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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think they should not have been allowed to do PE in this heat?

179 replies

Teacherinatutu · 30/06/2015 19:31

I am willing to accept IABU if you genuinely think I am.

It's very hot here today (around 33 degrees).

Ds came home tonight very hot and red. They did an hour long PE lesson in the afternoon heat. Shock He said they weren't allowed back in for a drink until the end of the lesson and they were on the field with no shade.

I don't think they should have been in the sunshine at all when it's at its hottest let alone doing P.E.
Plus, the school also has a rule where sun cream is banned and parents must apply the 8 hour protection before school which isn't as effective by 2.30pm.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Bakeoffcake · 30/06/2015 21:15

Did they have hats on?

If not I'd want to speak to the teacher, as they were outside, without water, sunscreen or hats for an hour, when EVERYBODY advises avoiding the sun at that time.

The teacher is an idiot.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 30/06/2015 21:17

Why is it a Good Thing to make a bunch of kids run around without water in the sun for an hour?

Because it stops them turning into fat little fuckers.

Won't kill them FFS...

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:19

YY I think that if your child is burnt, because of the rules Confused, then you need to talk to them. I would be. Making rules which means that it is inevitable that children will get sunburnt is just bizarre.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:21

My children aren't fat little fuckers, thanks for that Confused

And sunburn is very unpleasant and I can't see why anyone would think hell yes let's go ahead and do that when it's perfectly avoidable.

No idea what sort of person is all for that TBH. Maybe "children with fair skin" go into the same camp as "fat little fuckers" who knows.

Blarblarblar · 30/06/2015 21:22

Well put the block on before they leave the house. Seriously this is not an issue.

Sparklingbrook · 30/06/2015 21:25

'Fat little fuckers' Confused

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:26

I do. For people with fair skin, one lot of block applied in the morning is not going to cut it. And doesn't.

My DD1 the block hasn't been effective today and she's just done 20 mins walk to school and back and usual playtimes. She would be very burnt if she'd been out for an additional hour at 1 or whenever PE was. I would be too. I learnt years ago that staying out of the sun or covering up is the only way to avoid burn when you're v pale.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:28

Ops child was burnt. Yet this is "not an issue" Confused

Sunburn is damaging to the skin and hurts. Why make rules that means children are inevitably going to get burnt.

Runningupthathill82 · 30/06/2015 21:28

Of course it's a good idea for kids to run around outside on a sunny day! Bloody hell.

I say that as a very fair-skinned pregnant person who spent her lunchtime running around a hot city. And I feel great for it.

I also took DS out to play after I finished work today. Because I believe that outdoors is the place to be, getting some exercise, rather than sitting inside and whinging.

Backforthis · 30/06/2015 21:30

The joys of AIBU. If you'd posted as the teacher and said you took a pe class to run around outside for an hour in 33 degree heat and wouldn't let them take their water bottles you'd have been torn to shreds.

NoStannisNo · 30/06/2015 21:31

Because it stops them turning into fat little fuckers.

Grin
Number12 · 30/06/2015 21:32

Yanbu

Blazing88 · 30/06/2015 21:33

What do you think kids do in hot countries???

Never leave the classroom?

Drink before. Drink after.

My god. They're hardly going to come to some major harm Confused

AllTheUserNamesAreTaken · 30/06/2015 21:33

I can't remember the statistics but a child who gets sunburnt is significantly more likely to get skin cancer later in life. Yes, PE is very important but why the hell should a child be put at greater risk of that?

My DS is only 1 but he is red haired and very pale skinned, so I have no doubt that when he is at school age, an hour running round in 28 degree temperatures without sun cream would result in sunburn!

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:35

Don't understand.

OP's son was burnt (hot and red) and posters are saying yes excellent result.

OK whatever floats your boat.

AllTheUserNamesAreTaken · 30/06/2015 21:35

Blazing it doesn't take a genius to work out that children in hot countries may, you know, be used to the heat as it's actually hot most of the time

Blarblarblar · 30/06/2015 21:35

OP said child was red that could mean flushed not burnt. As I said I'm a very white freckled person l get sunburn but even in the Arabian heat I wouldn't get burnt with factor fifty on for a good few hours.
Kids need excercise and sun and fresh air.

AllTheUserNamesAreTaken · 30/06/2015 21:38

Of course they do BlarBlarBlar, I completely agree but they also need sun cream and water

Backforthis · 30/06/2015 21:39

You don't burn easily then.

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 30/06/2015 21:40

They should have had suncream and water bottles, but come on, British people, you and your children are not going to die in a few days of mild heat! They don't need to be kept inside. Deal with it.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/06/2015 21:41

My DD got mild burn on her face today despite having factor 50+ applied extremely liberally this morning and she wasn't out for an hour on top of breaks and stuff and she was wearing a hat.

If people are telling you that for some people factor 50+ won't cut it for that long in that heat then why not listen? Do you think they are lying or making it up for some reason? I would burn in those conditions, so would (and has) DD.

Wanting to avoid sunburn isn't namby pamby or something, it's quite sensible and in line with lots of advice given by all sorts of agencies for about the last 40 years.

Backforthis · 30/06/2015 21:43

I burnt through factor 30 on a cloudy, spring afternoon in Manchester.

Coffee1234 · 30/06/2015 21:44

I live in Australia - 33 degrees is pretty normal for Summer. PE in Summer is swimming but the kids all run around like crazy at lunch and breaks. We do sun cream at home and they all have sun cream in their bags which they re apply themselves. It can't be done badly by all the kids because I've never seen a sunburnt kid at school. Hats are compulsory as well. Sun cream is reapplied by staff at pre schools. Burnt kids = the school isn't handling this well.

whois · 30/06/2015 21:46

It's ONE HOUR! Healthy 8 year old children do not go from 'perfectly hydrated' to 'heat stroke and death' in ONE HOUR doing mild exercise in the sunshine without a drink during those 60 mins.

Mistigri · 30/06/2015 21:46

I don't think it's unreasonable to do PE in low 30 degree temperatures but sensible precautions need to be taken - water, sunscreen, and any child who seems to be overheating needs to be sent into the shade.

My son did a cycle race on Sunday in 32C heat - he was OK but we live in a hot country and we take precautions (fluids and one of those water sprayers you use for misting plants). Nevertheless when we went out for a ride last night - it was around 30C - he had some sort of heat stress reaction and I had to get him home and cooled down.

Excessive exertion in hot weather is dangerous especially if fluids aren't available - remember those SAS soldiers who died in an exercise last year? It was not as hot then as it is this week.