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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think that they CAN do PE outside even if it is raining?!!

96 replies

5madthings · 26/04/2012 21:42

My ds1 is at high school, he is 12 and in yr 8 and over the last few months i noticed he hadnt been doing PE as much, they have a two week timetable, one week they do it once, the next week they do it twice.

It turns out that when it rains they often dont do PE at all! They have a gym and several big halls, but these are sometimes used for exams etc, i can understand if its PISSING down then maybe they wouldnt do outdoor PE but they have a good pe kit, with stuff for colder/wet weather and there are showers etc for after PE so if they get a bit cold, wet and muddy then they can clean up afterwards.

It turns out that often they are watching films instead of doing PE when it rains, recently they watched a james bond film and to make it a PE lesson they had to spot the 'gymnastic style moves' in the film!! not that they were quizzed about the film to see what they had spotted anyway.

when i was at high school we did PE outside in all weather, ie hockey in the friggin snow! now i probably wouldnt expect him to do PE outside in the snow, its probably against some health and safety rule, but surely a bit of rain is no reason not to do PE outdoors?

they have tennis courts, big fields with running track, football pitches, rounders fields etc all marked out, plus basket ball courts, rugby, etc etc, some of these sports can be done in the rain yes?

is this some new healthy and safety thing ie they 'might' slip on the wet grass?

aibu? or should they be doing PE regardless of weather conditions and not watching films?!!

OP posts:
GwendolineMaryLacey · 26/04/2012 21:46

Would you want to be turfed outside at the moment? I know I wouldn't.

GrimmaTheNome · 26/04/2012 21:46

My DD is in year 8. I just asked her - they go out rain or shine.

Sunscorch · 26/04/2012 21:46

For every one sensible parent like you who realises that rain ain't all that bad, there are at least two who would complain that their darling children were a touch damp and chilly.

5madthings · 26/04/2012 21:48

well i have to do the school run everyday with my 4 younger children, we walk, its half an hour each way, if it rains we have coats, its not like the rain makes you melt!!

my dp is just as miffed as i am, i am half debating asking the school if this is an official policy or not.

and i do get that bucketing it down maybe not, but a bit of rain, come on! this is england if they dont do PE every time it rains they wont do PE more often than they do it!

OP posts:
NettoSuperstar · 26/04/2012 21:50

Ugh, PE in the rain.

landofsoapandglory · 26/04/2012 21:50

It was absolutely pissing it down today and I wouldn't have wanted to have been out in it for 5 minutes, let alone an hour.

Not only that, but one would assume at least one teacher would be out there too! I'd pity them having to be out in it all day TBH.

5madthings · 26/04/2012 21:53

oh yes i have memories of playing hockey when it was hailing! and we were only allowed to wear a pe skirt, with those hideous pe knickers and a t-shirt, whilst the pe teacher had one full windproof, waterproof coat and trousers, hat, scarf etc!

but now they have a kit that included trousers, and a rainproof jacket etc, that we had to fork out extra to buy with the school logo on and its NEVER gets used!

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 26/04/2012 21:56

I stood tonight in the rain whilst dd did sport outside in the rain - try keeping 35 dc in when they would rather be doing sport. it was the same on Tuesday but heavier rain and 2 hours rather than just an hour and a half.

Rain doesn't stop play and they race in the rain so the train in the rain.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 26/04/2012 21:56

I agree now I am no longer subjected to PE lessons Grin

When i was however there was no way in hell i was doing PE ouside in anything less than glorious sunshine, I wasnt alone, most of us refused point blank to move until something nice and cushy was arranged inside, like badminton in the sports hall - sitting down whilst playing of course. They couldnt suspend the whole class so we tended to win. I loved school Grin

bigbluebus · 26/04/2012 21:57

They don't seem to do PE outside when it is raining at my DS's secondary school either, but they do still do PE indoors.
I'm amazed really as the teenagers clearly don't dissolve in the rain - most of them don't bother wearing coats to school in the depths of winter or the pouring rain and they sit around all day in their wet uniform - so why should they be bothered about being outside for PE.
We always did hockey or cross country running whatever the weather when I was at school.

sandyboots · 26/04/2012 21:59

if you run around outside in the rain yourself then YANBU
I wouldn't do it and so wouldn't want my dcs too. Children are people too Smile

McHappyPants2012 · 26/04/2012 22:00

i want my children to enjoy excerises. so no i wouldn't be happy with my little darlings being outside in the rain doing pe making it unpleaseant

tbh i rather they got a few xbox with kinect or a wii

Intrum · 26/04/2012 22:01

Probably a (stupid) health and safety issue.

When I was at school (in northern Scandinavia) we only got to do PE indoors when it was colder than -25C.

