To ask my children's pre-school not to let them play outside

[AitchDee]

My twins attend a local preschool for three mornings a week. Since they started I have had issues with them arriving home at lunch time with soaking wet sleeves and trousers where they have done outside water play, and hands that are red raw from being cold and wet.

On Thursday upon dropping them off, we were told not to take coats/hats/gloves off as they were going o play in the school field next door. I raised my eyebrows at the time as it really was a very cold, frosty morning.

A hour later I got a phone call to say my twins needed collecting as one was very poorly and falling asleep/eyes rolling in his head, and the other 'had come out in sympathy' and was crying hysterically.

I collected them and brought them home, but I think they we're just utterly freezing. They were absolutely fine the rest of the day. All the other children were playing happily back in the warm so it was only mine.

I'm not sure if I am just being precious. They do love playing outside, even in freezing cold water and wet sand, no matter the weather, but I think their bodies use find it a bit much. They were born very early, and only weighed 1lb 3oz at birth but to look at them now they have caught up.

Would I look a twat asking preschool to keep them indoors until spring? Maybe my twins just need a bit of toughening up? They will be three in January if that makes a difference.

It's never bad weather but bad preparation (or summat).

Get them decent waterproof clothes and make sure the nursery help them get dressed. They do at ours.

YABU.

I'd be annoyed with the nursery. At not yet 3 you're sending them in with clean changes of clothes, so why are they leaving them in wet stuff?

Good layering will sort out the cold. with waterproofs on top, and the nursery reminded to make sure they're wearing it.

Outside water play is just stupid in this weather, not sure what the teachers were thinking with that one. Otherwise outdoor play with suitable clothes is perfectly safe and healthy in most weather.
Maybe ask about the water play but leave the outdoor play unless you want the teacher to be rolling her eyes at your back as you leave the classroom.

My children are wrapped up and outside in all weathers, but outdoor water play is ridiculous is this weather.

My ds4 is in reception and their classroom includes an outside area they have water play etc, i.just send him with appropriate clothing and a change of clothes.

Water play is fine even in the cold but the children should have waterproifs and be dried and changed if they get wet.

OP didn't say specifically the water play was in the cold weather, well it might be, she wrote they'd had wet sleeves and trousers and complained about this since they started, the wet play might have been during warm weather or might not have been, the OP didn't say.

I'm not impressed with the preschool leaving them in wet clothes. That's not acceptable.
If I sent my kids to preschool without appropriate clothes for the activity, they would lend the kids clothes or ring me up and have a (justified) grumble at me, or not let the kids join in the activity (and tell me off when I picked them up). There's no way they'd let the kids go ahead and do it anyway then leave them in wet clothes. Madness.

I'm a nursery nurse and I'm a massive fan of being outside.

But...

some nurseries try to be outside without understanding what it takes to be outside a lot. There is a saying in childcare that everything you can do inside you can do outside. The saying is wrong and really annoys me. Water or anything that involves getting wet is a terrible idea any time other than the summer. Wet = cold.
Reading books involves sitting down, not moving much and removing gloves to turn pages, all things that will make you cold. Clothes must be suitable.
The way some nurseries behave will put children off going outside. It's perfectly possible to be outside in freezing conditions and be comfortable.

I think you should have a word with the nursery about letting children get wet outside. It's dangerous.
And make sure they have the right clothes: 2 pairs of socks, wellies, tights, trousers, t-shirt, jumper, fleece, waterproof topcoat, scarf/snood, hat that covers ears, and waterproof gloves-not wool!

I feel the cold more than other people and always have done. Ds1 takes after me. he doesn't like being out as long in the cold as the other kids, because it starts to hurt. From long experience I know that appropriate clothes help, but for someone who feels the cold, they are not enough. I would get blue fingers regardless of what I was wearing.
So, yes, speak to the nursery, just say they need an eye and not to let them stay out on cold days for too long

I feel the cold more than other people and always have done. Ds1 takes after me. he doesn't like being out as long in the cold as the other kids, because it starts to hurt. From long experience I know that appropriate clothes help, but for someone who feels the cold, they are not enough. I would get blue fingers regardless of what I was wearing.
So, yes, speak to the nursery, just say they need an eye and not to let them stay out on cold days for too long

Yanbu about the wet play. Its not appropriate at this time of year.

Yabu about playing out. They can not provide staff just to watch your children inside while all others play out and I am sure your children would like that either.

Thanks for your opinions everyone.

