...to think that if the school are going to take children from Reception ice skating, they should ensure the children have their kit with them?

[Greythorne]

At 7 or 8 or 9, yes, kids should take responsibility for having the correct kit for swimming / sport / ice skating.

But at age 4?

My DD's Reception class went ice skating today. As requested, I supplied padded ski trousers, padded mittens, thick woolly socks and a complete change of clothes for afterwards. However, DD forgot the kit bag. Left it on her desk. Got to the rink and discovered she had no kit at all so had to "skate" in normal school clothes (leggings, tee shirt, normal socks).

Picked DD up at 4.15 and the teacher told me she had cried an awful lot. Cried non-stop in fact because she did not have any kit, was cold and wet. Teacher said to me, "but don't let her opt out next week. she needs to get back in the saddle next week and give it another go even if she did cry a lot today"

AIBU to think that the teachers / TAs / parent helpers should have checked each child had their kitbag with them?

FWIW, I have volunteered to be a parent helper next week.

Yeah they should have checked

But Ice skating for Reception kids...are they totally bonkers?

Sounds like a nightmare

I agree - they should make sure - but I am more astounded that the school take children ice skating.....

YANBU.

Check, check and check again.

Where on earth were they skating that they ended up cold and wet? Your average ice rink is a bit nippy but certainly no need for padded ski trousers and mittens.

YANBU they should have checked that all the children had thier kit before leaving the school. At age 4 that is crazy. My DS walks to kindergaten and back on his own, we live in Switzerland and he is 4 but the teacher checks this children have thier coats and outdoor shoes on before they leave. I would be very cross about this.

Gwendoline
We were asked to provide padded trousers / padded mittens because they spend the first lesson on hands and knees on the ice. that is the teaching method here.*
Next week, they graduate to skating behind a penguin thing for balance.

Oooh. I want to skate behind a penguin .

Am assuming you're in Canada Grey?:)

Wow, they're brave taking them at that age. My brother had a birthday party at the ice rink when he was 9 or 10 and my mum spent the whole time in the first aid place with one or other of the kids who fell over and hurt themselves. After that she forbade ne from having a party there!

But as for your question, yes at that age they should have checked all the children had their kit. And if the child didn't, if the school felt the need for padded trousers etc and told the parents the children would be wearing these then the child shouldn't have been allowed to skate, in my opinion.

happymm
we are in France. We happen to live in a town with a huge ice rink and the local council funds skating lessons for Recption classes.

But I feel like their funding should extend to having adequate helpers otherwise what's the point? 4 yos spending a cold, wet afternoon crying because they have left their kit in class?

Ah ok, not the Guildford Spectrum then :o

Is it an outdoor rink?

4 years old is very young for many children. They would do better to wait a couple of years.

YANBU at all. Of course they should have checked she had her gear. My DS also went ice skating at 4 with his French school. They were careful to check all the children were properly equipped and took loads of helpers, but only for getting boots on and off. When the class were on the ice, they just had two adults to 21 children. And, amazingly, no accidents.

If I were you, I'd be very cross, but I can't see you getting much sympathy from the school - imo the French schools were a lot tougher than here

Gwendoline - a lot of children fall over a lot when they're first learning to skate. It only takes one fall for their hands to be cold and wet and for thin fabric such as leggings to be soaked through. And ice rinks are usually too cold for such young children to be wearing just a t shirt on top, particularly if they've already got a wet bottom from falling over!

I know, I skated for years from a young age, never bundled up like that though. Would have found it far too restricting as well trying to get round like little Michelin men . We were always told that you had to get to know the ice. It is cold and it is wet and the sooner you learn that the less afraid of it you'll be. But hey, that was years ago.

I know my 4 year olds would have needed reminding. But as you live abroad you may be BU. I have lived aboad - mainly in German part of Switzerland but other places too. The responsibility levels expected of young children are much higher where I lived than in the UK. Maybe it is the same in France?

Where I lived at most 4 DCs made their own way to and back from pre school - so expectations can be VERY different.

I would be LIVID about this actually - they told you she cried lots because she was cold and wet? Surely it was their responsibility to either remind her to take her kit, or keep her off the ice if she was unsuitably dressed?

Greythorne YAdefinatleyNBU. It will be interesting to see how your experiance as a helper goes.

Those of you whose 4 yo's walked home from school, how far away were they and what sort of surroundings?

lesley33
you are right; schools, teachers, parents here are very keen on fostering "autonomy" as early as possible. But even in that social and cultural context, I think expecting a 4 year old to participate in a sport which is imposed, expect her to take responsibility for her kit and require her to participate in tears when she forgets said kit is OTT.

I think the school should check at that age. Once they have been in school a bit longer they should be responsible by themselves but in Reception they are still so little and inexperienced.

And I am surprised they let her skate without mittens. I don't think that's responsible and you should talk to someone at the school. In my opinion no skating without gloves. What if someone steps on her finger? I have seen the result of someone falling and almost losing his finger that way. Not trying to scaremonger but it's a real danger when ice skating and, in my opinion, a minimum safety requirement!

I've always found the outings in maternelle stupidly ambitious and this seems to confirm my findings!

It seems like being wet and cold was basically a punishment for forgetting her bag - totally inappropriate for a 4 year old. If they had wanted to punish her then making her sit out of skating would have been better.