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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be cross with school for sending primary kids out at lunchtime in heat yesterday

102 replies

busyhouseof8 · 28/06/2011 12:29

So, it was 33 dgrees in this part of Essex yesterday. When I picked up my 9yo DS from school yesterday he had heat rash everywhere and was really uncomfortable and distresed.

AIBU to think that the school was wrong to insist the kids went out to play at 12.30 in that heat - albeit that they had hats and sunscreen. There is very little shade in their playground. Every year the advice on the telly is to avoid the sun in the middle of the day - the teachers stayed inside!

Contemplating making a fuss with the headmistress, so please let me know if I should wind my neck in....

OP posts:
TobyLerone · 28/06/2011 13:31

YABU. Seriously, it's a bit of sun!

ILoveYouToo · 28/06/2011 13:43

If there is no shade at all in the playground, then YANBU; I can't sit in the sun if it's over the lowish twenties.

But if there was a bit of shade that he could have sat in if he wanted to, then YABU and a bit precious, sorry. How long is the lunch break? Only half an hour or so, surely?

VelveteenRabbit · 28/06/2011 13:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tazmin · 28/06/2011 13:51

QUICK its spitting, get em in, get em in, for the love of god get the children inside!!!

(thanks go to Peter Kay)

maypole1 · 28/06/2011 13:55

dear god get a grip my family are from grenada and shock horror they let the kids out everday

washngo · 28/06/2011 14:01

I agree yabu, but some shade in the playground sounds good so talk to the PTA

Fimbo · 28/06/2011 14:02

Oh dear god. Are you part of the same band who can't possibly help out on a stall for 30 minutes at the school fair, as you want to walk round with your child?

I work in a school and the amount of children that come in without water bottles & sun hats is staggering. You don't need anything fancy, any old thing will do.

Bloodymary · 28/06/2011 14:22

I would have been pretty pissed off if my little girl had been kept in yesterday.
Especially as they will have definatly been kept in today, as we have thunder storms and monsoon type rain at the moment.

belgo · 28/06/2011 14:27

YANBU I hate the sun, it gives me a headache and means I can't concentrate. I remember hating school in the 1970s/80s because the classrooms were like glasshouses.

In hot countries they rarely send their children out in the blasing sun - they usually have siestas and keep their children up later in the evening to go to parks/ beach etc.

Of course in the UK we are so not used to the sun we have no idea of have to cope with it.

Hulababy · 28/06/2011 14:28

It was 33C. It was not too hot to be out for a while. Give them a hat and suncream, and access to water and they'll be fine for half an hour of playtime. And tbh, once they children are actually out, then have had time for lunch, and then by time they are having bell rang, and lining up it is rarely much longer than that.

Our children would have been nightmares if we'd have had to keep them all in all day!

BTW - most teachers here went OUT in the sun too.

How on earth do you think people cope abroad when this is the normal temerature? Children are not kept in away from it! They still go and run about and play, and they cope just fine.

We should be rejoicing that we finally have had a whole 48 hours of nice weather, not shying our little ones away from it. Bit of vitamin D for us all!

EricNorthmansMistress · 28/06/2011 14:45

YABU!

VivaLeBeaver · 28/06/2011 14:51

YABU, are you serioously telling me that you'd never go on holiday to a hot place, never go to the beach in the UK on a hot day? What about all the Spanish kids, Greek kids, etc? How do they cope?

porcamiseria · 28/06/2011 14:52

oh FFS! yabu

GabbyLoggon · 28/06/2011 15:12

In loco parentis (Daddy drives a train)

belgo · 28/06/2011 15:16

Hulababy - actually in my experience children in countries abroad are keep out of the sun at the midday heat. That's the whole concept of siesta.

ILoveYouToo · 28/06/2011 15:16

Grin Gabby

kreecherlivesupstairs · 28/06/2011 15:18

Gabby, do fuck off there's a good boy.
OP, DD went to school in Thailand. The average temperature was 38 with fluctuations of up to 45 and as low as 22.
The only time they stayed in was when it rained.
Get over yourself.

Sirzy · 28/06/2011 15:19

I am with the majority and agree that YABU. I notice the OP has gone very quiet now, I hope she isn't complaining to the school although I am sure it would give the staff a good laugh.

By the time children have had dinner they normally only end up with half an hour outside anyway and it must be great for them to be able to get out in the sunshine for a change rather than another wet dinner time. Can you imagine how pissed off they would be to be informed "its to sunny to play out"

If you are worried like others said be proactive and help raise money for shades for part of the playground.

GrimmaTheNome · 28/06/2011 15:20

What about all the Spanish kids, Greek kids, etc? How do they cope?

I don't know how they organise their schools, but you don't usually see many adults out round midday - lunch and then siesta, all the shops closed. In hot countries, everything is properly geared to the climate.

'Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun' Grin

having said that, it wasn't that bad yesterday, and on the whole better out than in for breaks - but agree the OP should ask if they can do something about providing some shade. Some kids really do feel the heat badly, and heat rash indicates her DS was genuinely overcooked.

GoldenGreen · 28/06/2011 15:27

what belgo said

I have a Mediterranean background and people are always Hmm at me when I say I don't like going out in the sun. But people from hot countries don't sit out in full sunshine and wouldn't expect children to play out in it without some shade, either. A hat and suncream just stop you getting burnt, they don't stop you overheating and it's just not pleasant to be running around in 33C.

It's only 30 mins, and it's unlikely to happen on many days of the year, so I wouldn't complain but I know as a kid I would have absolutely hated it.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 28/06/2011 15:28

I think it was the sudden change from temps in the high teens/low twenties to 33C in two days that has caused the real discomfort for people. Yesterday was the hottest day in a few years I think for some. So it was bound to be uncomfortable.

SenoritaViva · 28/06/2011 15:31

When you picked him up from school he was hot and had heat rash? So that was from sitting in the classroom then as well? Or is your son a preschooler and picked up straight after lunch?

I agree, raising funds for shade would be a much better idea than complaining.

Yes the teachers might have been inside (they like their staff room space away from the kids, it's the only time they get off) but the lunchtime supervisors would have been out there with him.

I used to live in a very hot country, not Europe and no siestas. Honestly the school have better things to do than deals with these kinds of complaints unless you are willing to help solve the problem (by fundraising for shade).

SenoritaViva · 28/06/2011 15:32

By the way our school had their sports day yesterday afternoon, everyone was fine (but hot) and thankfully no one was complaining.

TimeWasting · 28/06/2011 15:33

Me and my toddler were siestaing midday yesterday. I felt unwell after being out in it just long enough to hang a load of washing out.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

School was unreasonable to insist on them being outside in it, but there'd be more parents complainin if they'd been kept in.

acatcalledbob · 28/06/2011 15:37

33 here is normal, year round - my DD is outside for PE every week and breaktime and lunchtime every day.

YABU.