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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be so frustrated with slack parents...(sunshine)

91 replies

ShabbyButNotChic · 09/07/2013 09:25

Basically i work in a school club attached to a primary. It is bloody hot today (16c and glorious sunshine at 7.15am) and also school sports day today. The kids will be on the field all day, with only a break for lunch. Luckily the school has a few gazebo type things set up for shade. It is supposed to reach 28 degress here today.
I was talking to the kids this morning, and of the 16 children that were there (aged 7-11) not a single one had suncream on! Only 2 had brought their (school issued) sun hats, and 1 child had remembered their (school issued) water bottle.

Ffs sake! They are small kids who are having sports day on the hottest day of the year! Its not like parents could have missed this info as it has been forecast/was hot by 7am, AND school sent a letter last week reminding parents to prepare the kids before school, and a bloody text last night! It really winds me up, as we are going to be all over the situation now today, making sure they dont burn, provide them all drinks etc.

Cant decide if this is more annoying than the parents who send their kids to school in 2foot of snow in ballet pump style shoes.....just look out the window and dress your kids properly for gods sake!!

Rant over...

OP posts:
maternitart · 09/07/2013 09:28

YANBU, they've just delegated all responsibility to you.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 09/07/2013 09:35

Yanbu - people don't think. It was my village carnival on Sunday and several children needed medical attention for sunstroke and dehydration, including a 2yo who needed oxygen. Ds is 15mo and won't wear a hat so has to stay in his pram under a sunshade and have factor 50 in his hair. See so many kids getting too much sun this week.

Mumsyblouse · 09/07/2013 09:40

That does sound crap. Are you sure none of them had sunscreen put on before school, that's what I do with mine, using one of those 8 hr formulas (as don't trust them to put on sunscreen/cover the right areas at school) plus one of mine is allergic to standard sunscreen.

I have also sent in the hats, but seen my dd1 walking up in incredible heat without it on a school trip, when asked why she didn't have it on, she said it made her hotter...

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/07/2013 09:43

However, this is why I hated sports days and all that bollocks at school. No amount of hats, sunscreen and water makes see-through me feel good in the sun for hours. Shade and the indoors is the only way. So, the parents ABU or sending their kids in without prep and the school and society in general ABU for expecting small children to be out in the sun all day.

Mad dogs and Englishmen.

Titsalinabumsquash · 09/07/2013 09:44

I hate this too!

I am so worried about sun damage my boys don't step outside the garden without sun cream and a hat and giant sorts water bottle.

Luckily sports day has been halved this year so they won't be out all day in the heat.

Some parents amaze me at their inability to dress their children for appropriate weather.

HeySoulSister · 09/07/2013 09:45

But if you are going to have a hissy fit over all these dangers the children face by being in the dangerous outdoors.....kind of begs the question as to why school keep the kids out on the field ALL day!

All that sun protection won't stop kids being affected, only minimises the risk. School should rethink their plans to be outdoors all day long too

Original poster
ShabbyButNotChic · 09/07/2013 09:46

Thats it maternitart its the attitude of 'oh it will be fine'.. I mean yes we have a few spare hats, but there are 300kids in the school! Its madness, we simply dont have the resources/time to be sorting all the kids out! It would take up half the morning!
Also we cant provide suncream due to potential allergies etc and technically we are not allowed to put it on them anyway, though we would of course help the little ones.
englishgirl i agree that they just dont think. They see a bit of sun and think its great, but they wont think its great when their child has burnt/become ill.
Im really not into overprotecting kids etc but i always thought suncream at least was a must!

OP posts:
GobblersKnob · 09/07/2013 09:46

The parents are obviously totally unresonable, goes without saying.

But I think today is too hot for a sports day where it will be carried out in full sun.

Altinkum · 09/07/2013 09:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

quoteunquote · 09/07/2013 09:49

Don't take children who are not correctly dressed for activity out in the sun, they will get burnt,you wouldn't allow them to put their hand in a fire, it is no different, so just keep them in the class room.

Shame for the children who did make the effort to be prepare.

they need long sleeves, large brimmed hats, sunblock, shade( what the school is proving is not adequate and water, or it is very high risk,

Cancel the sport day, and send a letter out to every single parent who child did not arrive with the correct kit for the day, explaining they are responsible for the all the children missing out.

