Did schools used to be like this?

[spiderslegs]

DS started school FT in January & ever since it's been a constant stream of missives, announcements, edicts & raised brow questioning from his teacher.

The first week he was there I had a constant battle with his teacher because I was sending him to school with a padded body warmer on, not a coat, every day she asked me if he 'has a coat, because we play out every day, even when it's drizzling' & yes, you do, but not WHEN IT'S PISSING DOWN. In which case his arms will get slightly damp, as will his legs & face, how would you like me to mitigate against that, full dry suit & mask?

It was warmish & sunny, biblical floods were not on the horizon .

Consequently, EVERY CHUFFING DAY it's been something, last week was battle of the drinks, they have a school issued water bottle (irritating in itself) which I sometimes put in, he has milk at break & a drink for lunch, I was taken aside twice for not giving him a drink - I had he just didn't arsing drink it, maybe they should have asked him to look in his bag again?

Would you like me to pop in a few times a day to ensure he has fulfilled his government recommended level of fluid intake - WOULD YOU?

On Friday the lovely mum that drops him off sheepishly told me teacher asked her to mention she did NOT LIKE HIS SHOES, they are difficult to do up apparently - I'm sorry, I'll get him some M&S footgloves shall I?

Today's final straw was the letter from the eco-co-ordinator that asked me to reduce waste in his lunch box & that they would be speaking to the children about waste in their lunches THEN COLLECTING & COMPARING THAT WASTE - so you'd like to make my son feel like a miscreant & social pariah because he has a Baby-bel rather than a dried up hunk of cheddar planed from a block would you???

So AIBU to want to run through the school screaming - 'I AM A FREE BORN HUMAN BEING - MY CHILDREN ARE FREE BORN HUMAN BEINGS - I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TEACH THEM MATHS, & READING & SPELLING BUT LEAVE THE REST OF IT TO ME PLEASE'

Am I ?

Is anyone seriously suggesting on this tiny island that it can't be sunny in the morning and -2 and raining by lunchtime?
Duty of care means that you can't send a child out without a proper waterproof in poor weather. I used to keep a stash of my son's outgrown waterproofs in class for children with parents who didn't grasp that simple fact. Partly because I cared, partly because I didn't want to spend my break supervising children being kept in.

Ds1 has kickers if they are the lace up ones I wouldn't send him to school in them. He can barely get them on himself and he can't tie them so on that yabu.
The coat I'm a bit meh about I kind of feel the same although I do follow the schools request for a waterproof every day just in case by getting a paca mac for their bags because the weather can change.

'We have some come in laced up shoes and they can't tie their own laces. It is a bit of a pain at times tbh.'

Imagine 25 squeaking and wailing 4 year olds after PE, all waving their kickers at you. It would take the whole of playtime to do up the blooming things.

After a day of annoyance in the dictatorship which my (formerly happy) (secondary) school has become, run by brainwashed childless career mountaineering women who are, at best misguided, at worst almost sinister in their wish to CONTROL everything, all I can say is that I LOVE your quote and fully support you.

'I AM A FREE BORN HUMAN BEING - MY CHILDREN ARE FREE BORN HUMAN BEINGS - I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TEACH THEM MATHS, & READING & SPELLING BUT LEAVE THE REST OF IT TO ME PLEASE'

I would love to write this as a parental quote on the staffroom board tomorrow, but fear that I would be captured on CCTV and punished severely ... :(

Worra I didn't get a letter, nothing - I was expected to know all school rules & requirements by osmosis apparently - when we turned up on day one I was asked if he had his gardening clothes - we did not as I was completely unaware of the need for 'gardening clothes' - apparently another parent should have told me??

& yes Hula they are a bastarding eco-school. Re coats though - I KNOW THEY GO OUT IN ALL WEATHERS, we go out in all weathers, the week he started it was warm & sunny - a body-warmer was sufficient I thought (as it was - there was no rain).

DS's class went for a walk "to look at the local neighbourhood" - everyone was asked to bring a "waterproof coat". 10 minutes after they set off (in sunshine with clear blue skies) the heavens opened and it absolutely poured. All those children whose parents knew better than the school about their outerwear were totally soaked from head to toe (at least those with proper coats were only soaked on bottom halves).

Do it Albert (your name is a give-away), I will fully support your endeavour.

This is as much about training the parents as the kids. Why didn't the school give you any info at all before you started? Ask the head

This is as much about training the parents as the kids. Why didn't the school give you any info at all before you started? Ask the head

I may join the PTA as an agent provocateur.

I don't want training, I don't want my children trained, we're people not dogs.

I would like them to be TAUGHT.

Imagine 25 squeaking and wailing 4 year olds after PE, all waving their kickers at you. It would take the whole of playtime to do up the blooming things

Exactly.

I think reception is tough for parents, suddenly it's the end of your child your rules. I certainly struggled with the endless petty rules.....it seems more normal now dd is in yr 1!

Maybe you are able to judge the weather better, but I do get fed up when parents don't send their kids in appropriate clothes and dd misses out on doing things like play outside go on a longer nature walk as other kids are cold/wet.

Lol @ training the parents. Anyone got some dog treats? (Or rather Nutella & a spoon maybe )

YANBU. But after watching Desperate Housewives last night I think that we still have some way to go - eg. only qualified H & S person allowed to open the car door when the dch gets dropped off at school, penalised for having peanut butter sandwiches in the lunchbox , etc.

I feel a passive/aggressive, sweetly smiled "Goodness, when do you ever get time to actually teach?" coming at the teacher/s. No, scrub that. I don't feel it coming on, it's arrived, singing, dancing and screaming and it would be asked!

Well it either must have happened 30 years ago or children were much more adept at doing up their shoes as we didn't have velcro when I was at school - buckles & laces all the way. Have we become that useless?

Ducks is right. We came from the prvate system to a lovely state school in Sept and the shock of all this bossiness was bad! State schools have FAR more rules and regs than the private prep had.

But it's a minor complaint when I look at what one gets for no fees!

But they ARE being taught Op.

They are being taught to dress appropriately, be prepared and taught about the environment.

It's not just math and ABC's in Reception.

This term it sounds like they are learning about environment. Next term they'll be concentrating on something else.

I don't see why your getting so agitated by it.

I know lots of teachers - most of them are bloody great - this one however...

Training-wise - I'd do 'owt for wine (unless it involved velcro).

Can your child fasten his own shoes?

Well if you didn't receive anything to tell you no Kickers should be worn, then YANBU.

But only if he can tie the laces himself.

See my YANBUs always have terms and conditions attached

Woah, no need to go shouting at me. Just telling you what we have here. Your OP suggests that they only go out if it drizzling and may get damp. We go out in ALL weathers, even in proper rain.

Know not to bother now though don;t i?!

Boys - I'm sorry - I've just kept them in a room for the last five years - they obviously haven't done anything as risqué as engage with THE OUTSIDE WORLD IN APPROPRIATE CLOTHING.

Ohh, me hackles.