to feel worried about my child at school

[boobymama]

am i being unreasonable to be so upset on collecting my 4 year old son from school last tuesday,to find that they had let him play out in his trainers morning and afternoon in the snow (-4) and sat all day in SOAKING trainers and socks. Why in the worst conditions we have had for ages, do they have to play outside? Why cant the teachers help the children to dress appropriately? My son developed a fever the next day and was off his food and sick! 5 more parnets have said exactly the same. The head says bring wellies!!!

I went to school in Sweden. We had swimming at the local swimming baths every Wednesday before lunchtime and then walked through town back to school- yes, with our hair wet- for lessons. As far as I remember it, we were a healthy bunch.

There are outdoor nurseries in both Scotland and Sweden where the children simply never go indoors.

Never go indoors cory? Not even if they want to?

Sounds interesting. Off to Google.

My two year old is capable of putting on wellie socks over her normal
Socks and then her wellies on, she just needs a bit of help taking wellies off. My four year old wears wellies and thick socks to school then changes into normal shoes when she goes inside. It would take up a lot of break time putting wellies on each and every child, I think teachers kind of presume children are able to put their own shoes on by the time they start school.

I agree, you need to send ds in with wells he can put on and take off himself.

Sadly it completely depends on the school/teachers as to weather the kids get any help dressing appropriately for the snow ime.

Just googled the Malmö pre-school Stock och sten; most of their activities are centered around the local park, where apparently they have two windbreaks. They do have some kind of building elsewhere for the drying of clothes and eating meals in inclement weather, but activities are all outside unless the weather is exceptionally inclement (we are probably talking temperatures below -15 here).

With the best will in the world I think a certain proportion of perfectly healthy, neurotypical 4 year olds will struggle a bit with changing wet socks and shoes. Mine didn't but I've seen plenty of little kids that did. Kids that struggle, whether through poor skills or idle parents who haven't bothered to teach them, shouldn't just be left with cold feet. How can you learn if you are uncomfortable?

I bet part of the norm though cory is that kids are well wrapped up and warm and don't have soaking wet trainers all day.

My Ds had his willies nicked while he was doing judo on saturday and there are no more in the shops!

ha ha wellies!!

OP can they not use pumps for indoor? Ds' school have a rule they must change out of outdoor school shoes/wellies/snow boots and in to pumps for indoors. Snowboots & pumps are easy to slip on/off

Oh and I got snow boots in aldi for £8 for him! Was so pleased as last year we paid £26 for a pair in Next and he wore them twice. This year we've had loads of use, even when raining hard rather than snowing.

And nurseries where kids never go inside are frankly bizarre. How do kids develope their fine motor skills? How do the play with blocks, look at books, mess around with water and paint when they are presumably bundled up the ginnells?

At my DD's school they won't help them with their coats. DD came home one day and said the teacher had said she couldn't wear her snow suit to school anymore as she struggles to do the zip herself.

She is 4 I still send her in it though as it keeps her warm. They still haven't said anything to me about it, and i'm pretty fucking peed off that they would tell her she couldn't wear something that keeps her warm!

Has a teacher actually said they won't help with coats? Because I have never come across this in any of the schools I have been associated with.

I don't think there is any need for people to be so harsh on the OP (but she was quite rude back).

I am surprised that a 4 year old (I didn't see that any issues were mentioned regarding this) cannot put wellies on and then change back into shoes. When I went to school 20-odd years ago we could only buy lace ups or buckles and many of the children could do it by 4. I have always been told by pre-schools/schools that being able to dress themselves and go to the toilet alone are the things they should be able to do when starting school (if nothing else). There are always children who will help others if they are struggling also.

I also wouldn't send my DCs to a school where they didn't help YR children to make sure they are in appropriate stuff to go outside as I think it sounds a bit ridiculous. However this would not be possible for them to do if parents don't take the correct (labelled) clothing in for them.

seeker this is just what I have heard from my DD. They haven't said anything to me yet, but maybe they were hoping she would. Personally I think its ridiculous not to help them.

MoominmammasHandbag Mon 21-Jan-13 11:37:17
"And nurseries where kids never go inside are frankly bizarre. How do kids develope their fine motor skills?"

I assume they develop them by building things out of doors, painting out of doors when the weather isn't wet, sandpits are very popular; there is no reason you can't use e.g. lego out of doors; it's plastic, so comes to no harm. We used to make animals out of fir cones, that would also be good for developing fine motor skills. Ime Scandinavian children usually start out learning DIY at a very early age, so a 4yo would be quite likely to be good at using a hammer and screwdriver. Again, no reason you have to be indoors to do DIY. They could even have cooking classes out of doors if they have the right equipment.

I never went to an outdoor nursery (or indeed any nursery), but I do seem to remember a lot of time spent doing crafts out of doors.

Hmmm I was in school forty years ago and we all had laces and buckles. As I remember we just slid our shoes on and off without undoing them. Not ideal I don't think.

As a Reception teacher I am forever putting shoes/ socks/ gloves/ jumpers sometimes every item of clothing a child is wearing on the radiators, so long as the child has told me they have wet feet, or I can see they are wet. I also help children put their boots on, when I know they have boots - again they have to tel me. Teachers are not psychic, but we will help when we know it is needed. I've told my class to always tell me when they need my help, so even the children with very little English can let me know.

My class keep their named wellies in a carrier bag on their coat pegs, sometimes they have them on the wrong feet but for the most part all children are capable of putting the wellies on, it's the changing back into shoes they need help with, and my TA and I always do.

Cory But don't they need to have gloves a lot of the time? I agree that its great for kids to spend a lot of time outdoors and I sent my kids to a nursery where they could go for a tramp round the woods every day if they chose to. I just think to be completely outside all day is quite extreme.

I don't actually know, Moominmamma, it's not as if I had any real experience of my own, but from what I remember of my own childhood you can do a fair bit of craft with gloves on. Might even be good for motor skills, on the principle of Demosthenes declaiming with pebbles in his mouth.

Anyway, only brought these outdoor places up as an argument that it is probably possible for young children to play out of doors in winter without catching their death.

If I had to be absolutely honest- I probably wouldn't send a child of my own. Not because I think they're dangerous, but because I also have such fond memories of indoor pursuits. A mix sounds good to me.

I've sent mine to school in wellies, with school shoes/trainers in the case of the 3 year old so that they can change into their normal shoes when they get into school.

On the point of teachers not helping them - I certainly believe you that this does happen, especially in a class of 30.

Yes really important to have willies. [childish]

Kids playing outdoors?! Having fun?! I am scandalised!!

OP send wellies. Like every other sane person does

I can't believe the hard time you'be had but then I think YANBU. You have a responsibility to provide appropriate clothing but the school also has a responsibility to assess the weather and decide if it's appropriate or not to send children outside.
Since you are not the only parent who has complained, it seems the school made the wrong judgement.
A few weeks ago nursery kept my ds in rather than sending him out to play because he felt cold. (He did have appropriate clothing including wellies that we keep at school but he was obviously coming down with something). My point is that teachers can use their discretion on whether or not to send a child outdoors and sending someone into the snow with trainers is inappropriate. Leaving them sitting with wet feet for the rest of the day is also inappropriate.
Yes, in future it would help if you left wellies at school but you'd still be relying on the teaching staff to realise the children needed time to change into wellies. You have to be able to trust their judgement and they have to use it. A blanket 'oh the children have to go outside' regardless is plain stupid.