Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not send my DC into school with sunhats tomorrow?

79 replies

NeoMaxiZoomDweebie · 03/06/2013 13:14

Just had a txt about it. "Please send your children into school wearing sunhats" We dont' go back till tomorrow.

Mine never wear them. One hates hats and the other isn't bothered but always takes them off.

They're 8 and 5. It's not like we live in a really hot country ffs. We made them wear them when we were in Oz if we were out for more than half an hour.

But really, what's going to happen to them during their 15 minute playtime? Also....since they don't HAVE hats now, if I am being unreasonable and must go out and buy them, what kind shall I get?

OP posts:
Quenelle · 03/06/2013 14:10

I had to persuade DS not to wear a hat yesterday.

Mind you it was a fleece-lined woolly hat with earflaps. And it was 22 degrees outside.

DiamondDoris · 03/06/2013 14:12

Oh, I've just ordered a hat for DS. DD will not wear a hat. She hates playing outside anyway. Don't much get the sun lotion in the morning thing though.

Idocrazythings · 03/06/2013 14:13

It's not about the heat/temperature though, it's the UV index. The amount of radiation coming through. Not having a massive hole in the ozone layer like above Australia will mean the UV index won't be as high, but the damage will still occur UV index linky

sjuperyoni · 03/06/2013 14:14

I'd do it just for the peace of mind but i am a major panicker about the kids being too hot/thirsty/burning. I'm as bad in winter with jumpers coats scarves warm boots...

Schools are annoying when notice is only given 1 day before tho.

Idocrazythings · 03/06/2013 14:16

Sun hats should be a part of their uniform and stay in the beloved UK PE kit all year round to come out for special occasions. IMO

LadyBeagleEyes · 03/06/2013 14:17

You can make them nice hats out of newspaper.Grin

JeanPaget · 03/06/2013 14:21

Regardless of the sun protection aspects, which as other posters have pointed out is significant, I think it's important to teach your children to show respect for the school rules rather than flouting them because you can't be arsed.

JeanPaget · 03/06/2013 14:22

Sorry, I should say "protection aspect", in case OP picks me up on my grammar Hmm

olidusUrsus · 03/06/2013 14:24

Ok, wearing a hat during high, hot and bright sunlight in the summer will not make you deficient in vitamin D Hmm

If you're that worried about vitamin deficiency due to sun protection, give them a supplement, don't risk cancer through burning.

ChunkyPickle · 03/06/2013 14:27

I don't think it is necessarily a good thing to teach children blind obedience to rules - I think that leads to a very jobsworth mentality.

Children (once they're old enough to understand) should be taught to understand why a rule is in place, so they can make and informed and educated decision whether to follow or break that rule - but then, my dad always said that rules were for the guidance of wisemen and the obedience of fools so I was probably raised a bit of a rebel anyhow.

As to sunhats - surely no school would be stupid enough to have kids out all day in direct sunlight, with or without hats? DS's nursery has all these rules, but their play area is in dappled shade/partialy covered so I'd be completely fine about DS being out and about all day with no hat or sunblock (plus they'd notice if he was hot and sweaty and persuade him in for a drink)

Fakebook · 03/06/2013 14:30

I'm glad you've taken my advice on board Neo Grin

here are some great ideas for you to look at

JeanPaget · 03/06/2013 14:30

You think her 5 and 8 year old dc are going to develop a jobsworth mentality from being told to follow school rules?

Your children's teachers must love you Hmm

seeker · 03/06/2013 14:34

Oh, ffs- "blind obedience to rules"?

We're talking about a 5 year old and a sun hat here!

It's not actually going to do the olive skinned kids any harm to wear a hat, and it mint help prevent their fair skinned playmates from getting burned.

Do we actually want to live in a community where people look out for each other or not?

Goldmandra · 03/06/2013 14:34

School can't be expected to operate a hat policy where they decide individually whether particular children can or can't go out in the sun depending on the shade of their skin, their ethnicity, their willingness to wear a hat, the factor sun cream they are wearing etc.

