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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask WHY there are little girls with bare legs and ankle socks in this weather ?

201 replies

BlahBlahYeahYeah · 11/12/2014 22:39

Are you the owner of one of these amazingly resilient (possibly frozen) little girls, sporting bare legs and ankle socks in Mary Jane type shoes in this weather?

Can someone PLEASE explain this mystery to me, because I just cannot get my head round it.

As a parent to a school age dd and toddler dd, I couldn't contemplate bare legs in this weather for either of them.

Are these parents BU? Or am I??

OP posts:
Original poster
BlahBlahYeahYeah · 12/12/2014 23:56

Hmmm. I really do wonder about all the people who are piling on to say 'but children just don't feel the cold'.

How do you know that unless they've specifically told you? (I know some children do say it's boiling etc which is totally fine, if they are indeed warm)

I remember as a child walking to school, completely and utterly freezing. I had magic sodding gloves (that were hardly magical), a coat and sodding Mary Janes that let the rain in. By the time I got to school, my socks would be soaked, and my feet would be numb.

The thing is though, I never once complained to my parents about it. Not once. Sometimes children just don't. They might not even be aware of how cold they are. But they are, just like I was.

OP posts:
HellBoundNothingFound · 13/12/2014 00:23

I present you my strong willed wonderful ball of 6 year old stubbornness...good luck getting tights on her!

Folk comment all the time. She has tights at her disposal, I respect her wishes...judge all you want, she'll tell you to mind your own Grin

sanfairyanne · 13/12/2014 07:48

how old are your.kids, blahblah? mine have dressed themselves for years and have a wide selection of warm clothes to choose from. they choose shorts in midwinter Shock i am a big fan of personal responsibility where possible so i offer advice but no more
if it really mattered eg we lived further north/central europe/canada it would be a non negotiable like seat belts
as it is, they spend all day in centrally heated schools.
i would also choose 20 mins cold legs over 6 hours boiling legs

skinoncustard · 13/12/2014 08:03

Amrapaali
Primark sell adult fleece lined thick tights / leggings about £7 ish if I remember correctly.

tobysmum77 · 13/12/2014 08:04

hahaha I qualify for a bad mother award. dd's tights had vanished (our house is like v the bermuda triangle) and her trousers were in the washing. So she went in socks Grin . Seriously though I think we must have a higher cold tolerance in general to many on here. I mean ffs its not the Arctic.

InFlagranteDelicto · 13/12/2014 08:09

Not read the thread, but dd2 will only wear white knee socks (which end up Nora Batty style round her ankles). She has tights bit there's always something not right, the seam by her toe, where the waist sits, the length.... I choose to pick my battles, she knows it's cold out. Dd1 will only wear white tights Hmm

whooshbangprettycolours · 13/12/2014 08:13

If you dress them too warmly now, they'll be too soft by the time they're teenagers and insist on walking about half naked on a winter Saturday night.
Keep the socks.

Branleuse · 13/12/2014 08:16

its not dangeous to have bare legs in the uk. It is chilly but its not dangerously cold
I wouldnt choose bare legs but its not as if school trousers are warm either, and im assuming those kids are wearing coats?

HouseBaelish · 13/12/2014 10:21

At my D's school, the boys wear shorts all year round and girls aren't permitted to wear trousers.

The girls wear pinafores and can choose whether they wear tights or socks. I reckon in D's class there's a 50/50 split over those that wear tights and those that wear socks. Surely its a comfort thing??

They do have big winter duffle coats and when it gets really cold, they're permitted to discard their velour hats/school caps and wear the school wooly hat.

The school is on the edge of the moors too. It is character building Grin

DaisyFlowerChain · 13/12/2014 10:29

I hate seeing children not dressed appropriately for the weather, poor things look frozen. Even worse is babies in prams with no socks. Yes they make take them off so use tights or cosy toes or a thinner snow suit type coat if that's the case.

sanfairyanne · 13/12/2014 10:59

omg HouseBaelish Grin are you the Brontes?