Last week they went in wearing:
Long sleeved vest
Dungarees
Socks
Jumper
Preschool zip-up fleece
Waterproof jacket
Hat/gloves/scarf
Wellies

The water play was last week...in the mornings the water table was frozen solid!

anyway, I have taken what you have said on board and will send them in wearing their waterproof, padded all-in-one whatsits (they have these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNWT-Red-Spotty-Snowsuit-ski-suit-Muddy-Puddles-6-12-months-/261127462253?pt=UK_Baby_Girls&hash=item3ccc68dd6d&nma=true&si=MXGecPht4UdYLdB5NSyUIvn1CcA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557). I hadn't sent them in these because I thought it might be a bit of a pain for the staff getting them on and off.

I will also invest in waterproof gloves and snow boots, and embrace the fresh air!

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNWT-Red-Spotty-Snowsuit-ski-suit-Muddy-Puddles-6-12-months-/261127462253?pt=UK_Baby_Girls&hash=item3ccc68dd6d&nma=true&si=MXGecPht4UdYLdB5NSyUIvn1CcA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

These, sorry

I work in a nursery and take my children out every day. (2s-3s)
BUT
They have to wear suitabe clothes. The nursery asks for wellies but we have a stack of spares- we also have waterproofs for the children so they can sgo out in the rain. We only stay outside for short periods and we use our common sense for things like water play and sitting down on the ground.
It takes longer to get ready to go outside sometimes than we actually spend playing.
The children enjoy being outside and none of them complain about the weather. In fact they complain when we tell them it's time to go in
When we go in we often have hot chocolate or warm milk if it's very cold or drinks of water if it is hot.
So to answer your question
YABU
Children need to go outside and the nursery has a legal obligation to take them outside- it's in the EYFS

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNWT-Red-Spotty-Snowsuit-ski-suit-Muddy-Puddles-6-12-months-/261127462253?pt=UK_Baby_Girls&hash=item3ccc68dd6d&nma=true&si=MXGecPht4UdYLdB5NSyUIvn1CcA%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

These, sorry

sorry op. cross post glad you've seen the light

This is a good website for the type of waterproofs nurseries and pre-schools use

YABU. I work in a childrens centre for children with SEN and we go out side regardless of the weather, in the middle of winter/torrential rain you name it we go out. All the children love going out regardless of weather. I can think of one or 2 complaints from children over the years after hundreds of kids. We go by the phrase 'no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothes'. Believe me, I sometimes wish we didn't have this policy, but it's not fair to keep the children in.

The children will be absolutely fine if you provide them with weather appropriate clothes. Warm padded coat for when it's very cold, rain coat, mittens/sun hat/ and a SPARE change of clothes. Most parents bring spare clothes so we can change them if they get soaked with water play or whatever.

If we have to keep a child in for whatever reason then the whole group usually suffers so it's probably not doable anyway. If you remove one staff member for kids whose parents don't want them out then you are short staffed.

They need to be out in the winter more than ever, to reduce the risk of illness. I'd made up when my DC do outside play other places, means I don't have to do as much! Kit them out in weather appropriate stuff and they'll be fine. What you can do is tell them that they tend to feel the cold a lot, and ask them to make sure if they play in the water that their sleeves are rolled up and they are wearing aprons and that you expect them to be changed into dry things when wet, and they must be wearing their gloves when not at the sand/water area. Some parents do insist this for a few of our kids and we definitely stick to it.

Those suits look great my dd has something similar from jojomamam bebe.

Wet play is fine. Leaving them in wet clothes is not fine, they should be changing them if they are wet and uncomfortable.

Children at nurseries have to be allowed outside, it's part of the EYFS. They should also be allowed to be inside too if they want to be.

Dungarees are a real pain on under 5s, they cannot go to the toilet without help.
Hats which cover ears and neck are great and better than a hat and scarf, eg a balaclava! They are more common in continental Europe, find some really funky ones in the Christmas markets.
Mits are a much better than gloves too, especially the ski mitt types which are longer and you pull over coat sleeves.

My children aren't potty trained so dungarees are fine at the moment.

Kids should play out all year long, but it sounds like the nursery aren't taking precautions which is a problem for me. WHy get toddlers wet when it's freezing out? No reason for it, I'd question that. i also think it would be impossible for them to leave your kids inside and have someone watch just your two when the rest are outside. Maybe have a word with them about dressing the kids appropriately and not getting them wet and then if nothing changes move them>