To think the teachers were BU?

[BalthierBunansa]

I have a DN (aged 9) and my DS was telling me that yesterday in school was very, very cold. So cold that according to DN all he kids were huddled together in big coats and rubbing their hands to try to keep warm at dinner break (which lasts an hour). Numerous children had asked the supervisor if they could all go inside for break as it was too cold, but when the supervisor asked the head teacher, she refused. DN said that her hands were bright red and the little ones especially were cold. AIBU in thinking the headteacher should have allowed to children to spend break inside than in the freezing cold for 1 hour when they were clearly uncomfortable?

[TheNebulousBoojum]

'Running round gets you more chilled because you open up all the blood vessels in the surface of the skin and lose more heat. Just sayin''

That's why you wear a windproof, lightweight kagol and gloves and a hat.
The heat you generate becomes trapped within the layers of clothing and keeps you warm.

[teacherandguideleader]

'Running round gets you more chilled because you open up all the blood vessels in the surface of the skin and lose more heat. Just sayin''

That is a response to the body temperature rising, not running around as such. Running around causes body temperature to rise and if it rises too much, then vasodilation in the blood vessels near the skin will occur. If it is cold, running around will help body temperature from dropping too low.

I also agree with whoever said about never wrong weather, only wrong clothes. So true. Parents should send their children with coats, hats, scarves etc. Maybe the school could have a box in each classroom with a range of spares for any children whose parents don't provide them as I know not everyone will - rather than donating old coats and accessories to charity they could be brought into school for children to use (I do this with my Guide group for camp - when someone grows out of their blue clothes - uniform and camp kit - they get donated). I work in secondary not primary so slightly different but I will put my coat on children who are cold / lend out gloves / umbrellas etc.

The trouble with allowing children in school is the supervision. The most likely scenario is that they will end up in classrooms (as with wet play). This often means the teachers get no break whatsoever all day as they have to supervise. Otherwise they would have to employ a supervisor for each class which would cost schools a lot more money, which many would not be able to afford.

Wind is a different issue, as is an icy playground as that is a safety risk.

Sorry I have gone on a bit!

[BelleDameSousMistletoe]

Heavens, some of you are harsh! Would it be such a big deal to let children stay in or go in if they're cold?

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Half an hour exercise every day, plus the social skills involved in active games?
If you are cold, move more.

[TheNebulousBoojum]

Then you get parents whining about the use of DVDs to control the masses with minimal supervision. Why is it so unthinkable to be out in most weathers for a short space of time?

[teacherandguideleader]

I think it is a staffing issue. At my school, teachers are asked to give up one lunchtime a week which allows children inside. We are then 'rewarded' for our time with free dinner. Incidentally, I do give up one of my lunchtimes. This happens a lot in secondary, not sure in primary.

[chibi]

as a child, i regularly played out in temperatures up to -30, it was never too cold to be outside. If they are dressed appropriately, there is no reason why children here can't be out in the weather we get here, barring bonkers torrential rains of course

[TheNebulousBoojum]

No, we fought in the 80s for a child-free lunchbreak and got one.

[OwedToAutumn]

TBH, it sounds like the children all got together and decided it was"really cold" and that they all needed to huddle together to get warm.

And once one person goes and asks a teacher if they can go in, it becomes part of the "game".

Children love to feel how unjustly teachers are treating them.

I'm not saying it wasn't cold, but I bet there are other cold days when the game is football or piggy in the middle, and no one even thinks about how cold it is.

[teacherandguideleader]

I agree with you TheNebulousBoojum - I don't think anyone should be forced to give up their lunch. I am happy to give one of mine up, it benefits me quite nicely and certainly at my school that is why people do it - for the benefit rather than so the little lambs don't get cold!

[TheNebulousBoojum]

' Complaint by Allan Ahlberg

The teachers all sit in the staffroom.
The teachers all drink tea.
The teachers all smoke cigarettes
As cosy as can be.

We have to go out at playtime
Unless we bring a note
Or it's tipping down with rain
Or we haven't got a coat.

We have to go out at playtime
Whether we like it or not.
And freeze to death if it's freezing
And boil to death if it's hot.

The teachers can sit in the staffroom
And have a cosy chat.
We have to go out at playtime;
Where's the fairness in that?

[bradywasmyfavouriteking]

Heavens, some of you are harsh! Would it be such a big deal to let children stay in or go in if they're cold?

For start, the kids at our school are usually climbing the walls by the afternoon, when they have been in all day. There are supervision issues. You can't just let some kids stay in and some go out. How the hell would you know who was where.

And its cold. Its not dangerous, or hazardous to health. Its good for kids to go outside and get some fresh air.

[exoticfruits]

Those who think that they should stay in clearly have no experience of teaching in the afternoon after a wet dinner time!
Sadly DCs don't come in the right clothing. I have had them crying when the whole school, teachers included, are out in the snow because they are there with normal school shoes, no gloves, no hat and no scarf. What do parents think they will do in snow?! It is good for them to be out. Send them adequately dressed.

[cory]

Never seemed to be an issue in my school in central Sweden. There was some supposed kind of rule that if the temperature dropped below -25C we wouldn't have to go to school at all, but of course that only ever happened at half-term. Agree that torrential rain is a different matter, but wind is something children should get used to. I think there is a danger in teaching children that the feeling of cold against the skin is bad for you: we'll end up creating a generation who only feels safe indoors for the best part of the year - and that will be a more unfit generation.

[exoticfruits]

I think that forest schools when they are out all weathers are a great idea.

[KittyFane1]

I'm trying to picture a load of wimpy kids shivering in the corner :(
Not where I work. It was really windy, wet and cold last week. Some children were running around high as kites pretending they were being sucked into a hurricane. Others were standing still to see who would be blown over first. Others were running around chasing leaves.
We brought them in, it was chaos!!

[TheNebulousBoojum]

'we'll end up creating a generation who only feels safe indoors for the best part of the year - and that will be a more unfit generation.'

We have that generation already, along with the morbid terror of melting in the rain.
It is why the remit of schools includes so many more areas now that used to be considered parenting responsibilities. Food, exercise, health, citizenship, table manners...

[Sirzy]

I think it's my generation (mid 20s) who are the ones who too often need to be 'safe' indoors. We were always taken inside at the first sign of rain at school, it was daft!

Thankfully common sense seems to have prevailed and they now see children won't melt in rain. Now it's the parents who need convincing

[OpheliaPayneAgain]

I'm scanning the DM as we spaek, looking for the headling "Child melts in rain"

[bradywasmyfavouriteking]

Oh god I remember being dragged in at lunchtime because its was spitting. Pain in the arse.

And my mum was one of the lunchtime supervisors and she used to do it at home. We had to go in at the first sign of bad weather.

Thank god, at dds school, they know the new research shows that rain isn't harmful.

I get bringing them in if its pissing down pr so windy its actually dangerous.
but cold?

[exoticfruits]

I don't think that we ever get cold enough in UK for it to be a problem.

[pictish]

Oh fgs - just shows how times have changed.
We were punted out all through the year when I was at school. Even in November. We kept warm by being ACTIVE.

Kids don't play out, or walk to school any more, they sit in front of screens and get ferried about fron place to place...what with all the paedophiles everywhere. So they can no longer hack the pace.

It's not even that cold just now. Nothing that a beanie and pair of gloves won't combat.

Man up kids!!!!

[bradywasmyfavouriteking]

Man up kids!!!!

^^ usually I hate the 'man up phrase' but this made me laugh. :)