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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's too cold to send DC's to school in shorts?

108 replies

OneLittleChicken · 01/02/2012 21:42

There is a boy at DD's school (age 5) who wears shorts almost everyday, it was 1 degree today and utterly freezing, aibu to think it's too cold for shorts?!

OP posts:
seeker · 02/02/2012 12:49

As I said- why would choose a school so antediluvian!

Hardgoing · 02/02/2012 12:56

My dd hates anything tight round her tummy like tights, so has been going to school all week with long socks and a skirt on. I do worry the other mothers will think I am neglectful, but she much prefers this, as long as she is wrapped up warm on top (vest, top, jumper, padded coat etc). It is also boiling in the school itself, so the period with cold knees is quite short. I have checked her body to see if she's cold, she's not. So, YABU unless the child is a cold type of a child rather than a radiator child like mine.

bubby64 · 02/02/2012 12:57

Several boys at my DC primary wear shorts all year round, my 2 wore them until end of autumn term, they are 11 and had choice, they chose shorts- its enough trouble getting them to the childminder in time in the morning, without adding an argument over what they wore, as long as it was school uniform. Yes, i said they'd be cold, but they said that most of the time they spent indoors, and were too hot, and as they were not allowed out in the rain at play, only the cold, and then they ran around, and this is why they preferred the shorts. Parents pick their battles, and this one isn't worth the expanded energy!

cilestquestion · 02/02/2012 12:59

YANBU, it is ludicrous. We also used to send children up chimneys, but decided against.

I always imagine its the parents trying to look terribly posh, that is certainly the case in my experience - parents who went to private school themselves but can't afford it for little Johnny compensate by sticking him in beach wear in -2C.

To those whose kids 'refuse' to wear trousers, really? If they refused to wear anything other than a dinosaur outfit and a pink wig to school would you let them? Didn't think so.

Don't even get me started on the dads who wear shorts in the winter - what are they trying to prove? You don't look manly, you look like an idiot.

MollieO · 02/02/2012 13:04

Ds's shorts are part of his school uniform so no choice. Obviously I chose the school specifically because they wore shorts. No other reason at all. He may be changing schools to one that wears cord trousers. I'm not sure how he'll cope in the summer. Confused

seeker · 02/02/2012 13:07

I just think insisting on boys wearing shorts is part of an old-fashioned mind set I would worry would infiltrate the rest of the school's practices.

VonHerrBurton · 02/02/2012 13:10

Yep, a family at my ds school sent their 3 ds in shorts all year round regardless of the weather. I know the Mum and mentioned to her once in a 'gosh they're brave' style, her reply was 'dh thinks boys should be boys (hmmm) and trousers are for wussess'....

CamperFan · 02/02/2012 13:13

Can't bear seeing underdressed children in the winter. I don't care if it "does them no harm" or "they chose the shorts themselves" or "I used to go to school naked back in the 1900's when it was -10 degrees". I think it's a very British thing, and seems to cross the class boundaries, which is interesting (or maybe it's not). But then I hate being cold myself, and I tend to dress the DC according to how I feel.

mawbroon · 02/02/2012 13:16

LOL @ thinking it's posh parents.

Nope, definitely not posh here.

MollieO · 02/02/2012 13:18

I think it is cheap cost effective. Ds wore the same size shorts from reception to year 2. If he'd been wearing trousers I reckon we would have got through about 4 sizes he grew so much.

CumpyGrunt · 02/02/2012 13:31

My Dad didn't even own a pair of long trousers til he was 13.

Animation · 02/02/2012 13:33

Grin when I read the title. Love Mumsnet!

MollieO · 02/02/2012 13:55

Db wore shorts to school until the end of primary at 11. It wasn't even mandatory and lots of his friends wore trousers. Not even my mum can remember why she wouldn't allow him to wear trousers. I was made to wear some hideous home made trouser suit when I was in primary, which was odd bearing in mind my mother's view on trousers.

Adversecamber · 02/02/2012 15:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
OneLittleChicken · 03/02/2012 11:37

cilestquestion - your post made me chuckle! Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
OneLittleChicken · 03/02/2012 11:38

My DH doesn't feel the cold but I feel it terribly, I guess that may be why I asked

OP posts:
Toffi2604 · 05/02/2012 12:58

This reply has been deleted

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Mrsrobertduvall · 05/02/2012 13:04

Wearing shorts is good for character building and discipline..... Smile

CamperFan · 06/02/2012 10:09

Why not stick little pins in their feet or make them walk over hot coals too, Toffi!

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 06/02/2012 10:21

But Toffi, if the point of their uniform is to make them uncomfortable then shouldn't they be banned from shorts in summer? And at what point do you let them start wearing long trousers - 13? 18?

Toffi2604 · 07/02/2012 08:43

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

Gumby · 07/02/2012 08:51

I put shorts away in october half term

They can't wear them if they can't find them , it's quite simple really

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 07/02/2012 08:57

Maryz Grin I'm definitely not telling DD about your brother, she'd so try it herself. Toffi are you actually serious?

clam · 07/02/2012 09:04

Some of the boys in my Year 4 class appear to have some sort of bet on as to who can last the longest in shorts. It's some sort of testosterone one-upmanship. They wear blind they're not cold (as their teeth chatter) but it does rather make a mockery of me standing at the door insisting they all put on their coats/hats/gloves etc.. in this weather, or sending them back in to fetch them if they've sneaked out without.

Mrsrobertduvall · 07/02/2012 12:48

Toffi only seems to be able to post about boys wearing shortsHmm