That ^

I have one child with very fair skin and one with olive skin. The fact that I know my own children well means I can decide who needs a hat and sunblock, how much sun they are expected to get throughout the whole day and whether we can get away with some time without protection. I obviously continually reassess as the day progresses and decide whether more or less protection is needed. This is sometimes different for just my two children.

How on earth do you expect school teachers to make an individual judgement for each child in the school on a daily basis?

They have to have a policy which keeps all children safe. Wearing hats isn't difficult or traumatic. Send them with your children and leave the teachers to make sure they wear them.

ChunkyPickle · 03/06/2013 14:37

I think that blind obedience is dangerous - for example, people going the speed limit no matter the conditions because that's what the sign says, or not thinking through instructions on medicine or mechanical apparatus. Or any one of hundreds of situations where someone in authority tells you to do something when they might not have the full picture.

5 - a bit young (although who hasn't been bitten by a rule you've told a toddler which they then ruthlessly impose?), 8 year-olds are definitely getting to a point where they should be being taught critical thinking.

seeker · 03/06/2013 14:39

And think of all the fun everyone will have sitting round waiting for little Jocasta to put her case for not wearing her hat..........

ChunkyPickle · 03/06/2013 14:40

Schools operate all sorts of individual policies - hat wearing would seem to be one of the least of the things they have to police differently per child.

How about teaching the kid they should wear a hat if they're in direct sun, just the way you teach a kid allergic to peanuts that they need to steer clear of certain foods? Or is using blanket rules as an alternative to common sense/education/personal responsibility the way forward?

Francagoestohollywood · 03/06/2013 14:42

I agree with Goldmandra.
As an Italian I find this British angst towards the sun slightly OTT, but, school has to think of the well being of all children, therefore a policy of wearing a sun hat is totally reasonable.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 03/06/2013 14:45

Child dislikes wearing a hat (as ds1 did when he was younger) so this is what happens.

Hat gets put on
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again
Child takes hat off
Hat gets put on again.

Repeat ad infinitum each time child needs to wear a hat (any time of year). It works eventually!

For those of you saying it's not hot enough to get burnt - it most definitely is here today. I got burnt on my chest on Saturday when it was much cooler than it is today - I'd not been out for more than an hour.

Hope you find some nice hats OP!

seeker · 03/06/2013 14:48

Of course it isn't. But one of the most important life lessons is "pick your battles" If everyone wears a hat, even if they don't actually need to, my smart arse red head couldn't say "I'm not wearing my hat because Jocasta isn't wearing hers" which I guarantee she would have done. Which would have been tedious for all concerned- even more tedious than Jocasta's presentation.

There are rules which are for the good of an individual - no nuts in a school with a severely allergic child- for example, and rules which are for the good of the group- the hat rule where there are lots of fair skinned children. It does a child no harm to "take on for the team" and wear a hat when they don't personally need to, to make life easier and mor pleasant for everyone. Including the teachers.

specialsubject · 03/06/2013 14:52

BASIC PHYSICS LESSON.

Temperature doesn't matter.
Solstice June 21st. UV Currently at its highest levels. (These vary in a sine curve if anyone can cope with that) Perfectly strong enough to burn.
suncream doesn't last all day.
hats outside good.

let's hope the kids listen in their science lessons more than some of the people on here did.

Futterby · 03/06/2013 14:57

YABU, just send them with a hat. How hard is it really? Hmm

ExcuseTypos · 03/06/2013 14:58

I'm sure the school will have a few spare hats, of you can't get to the shops today. They do at the school I work in. They have a massive box full, which gets taken out into the playground. All dc have to wear one or they have to sit in the shade.

Longdistance · 03/06/2013 14:59

Not you again.

You didn't want them wearing cycle helmets the other day.

[busted emoticon]

ExcuseTypos · 03/06/2013 15:01

Oh gosh!

Is this a hat trollShock

How very dare you!