of snow days and ‘hot choc’ and instead teach yourself in dark icy classrooms.... Hmm

Justneedatemporaryname · 08/11/2019 00:39

I had a looong return train journey today and had a hot chocolate with whipped cream both ways. I think it's because of this thread. Certainly felt like a treat/ naughty. One of the Batistas tried to cheat me out of whipped cream, but I didn't let him get away with it: their board read 'whipped cream OR marshmallows', and I remember thinking why on earth is it 'OR'?! I was therefore ready for him to ask which I wanted and he didn't ask anything! Confused. So that's how I discovered he wasn't going to give me any cream. HmmAngry

ScreamingCosArgosHaveNoRavens · 08/11/2019 00:41

I find hot chocolate too sickly to enjoy. I like my drinks quite 'bitter' - I take both tea and coffee without milk or sugar.

yoursworried · 08/11/2019 00:48

It's a treat for my kids. I wouldn't want them to drink it every day as it's full of sugar therefore it's a treat. I don't think it's a big standard daily drink

Elbowedout · 08/11/2019 01:04

@Elieza my DS is dairy allergic so I make hot chocolate with soya milk and I think it is fine. I make it just the same as with cows' milk but with less sugar as the soya milk is already so sweet. I don't really see it as a special treat, but it is certainly a nice warming and reenergising drink for half frozen children (and parents) after a winter sports match!
I think it is the most palatable hot drink to make with non dairy milks actually. Coffee is just about bearable but I think tea is absolutely rank with anything other than cows milk. Hot chocolate however seems to work with anything - I've used soya, coconut, oat and rice milks successfully. We are a nut free household so I have never tried almond or hazelnut milks but I imagine they would make nice hot chocolate, a sort of hot praline I suppose.

Volvemos · 08/11/2019 01:14

Hot chocolate is lovely with hazelnut milk.

bigflowerdog · 08/11/2019 13:16

This is ds's first year of big school (kindergarten) and we've had a couple of storm days already (trees down over roads and no power lines down so literally can't get out of the house without getting electrocuted before anyone tells me what unhardy pussys we are Hmm). I LOVE getting that 'no school' text. Or even delayed start.

When snow days are called every single kid heads to the golf course to go sledding and parents serve hot chocolate/warm apple juice and food from their cars. It's bloody magic. We're meant to have snow today (just flakes) and I can't WAIT for the first big snow.

I'll never forget when I first moved here and the first storm of the year fell. We got 3 feet of snow in a quick time period and just walking around the roads in the dark with it snowing heavily and being all sparkly was magic.

HoldMyLobster · 08/11/2019 14:25

Nope, not been living under a rock but the north of England. Trudging in the snow to sit in a freezing class was exactly what we did. Not sure why you're so shocked.

I went to school in northern England in the 80s and have clear memories of school being closed on snow days.

I now live in Maine and we have 5 snow days built into our school calendar here. My kids love snow days and yes, there is usually hot chocolate involved.

bigflowerdog · 08/11/2019 15:23

@HoldMyLobster where are you? Everyone here is bitching that our two wind days will add on to the school year here (I don't care I think they get out too early as it is) so we must not get five built in. Does it go county by county?

HoldMyLobster · 08/11/2019 15:58

I thought pretty much all Maine schools had 5 snow days built in. We lost 2 school days to the October winds a couple of years ago, and they were taken out of our 5. I seem to recall we actually ended up with 6 days of school closed that year, and they had to work out whether to ask the teachers to work an extra unpaid day or just try to squeeze everything in.

CornishMaid1 · 08/11/2019 16:31

Cornwall here and we have snow days. Not very often mind, as it doesn't snow here that often, but if there is a 'lot' of snow then they will close the schools and tell people to stay indoors (I say a 'lot' as it doesn't really take that much compared to some countries).

I still have snow days now, when the snow starts coming heavily and we get told to leave work to be home before it gets worse. There are often lots of abandoned cars, buses/trains stop running etc as too many smaller roads that do not get gritted. I may only get one every few years, but a snow day is good.

CornishMaid1 · 08/11/2019 16:32

Proper hot chocolate is a treat to me, but it is something that I don't have very often so that is why.

It has to be proper, so nice melted chocolate in warm milk with cream, marshmallows and maybe a flake or chocolate sprinkles. It feels indulgent then.

It is not the same made with with powder and definitely not made in water.

P1nkHeartLovesCake · 08/11/2019 16:35

I make my hot chocolate by melting chocolate in cream & full fat milk in a pan, then pour in to a mug top with whipped cream and marshmallows. So yes it is a treat drink as I’d be the size of a house if I drank that often.

It’s not the same as coffee as I drink it black, no sugar so don’t have to worry about my waist expanding with that.

Ted27 · 08/11/2019 16:43

I'm 54, I don't remember my school ever closing for snow, but I have very scary memories of severe smog/fogs and parents leading chains of children hand in hand home from school by torchlight because visibility was so poor you literally couldn't see the person in front of you.

lazylinguist · 08/11/2019 16:47

People see it as a treat because it's comforting, sweet and highly calorific. And people who only let themselves have it on special occasions might come to associate it with those special occasions. Often wintry special occasions, because... hot chocolate is hot.

It's not exactly rocket science. But on the other hand, there's really no excuse for all the infantile #snuggling #choccy #cutepjs type nonsense, unless you're 6.

bigflowerdog · 08/11/2019 17:03

@HoldMyLobster I'm sure we used to build a few in. Hmm maybe the teachers were just having a whine.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/11/2019 17:05

If I wanted to make hot chocolate with soya milk ( original) and plain chocolate , what amounts would I need .?
I am too mean to buy a Velvetiser but I could heat in a pan with a whisk
or hand held blender )

one year when it snowed really heavily during the morning .
. We were once allowed to leave early ( 1st Yr Secondary ) anyone who had pick up fro parents was allowed to leave with them.
The rest of us walked a mile to the bus stop (in the snow) to find the buses not running .(Snow got worse)
We all had to walk back to the school and the teachers / head drove everyone home .

Seems a bit OTT?

The Head Teacher told us at next assembly how he'd had to lift the dead body of a school child who decided to walk and was found in a ditch .and vowed to himself it would never be repeated Sad

(This was in the late 70s wouldn't happen now)

Cor - that was a tad morbid for a Hot Chocolate thread !

QueenoftheBiscuitTin · 08/11/2019 17:09

I feel this way about tea and coffee.

ItsJustTheOneSwanActually · 08/11/2019 17:20

Decent hot chocolate with a slug of peppermint schnapps is bloody lovely

Pahoehoe · 08/11/2019 17:22

Surely it’s a treat in the way a chocolate bar should be a treat? You wouldn’t have one every day because it wouldn’t be great for your health.

You’ve now put me in the notion for a hot chocolate with lots of cream though.

Original poster
MrsGrindah · 08/11/2019 20:34

But there’s no “event” related to a bar of chocolate is there? Whereas hit chocolate is often talked about on here re snuggling up, comforting people etc.

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