In future make it a school rule, trainers, shorts, sweatpants, long sleeve top, t-shirt ,wide brimmed hat, water bottle and factor fifty sunblock must be kept in school,in a bag, that what our school does as we get a lot of sun, and teacher will not take children out without them.

Original poster
ShabbyButNotChic · 09/07/2013 09:53

mumsy yes these kids were at morning club so were at school at 7.30. I asked them all just casually, like "are you excited for sports day? Got your suncream on?' Everyone of them said no.
soulsister i wouldnt call it a hissy fit i would just presume that it was the norm to try protect your kids from the sun, and was shocked at the number that werent. School are taking precautions by putting up gazebos for shady sitting areas, asking all kids to be creamed, bring hats and water, and providing cold water bottle top ups throughout the day.
The head has also surprised the kids and staff this morning with a massive box of ice lollies that they can have mid morning. Because he realises they will be warm, unlike their parents did!

OP posts:
NoComet · 09/07/2013 09:53

Why everyone has to go out and bake on sports day is beyond me.

Why can't year grouos go out for 30 minutes, do their races and come back in, why dies everyone have to watch if they don't want to.

Why must we come and cook too???

NoComet · 09/07/2013 09:53

why has the spell check vanished on my kindle????????

Original poster
ShabbyButNotChic · 09/07/2013 09:57

altinkum they do have water bottles, they are taken home at night, kept on desk during day. They forgot them. We obviously have water fountains etc in school but a child cannot be sent fron the field to get a drink, they have to go with a member of staff, as they have a tendency to wander.

OP posts:
Lancelottie · 09/07/2013 09:57

And why do children suddenly become heat-proof at secondary school?

Rules for DD's primary: 'Children must bring a sun hat or cap for break times.'
Rules for DS's secondary: 'No caps are allowed at any time.'

ChunkyPickle · 09/07/2013 09:59

I do think that it's silly not sending the kids in with hats and water bottles.

BUT

I also think it's pretty awful if the school does have water and shade freely available - even sunblocked and in a hat I would be in trouble if forced to sit in direct sun on a school field without a fresh drink!

Our school field had trees around the edge that we were encouraged to sit under, and we were all periodically trouped off for drinks of water at the fountain. Back then we didn't normally wear hats, water bottles were for cyclists, and there was no such thing as 8 hour sunblock, so the school had to think about these things.

Altinkum · 09/07/2013 10:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChunkyPickle · 09/07/2013 10:00

school doesn't have water/shade available

primallass · 09/07/2013 10:02

It's too long for them to be in 28 degree heat whether they have lotion etc or not. That needs rethought today.

primallass · 09/07/2013 10:02

It will be really hard on their eyes too.

HeySoulSister · 09/07/2013 10:02

Gazebos?? Well they aren't going to offer much protection really. Ice lollies, well it's just water and sugar... A cool tongue for a few moments.

School shouldn't be keeping them out all day

Dolallytats · 09/07/2013 10:02

It's not just sports days either. My DS is in reception, so a huge part of his day is still playing outside plus normal playtimes/lunchtimes outside. Out of the class of 30, only 4 children have been sent in with bottles of suncream to be topped up (much to my DS's annoyance, I am one of those who sent a bottle in-he's totally unimpressed!!He is very pale skinned and always comes out of school with bright red cheeks so I certainly wouldn't risk not putting it on him). The teachers don't mind reapplying it, but most haven't bothered sending anything in. I don't understand!!

HeySoulSister · 09/07/2013 10:04

lancelottie I wonder this too!

Mumsyblouse · 09/07/2013 10:04

Is it realistic for a teacher and perhaps one assistant to apply sun cream properly for 30 children every lunchtime? It takes me a good 5-10 minutes to do my two on a hot day (arms, legs, face). I am just not sure they would realistically have time.

MerryMarigold · 09/07/2013 10:05

It is not Sport's Day but I sent my ds without suncream (he doesn't burn - half Asian - and has eczema so we don't use it unless we're in the sun for hours so 30 mins play and 1hr lunch will be fine). I also sent him without water as he took one yesterday and did not drink it so it is still in school. He did have a hat though am I redemeed?. There may be reasons some of those kids didn't have what they should have had.