LaQueenAnd3KingsOfOrientAre · 13/12/2014 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CointreauVersial · 13/12/2014 11:40

DS and most of his friends refused to wear long trousers throughout primary school. He even wore shorts in the snow, because I'd long since given up even buying grey trousers for him. Now he's 15 he doesn't possess a coat.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 13/12/2014 11:43

DD is 7 and still wears socks sometimes, its her choice, she knows her cold limit and she doesnt seem to get very cold, but I dont either.

RoastingYourChestnutsHurtsAlot · 13/12/2014 11:45

I have one such child. I invite you to come round of a morning and encourage her to wear warmer clothing because I've tried everything I can think of and failed miserably! She's intent on sticking to the ankle socks and skirt. We have in the last week convinced her not to wear her summer dresses any more though so that's one victory...

Micah · 13/12/2014 12:24

Mines just been out in a dress, jumper, coat and flipflops.

It's quite nice here, and she wasn't cold at all (just to the corner shop).

Didn't stop someone giving her a lecture on how she must be cold and she should go home and put her boots on.

She is not cold, and she doesn't own boots. They'd be a complete waste of money.

sanfairyanne · 13/12/2014 13:04

i always think it is a bit cruel to make kids wear vests at school. it is about 24 degrees in schools you know.

myotherusernameisbetter · 13/12/2014 13:10

I it isn't the child's choice then YABU but in principle I agree. Especially with the little ones who look frozen sat in the buggy - at least the parent is walking and building heat the child isn't.

Having said all that we have snow today and DS2 (13) has dressed himself in his usual choice of jersey shorts and a t-shirt for going out this afternoon.

Purpleflamingos · 13/12/2014 13:18

It happens at my dc's school. But it is so warm in school you can't wrap them up. Dd is in the school nursery which is non uniform. I send her in jeans, socks, boots and a long sleeved t-shirt or tights, boots and a dress with a cardi and she's far too hot inside. Ds wears trousers and a t-shirt without the school jumper as it's so warm.

unlucky83 · 13/12/2014 13:59

Thought about this thread yesterday evening...
DD2 (7) going to dance class - they wear leggings.
I'd just found a brown pair that were DD1s (she'd been a camel in the nativity and brown clothes at the time were out of fashion - took me several phone calls/websearches to track some down - so I'd kept them in case DD2 ever needed them)...
DD2 wanted to wear them. Only when she put them on did I realise they were 3/4 length ...but to dance class thought it didn't really matter...
We ran a few errands in a few local shops before the class...and someone (I vaguely know) saw us and made a comment about how cold her legs must be. DD2 said they were Blush - feeling like a bad mother
Then again she wouldn't but her hoodie or proper coat on - just had a fleece, unzipped up over a short sleeved tshirt....so was less sympathic when she said she cold on the way home...

LoisHatesChristmas · 13/12/2014 15:56

In the north of Scotland its better to layer up and be prepared as it can get freezing quickly and an icy wind up the arse isn't nice either! But I can see why folks with milder weather don't think its a big deal.

NorbertDentressangle · 13/12/2014 16:00

DS and his friends are still wearing shorts at school.

I must admit I do feel embarrassed at the thought that people are probably judging me believing that I've made him wear shorts or won't buy him trousers!! The truth is there are at least 3 pairs of brand new school trousers hanging up in his wardrobe unworn.

EbwyIsUpTheDuff · 13/12/2014 16:34

My 2 year old can get shoe & sock off quicker than I can get the other ones back on him. I often have to give up and let him be barefoot in the buggy or his brother won't be collected from school. Yesterday he stripped down to tshirt while we were on the school run. Not lazy, just recognition that I won't win this fight

RedSoloCup · 13/12/2014 17:04

I see this and think it's terrible and give mine a tights or trousers option (girls), BUT I know I never wore tights and we weren't allowed trousers and I can't remember being cold weirdly, lol.

ThoughtsPlease · 13/12/2014 17:10

DD1 who is now 8 has worn knee length socks all winter for the last 3 years I think. She will not wear tights, and her socks are always round her ankles when I collect her.

DS who is 2 will not wear a coat, a snuggly fleece at best, and even then takes it off saying he is too hot when outside, even when on a long county walk last week in the cold and wind.