or overly precious re: playing in the rain?

[ilythia]

We live in the wettest city in the UK (literally), rain is not an unusual occurrence and today was no different.

DD1 went into school with her thick waterproof coat, hat, scarf and gloves and wellies as usual (she is reception)
She has just told me that because it was raining and not everybody had wellies they all stayed in and watched Toy Story 3. Now, I can believe this (based on former times when the chilodren have needed to be kept quiet...dvd goes on in the hall) but am veyr that her morning play, lunchbreak AND afternoon play she didn't get to go outside but was in the infants hall with the rest of nursery, reception and year 1 and 2.
Juniors apparetnyl got to go outside but they have a different playground, so wouldn't expect them to let them mix but surely they could have let some children out? She has basically had no fresh air apart from walking to and from school.

Am I being precious? I am not happy she didn't get to go out even for a bit, it was only spitting through lunchtime (I was a mile away at uni)

DD's school always keep the children indoors when it is pouring with rain. Most of the children have waterproof jackets rather than long raincoats, and sitting in damp clothes all day must be very uncomfortable and can't be very healthy either.

My DS school has them outside as much as possible - the kids keep a set of wellies there.

When I was a kid I grew up in an area with bad, heavy snow and rain and generally miserable weather - we had to have slippers to keep at school to change into when we arrived. Seemed sensible to me.

Wet play time was dead exciting when we were at school! Can't see the big deal here at all.

Would imagine it depends partly on staffing, especially at lunch times (ie dinner ladies can't be both inside with some and outside with others at the same time, and ratio regulations will affect it.

My DH is a teacher. He'd much prefer it if the went out, as kids go nuts when kept inside.

He says it's to do with health and safety/ slippery when wet etc.

It's not elf and safety gone mad, they did this frequently when I was in infant school in the 70's except there was no such thing as Toy Story DVD and instead we stayed in our classrooms with our "busy books" ie a plain book to draw pictures in or practice writing. Or we could read. That was it.

I don't think it'll do any lasting damage for your DD to have the occasional day in school without outside play. I would say you are being a bit precious about it. I guess she gets plenty of outdoor play normally so I would overlook this. Anyway, a classroom full of gently steaming children is really not nice!

Unfortunately many DCs arrive at school unprepared for the weather. If it snows there are DCs without gloves, hats and proper footwear! There are DC without waterproofs when it rains.

YANBU

There's no such thing as inappropriate weather, just inappropriate clothing.

The children should be asked to bring waterproofs and wellies to school and IMO should have been allowed to play out. I don't think you're being precious at all.

overly bothered

YANBU

In Early Years the outdoors is considered an extension of the classroom. In our school children who dont come with suitable clothing get to borrow what they need. Think of all the experiences the children can enjoy and explore when outside in any type of weather

Our children are asked to bring in coats and wellies when it's wet as we like the children to go outside regardless, providing they have the correct attire.

Unfortunately, parents who bring their children to school by car forget COATS let alone wellies!!!!!!

We then have up to sixty children per year in wet clothes, with nowhere near enough spare clothing in the cupboards to change them into.

My school likes them to have fresh air regardless ..... the parents don't want them sitting around in wet clothes ......what's the answer?

"They don't even need wellies if they're supervised properly and told not to jump in puddles"

That really made me laugh! Try stopping 30+ 4 and 5 year olds NOT to jump in the puddles, no matter how well supervised they are!!! What are puddles for anyway when you're that age???

You can't expect parents to dress their children in wet weather gear if the sun is shining brightly, without a cloud on the horizon at 8 am, and then the heavens open at 12 oclock.

Oh you lot are not helping!
Very mixed opinions then.

What I am more annoyed about tbh is the fact that they weren given a DVD to watch, rather than playing games inside so at least burning off some energy.

There is no way anyone could have taken their children to school yesterday without realising it would be wet, rain in the middle of the day is another thing but that is not the situation here.

(yes, I am in the official wettest city)

I work in a secondary. If kids go home wet we get calls demanding to know why dc wasn't allowed to stay in at lunch when it was raining.

I completely understand your point and love it that dd always goes outside at preschool, but I've seen the complaining parent side too at my school - school's can't win I'm afraid.

We live in Antwerp which I think would challenge your wettest city record. DD often has wet playtime, but they don't watch DVDs they are taken to the gym and given the opportunity to run around there.

I just asked one of the school inspectors I work with her opinion, "there is no such thing generally as bad weather, just bad clothing, as the reason children cannot play outside"

YANBU about wanting your child to be able to go out in tha rain, I have never seen a child melt yet. However, the idea that supervision will stop every child from jumping in puddles is laughable, so if parents want children outside, they should provide suitable clothes.

(Waves damply towards Swansea and Antwerp...)

My dd's school is totally opposite from your dd's OP, but I get annoyed because they let them out even when it is torrential rain (like at the moment, I'm in the South West and it's a bloody monsoon).

Anyway, my fault I suppose, but I sent her to school with her new coat that is waterproof (is an anorak), but I found out this afternoon that it isn't waterproof enough for this constant heavy rain. The class went out for their Thursday walk this morning and then the kids went out to play in the afternoon. On picking dd up this afternoon said coat is soaked inside (couldn't walk her to the car in it) and it was also covered in wet mud.

Now I agree that kids should get fresh air and that rain never hurt anyone, but I cannot understand why the school let them out for prolonged periods in very heavy rain. She will only be taking her cagool into school from now on.

Latest news? It sort of rained again today, mostly misting/spitting....and they stayed in both plays and watched Horrid Henry!

DD says she asked to go outside or play football and was told she wasn't allowed. She does have full rain gear, I bought it for playtimes, waste of money then

I am very, very tempted to talk to the HT tomorrow morning, I know her well (am on PTA and have also been in school for a week observing as teacher trainee)

kreecher, wettest city in the UK

Lol @ mutznutz "told not to jump in puddles" cos that works

I agree with taking them out, we repeatedly ask parents to send children in "weather appropriate clothing", sadly not all do.