Anyone else's child still wearing shorts?

[BooksAreSaferThanPeople]

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?

For her entire primary years dd wore shorts. We live in costal eastern Scotland so cold is the default 😆. Now aged 13 she wears 40 denier tights with her skirt for high school but NEVER wears a coat. Absolutely mad!

All infants boys at the DC’s (state) school wear shorts and long socks year-round. I have offered DS joggers to wear over the top for the walk there and back but he’s not interested.

Dd is the least ill child I've ever known, never had a sick bug in 13 years. Could count on one hand how many days she's had off school pre covid isolations so I'm not sure that theory really pans out

Until what age? Or does no one have a choice? DS is 16, he has to wear business dress to college but otherwise he is in cargo shorts, his choice.

Ds is 10 and only ever wears shorts for school. I did buy him trousers in reception but he wore them for a grand total of 4 days, so after that I gave up. I do offer to buy trousers but he doesn’t want them.

Last week a teacher at school said she'd rather ds7 wear trousers. I stated I try every morning but he has a screaming fit over it. She told me to put them in his bag and she'll make him put them on in the morning. He came out in shorts 😂

Why stress what is the reason?

@Regulus because its cold and his legs looked cold that day. I get it, I'm always telling him about it but he hates trousers. He has eczema on the backs of his knees so I think trousers rub on it.

My 2 boys, 10 and 8, both still in shorts, 10yo won't wear trousers at all, (autism, various sensory issues.) Both are made to take coats etc to school, they don't get worn. There are currently around 3 other boys is the same school also still in shorts.

@Regulus and @MargaretThursday I am fascinated that you have found secondary schools that will let your boys wear shorts, where are you?! this sounds like the holy grail!!! DS1 is dreading the secondary experience of having to wear trousers.

It seems strange to teach children that other people know how their body is feeling better than they do. I might put extra clothes in their schoolbag in case they change their mind but if they say they aren’t cold (or are too hot in what I have put them in) I believe them.

What?! You know as a mom it's your job to convince him right? It's not a democracy with a small child! British parenting continues to amaze me.

Wow, I’m so relieved it’s not just my child. I’ve had to hide all ds’s (11) shorts, it’s a daily battle. It was snowing today and he still wanted to wear them 🙄I have had his friends parents giving him clothes when he’s out playing, one text me offering to buy him a coat! He has a coat but won’t wear it, It’s mortifying! I’ve put my foot down now, it’s December, dress appropriately or don’t play out. He hates me 😳

Haha, you're funny. Good one.

See, I used to do this, including hiding his shorts, but it just caused angst. DS is 10, pretty clever, so I just assume he's capable of dressing comfortably and he knows what he he is doing when he opts for the shorts. We're in Cumbria and the weather is not kind here but it doesn't phase him.

He's never ill either. Not even had Covid despite it going round all his class and his sister (who is the total opposite and very nesh) bringing it home.

@ElvenDreamer

When ds was in year 6, I made a comment about him having to wear trousers "next year". He stopped dead and demanded I found him a different secondary school that he could wear shorts to. 🤣 Unfortunately at that moment there were no local secondary schools that offered shorts at all. He was not impressed.

But unknown to us a group of year 9s lobbied the school to be able to wear shorts in the summer. The school considered it and brought it in for his first summer term. They were going to be allowed to wear shorts (boys or girls) for summer term and the first half of the autumn term. They reckoned they looked as smart as the skirts.

When they got to the end of that session they announced that it worked well, looked perfectly smart so had no objection to anyone who wanted wearing them all year round. They're nice shorts, look reasonably smart and have good sized pockets too.
I think ds may be the only one (out of a school of around 2k) who wears shorts all year round, but there's a few other hardy ones who do most of the year.

I tease him sometimes and call it "his" amendment.

I believe one of the other local secondaries is following suit, however they are much (read about 50x) more strict with the uniform and currently I think they're saying summer term only, and I think they'll stick with that as they already have a summer uniform for summer term only.
I can't see the other secondary doing it as they have blazers and I think shorts and blazers would look very odd.

Glad I amuse you, but seriously, what if his "bodily autonomy" declares he doesn't want to eat? Brush his teeth? I'm obviously assuming he's at an young age, but even if not, one can use nagging powers... Maybe British parents aren't good at nagging as much.. 🤔

@ElvenDreamer

I'm staff in a large academy, when we all joined we asked parents and students what they wanted for school uniform, the vote for shorts, for both sexes, was overwhelming.

@MargaretThursday That's the issue round us, they all have blazers, I can't see any of them changing to allow shorts. Not a single secondary in the entire county as far as I can work out even has shorts in the summer term. It really wouldn't bother DS being the only kid wearing them either. He's dreading secondary school based on uniform alone!

@ElvenDreamer England secondary schools with blazers and shorts!

@Regulus I'm all for it!

Brushing teeth is non negotiable, as there are adverse affects of not doing it.

Wearing short or trousers... meh. What about the autonomy to be at a temperature are happy with. Aged 12 he is more than capable if knowing if there is icy on the ground, its cold. If he chooses shorts knowing that, that's his shout.

Ds used to insist in going to school in a polo shirt & no coat in winter, I would get phone calls from school offering to buy him a coat from the hardship fund. I had to tell them several times he owned several coats but hated wearing them.

No, but our postman is. He wears them every day and in every weather. I think postpeople are known for it. Does he want to be a postman when he grows up?

Oh do keep them coming. You are hilarious.

How is refusing to eat or brushing teeth, both of which would have obvious ill effects, comparable to someone's legs getting a bit cold? He's not going to get hypothermia. He's inside school most of the day.

All of the postmen round here are the same. DS wants to be a NASA engineer but maybe he could have postman as a backup?