It won't kill the kids to do PE in a bit of rain!!!

5madthings · 26/04/2012 22:25

well as i said i walk to school twice a day everyday come rain or snow and i take my kids to the park in the rain! they dont care, they are just happy to be out and playing.

ds2 and ds3 do football club and they do that outside in the rain and i or dp will stand and watch them, so yes i do go out in the rain and dp ran the marathon last sunday and got rained on, it didnt kill him.

i guess it depends on what you normally do but we will go the beach on a cold, damp day and just wrap up warm etc and go for walks in the rain, as long as you have a coat etc its fine!

and if they cant do PE outside then i do think they need to sort something out so they are NOT watching films instead of doing PE!! thats just a cop out.

OP posts:
sandyboots · 26/04/2012 22:49

5madthings your family is hardcore I salute you Grin
YANBU in your case but other wimpy families like mine just stay in when it's wet. Totally agree they should do indoor sports/dance/circuits etc why on earth aren't they?

Bunbaker · 26/04/2012 22:58

If it rains DD does PE inside instead, but her school has fantastic facilities. It isn't just raining here though. It is torrential downpour and has been for several weeks days.

I don't choose to go for a walk in torrential rain and I think it is cruel to make children go out in the rain for PE.

5madthings · 26/04/2012 22:59

not hardcore just cant cope with being cooped up indoors with 5 kids for days on end when it rains! Grin

and as for hwy they arent doing indoor PE i have NO idea, i know sometimes the halls are in use for other things, but they cant be all the time.

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 26/04/2012 23:05

I come out in hives when I have to go to the PE block at my school, I hate sport that much, so I'm with the indoor PE all the way! Grin

However, bad form to have them watching a James bond film! There are plenty of resources and plenty of classroom based PE lessons that can be used. I know - I use them every single time, I am forced to cover a PE lesson!

5madthings · 26/04/2012 23:26

maureenMLove that is more my issue that they watched a james bond film and had to pick out 'gymnastic moves' on the pretence that made it a PE lesson! there must be plenty of other things they can do!! the school has several big halls and a gym etc so i find it hard to believe they are ALL in use, and even if they are can they not move some desks in a classroom and stand and do stretching exercised or at least have a lesson that is more geared towards PE or do something educational rather than watch a james bond film!!

OP posts:
DrCoconut · 26/04/2012 23:31

It's controversial but I really believe that traditional PE should not be compulsory at all, it should be in the form of extra curricular clubs or later on a GCSE option (so I'm not BU and saying stop those who like it doing it!) I despised PE and was bullied for being rubbish at it (among other things). It made me really anxious and miserable and put me right off sport. Children should be offered fun, non judgemental fitness activities and taught about healthy living - diet, exercise etc, as part of science or whatever form tutorial type programme they do, but ultimately it is the parents' reponsibility to ensure the child's health not the school. Awaiting flaming now :).

Quodlibet · 26/04/2012 23:35

That is a lazy, lazy PE teacher I reckon. He/she clearly can't be arsed. How can watching James Bond be an acceptable PE lesson? And if that's not encouraging a sedentary lifestyle indoors watching TV instead of an active life I don't know what is.

Blimey I sound like an old gimmer. But I do think that's a shocking cop-out.

BackforGood · 26/04/2012 23:41

YANBU. dd1 is in Yr8 and part of their PE kit list is a (school colour) cag to wear when it is rainy. On the few occasions when it really is too bad, and there is no alternative space, then the PE dept should have videos that might actually show them some technique - be it Olympic Gymnastics or Match of the Day analysis, not a James Bond film.
If this were regular, I would certainly challenge it at my dcs schools.

5madthings · 26/04/2012 23:43

yes ds1 has a specific jacket for outdoor PE in bad weather and tracksuit bottoms, purchased at some cost to myself!

i think i shall ring the school and ask for some clarification on wet weather PE policy, i shant go in all guns blazing but just in a 'i am wondering what the policy is' type way :)

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 26/04/2012 23:50

There was one day last year DDs class missed their outdoor PE - the gates to the astroturf field had frozen solid. They don't use the grass field in bad weather - not because of mud, because it would ruin it - if a school doesn't have some astroturf that may limit options. But they have a gym and a dance studio too, I don't think they ever aren't active in a PE lesson.

DD is like me - short and not 'sporty'. But she's positively looking forward to athletics tomorrow - she says she's rubbish at it (as my DD that's probably accurate) but its fun.

nailak · 26/04/2012 23:51

i didnt like going out in the cold and wouldnt expect my dd to. if one or two hours a week is the only excercise or sports they get then they need to fix up, if it is not the only sports they get then does it really matter if they miss it now and again?