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Original poster

Anyone else's child still wearing shorts?

96 replies

BooksAreSaferThanPeople · 07/12/2022 09:47

It's currently -2 where I am and DS10 has gone to school in his usual shorts. I tried to convince him otherwise but he was having none of it. He did admit on the way to school that his legs were a "bit chilly". He also refused to do up his coat or school fleece so only his polo shirt was protecting his chest from the cold.

Anyone else got a little oddball who is immune to the cold?

OP posts:

TheFlis12345 · 07/12/2022 11:38

I saw several boys in shorts on the way to school this morning and not a single teenage girl was wearing a proper coat, just thin summer jackets. I was in a big puffa coat, gloves and scarf!

DrunkenBoat · 07/12/2022 11:39

User135792468 · 07/12/2022 11:10

Only in England do people excuse crap parenting with a “oh my child doesn’t feel the cold”. I’m sure you’re nicely wrapped up yourself. Wearing weather appropriate clothing is not a choice in our house.

I'm not in England, and my idea of 'crap parenting' wouldn't involve letting a child choose their own clothing within limits.

BeginningBridge · 07/12/2022 11:41

Ds2 came home from university last night - wearing shorts. He's 21 now but has always preferred shorts to trousers.

SquirmOfEels · 07/12/2022 11:44

Prep school round the corner has all its u8s in shorts as winter uniform.

So they're all still wearing them

But with good thick (and I assume wool) knee length socks. Presumably because grazed knees heal for free, but trousers cost.

DappledThings · 07/12/2022 11:47

Prep school round the corner has all its u8s in shorts as winter uniform.
I walked past local prep once on a day when the ice on the ground hadn't melted all day with a little boy in his regulation shorts clinging to the railings of the playground and shouting to me "Miss, Miss, I feel like ice cubes".

Poor little thing. The preps do seem to like to toughen them up harshly.

ChristmasCakeAndStilton · 07/12/2022 11:49

DS2 went to school in trousers (no shorts on secondary uniform) but will be back in shorts by the time get home.
Also coatless.

He has the possibility to wear more clothes. He chooses not to. His choice. I've stopped buying him trousers for home, on the understanding he will take a pair from his brother's cast offs on the rare occasion I insist on trousers.

HappyBinosaur · 07/12/2022 11:53

My dc10 wears shorts to school every day and has pretty much refused to wear trousers for over a year (he would if I absolutely insisted but it’s not a battle worth picking unless it’s snowing!)
I do feel cold just looking at him!

He does have a warm coat and hat etc and if it was snowing I’d make him wear trousers. Out of school he doesn’t wear shorts in winter apart from for football but even then he wears leg skins.

HappyBinosaur · 07/12/2022 11:54

My teenagers on the other hand, refuse to wear their coats most of the time and that is even worse!

PragmaticWench · 07/12/2022 11:54

DS is 8 and insists on shorts with knee high socks, for school and at the weekend.

As long as he has a coat and gloves available then that's my job done, it's up to him to wear them if he wants to. That's parenting, teaching them to work things out in a safe environment.

winemonster · 07/12/2022 11:54

My 7 old and all his school buddies refuse to wear trousers at school or otherwise. Luckily they are allowed to wear football skins (tight thermal top and tight legging type things) under their school shorts and polo shirts so that's what he wears under his uniform. Out of school its football kits with skins 🙄

terriblyangryattimes · 07/12/2022 11:55

My two primary children both have bare legs. Boy in shorts and girl in a short skirt with cycling shorts under. They're wearing coats but no hats or gloves yet and also refuse to do coats up. They must be freezing but claim they aren't!

School is 200m from the beach so is cold and windy, I am in hat done up duffle coat and jeans on the school run.

catinboots123 · 07/12/2022 11:56

DS2 wore shorts every day in primary school. He was bereft when he started secondary and they have to wear trousers.

Whatifiwereareindeer · 07/12/2022 12:03

User135792468 · 07/12/2022 11:10

Well, I could allow my child to listen to his body, make his own choices and learn from them, and respect his bodily autonomy. I could pick my battles. I could respect that his autism means he just feels things differently to other people and that so long as he’s not being physically harmed, causing a medical issue or harming anybody else then actually he’s fine. It’s shorts in a moderate climate winter, it’s not a scuba outfit at a wedding or barefoot in a swimsuit in wintery Siberia. It’s barely freezing.

Or I could never leave the house because my child was screaming himself literally sick over wearing something he finds unbearable. I could force him to be hot and uncomfortable. I could teach him other people have power over his body and that his feelings come second to my hang ups about what other people think of my parenting. I could physically force him to wear things, until he was too big for me to force, and then I have no idea how you have that battle.

Hmm…. Which one sounds like crap parenting?

(And yes I am well wrapped up. He has all the kit available to be wrapped up himself if that’s what he wants. He owns and has easy access to trousers, coats, hats etc.)

Overoptimistix · 07/12/2022 12:05

DS is eight and in shorts year round. He's not particularly keen on coats either but we do make him wear one to school. They are only outside for break and lunch, during which he is running around the whole time. The classrooms are full and heated so I don't see the harm if he wants to wear shorts!

Holis · 07/12/2022 18:46

Personally I don’t think there’s an issue with it at all. DS3 is in year 5 and similarly to the poster above, has to wear shorts all year round to school. I’m sure he’d rather wear trousers but has never complained of being cold. They wear long socks in winter anyway.

I think there are a lot of good arguments for boys wearing shorts to school. No new trousers needed constantly and it’s a good rite of passage and sign of growing maturity when they move to year 6 and are allowed to wear trousers.

MsNightingale · 07/12/2022 20:55

DS15 - He owns trousers, but flatly refuses to wear them.

Tacocatgoatcheesepizza · 07/12/2022 21:00

Yes, DS11. He hasn’t worn trousers at all for 4 years now. He won’t wear jumpers either, and only a light coat. He does have some sensory issues. He maintains he doesn’t feel cold and these days I just let him get on with it. He’s 11, not a baby. He won’t freeze to death and if he chooses to be cold over the discomfort (to him) of wearing trousers etc then that’s up to him.

RhubarbFairy · 07/12/2022 21:09

Yep. DS1 (11) is in shorts year round. He swore he was going to wear shorts to secondary but we 'forgot' to buy some so he wore trousers that first week and came home and said he'd stick with trousers as no-one was in shorts. In Primary, lots of the boys wear shorts year round. DS2 (9) is not one of them.

This time last year, I walked to our closest supermarket with DS1 who was in shorts and a t-shirt. I was wrapped up. I got some raised eyebrows, but he's now old enough to be responsible for his own choices (within reason) so I let him crack on. He did concede that he was 'a bit cold'. So now he'll wear his coat, with shorts. Like a PP, he's generally in a full football strip. Without the long socks.

MargaretThursday · 07/12/2022 21:11

Ds is 15yo and I didn't bother buying him trousers for the last two years. I've told him he needs to give me 2 days' notice if he wants trousers. He didn't wear the last few pairs of trousers I got him (nor the last 2 coats) so I'm saving my money.
The last time he wore trousers was 4 years ago before the school decided the boys could wear shorts if they wanted to. He may well be the only year 11 boy in shorts but he's comfortable in them and that, to him, is what matters.

ChocHotolate · 07/12/2022 21:50

DS is in Y6, I last bought him school trousers in Y2 as he simply won't wear them. He wraps up in coat, scarf & gloves but with his skinny legs & knobbly knees sticking out the bottom. He looks so cute! He will happily wear trousers at other times though

mamaduckbone · 07/12/2022 22:12

Mine both were at primary school - ds2 wore trousers maybe twice the whole time. They've changed now, although he still does go out unsuitably dressed and won't be told!

Notsa · 07/12/2022 22:14

Yes my youngest is still in shorts and no jumper (although does wear a coat on his way to school). Tbh I am still in short sleeved tops and don't actually own a coat so I think we just don't feel it the same. My other children are well wrapped up.

Needarest22 · 07/12/2022 22:16

Yes! My 11 year old ds!

Original poster

BooksAreSaferThanPeople · 08/12/2022 19:53

I posted this yesterday and then forgot all about it. I'm glad DS is not the only one. I do feel sometimes I need to insist on trousers one day a year just to demonstrate to the school that he does actually own a pair.

OP posts:

Daisybuttercup12345 · 08/12/2022 20:43

Eldest son wore shorts the whole of bitterly cold and snowy winters in years 5 and 6. Totally his choice. His younger brother had long ones. Still felt like a bad mother though!
Husband was six in the great freeze of 1963. Always wore shorts as did all the rest of the boys at school.

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