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

[Teacherinatutu]

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. 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?

[TiggerLillies]

Very sadly my Australian friend died of skin cancer, so that argument doesn't convince me. I'd be wanting shade / cream / water for my child.

[JassyRadlett]

I am surprised so many schools allow it. Round here it's the 'norm' for it to be banned. Many of us have complained and the head isn't bothered! She wrote a letter stating that the 8 hour stuff is more than adequate and that was that.

The British Association of Dermatologists and Cancer UK disagree with her.

No such thing as sun cream or water bottles, and hats were for old people. And we all lived!

Well, not all of you. Skin cancer rates have skyrocketed since the 70s. The largest rate of increase has been in over-65s.

I'm another Australian. As a PP said, this country doesn't do heat, and that's fine. You mostly don't need to. But when it does get uncomfortably hot for people here, there seems to be a special badge of pride for some people to show how tough they are.

I'm trying to remember PE at school in Queensland. First thing is that athletics, hockey, netball, etc were all winter sports. Sports day was always in August. Summer PE was swimming one lesson a week and one of the 'summer sports' the other lesson - things like softball that, in retrospect, involved a lot less running. Apart from tennis. It was always hellish on the tennis courts.

Basically, we adapted to the conditions.

[lostoldlogin]

at the person who compared a class of 8 year old kids doing an hour of PE in the warm to an SAS training exercise or even used the two in the same sentence.

[whippy33]

Some schools ban suncream because they are made with nut oils which in turn can cause reactions in those with allergies. If a child in school has a serious nut allergy, then coming into contact with cream freshly applied or being applied by other children can be dangerous.

[TheHouseOnBellSt]

Can kids really not cope in the sun for an hour? How do people think Australian kids manage? Tomato in Oz, unless it's cracking the pavement, DC are expected to go out.

[Coffee1234]

Which ingredient is derived from nut oils? I've just checked the ingredients of the 3 brands we've got in the house and I can't identify which it would be. My kids' (Australian) school is nut free due to some children with nut anaphylaxis but it's not sunscreen free. maybe it's a UK thing?

[whitecandles]

I don't think the water thing is a big deal, nor is doing PE in general (what do countries do where it's hot all year round? Just never do PE?) but the fact that teachers cannot apply sunscreen is ridiculous.

[TheHouseOnBellSt]

White me neither....people seem to get hysterical over a bit of heat here!

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

Ah that that's a good point wjhippy. In which case they need to think of another way to prevent burny children burning.

Isn't there a risk in the morning etc as well? How does it become inactive or whatever after its put on? I don't really get that tbh.

[googoodolly]

Nobody is going to dehydrate if they can't drink for an hour, so long as they can drink plenty of water before and after, and so long as they're wearing hats and sunscreen.

[sashh]

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

For some of us it is. I have been known to burn through clothing.

The soldiers who died in SAS training last year were doing a bit more exertion than an hour's PE!

They were doing an exercise they had trained for, the same one every member of the SAS has gone through, the same exercise every recruit who didn't get in to the SAS but wanted to trained for and attempted.

The only difference between the men who died and the ones who got in to the SAS was the weather.

If you are in peak physical fitness, trained for an event and then the sun makes it deadly for you, then it is reasonable to think a child might also be affected.

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

House you have agreed with that poster about sunscreen but then said people who are worried are hysterical. I don't understand? Either risk of burn is a problem or its not, surely.

[whitecandles]

Are we seriously comparing an hour's PE to SAS training?

[googoodolly]

lol, I think an hour's PE at eight years old is a lot less strenuous than an SAS exercise!

[Runningupthathill82]

Yes, I think we are, White. I may compare this morning's walk to work to a solo trek across the Sahara, whilst I'm at it.

[StonedGalah]

Tomato great post. That's what playground's in Aus look like too. And dc are kept in the shade as much as possible between 11-3.

This reminds me of our summer hols in Europe. The reddest, sweaty tourist are generally British as they don't know how to behave in hot weather.

[SweetAndFullOfGrace]

How do people think Australian kids manage?

As numerous Australians on this thread have pointed out, we manage by not seeing the sun and the heat as some kind of macho challenge. We don't go out in the middle of the day, we wear sunscreen (and reapply regularly), we wear hats, we don't run around like maniacs when it's hot.

It's a very serious issue. My mum who grew up in Queensland in the pre-sunscreen era has had a melanoma removed. I have several friends who have had metastasising moles removed as a precautionary measure. The sun and heat can and does kill people, it's not something to be cavalier about.

[Aeroflotgirl]

I woukd rather have my childs health, than trying to prove a point. Whatever you think, a child can still get heatstroke and dehydrated, young child doing an hour of PE without access to water doing, where there is no shade is not acceptable.

[Bakeoffcake]

"This reminds me of our summer hols in Europe. The reddest, sweaty tourist are generally British as they don't know how to behave in hot weather"

Yes, this thread does indeed explain a lot!!

Young children made to do PE for an hour, in midday heat,with no hats, sunscreen or water. What's the problem??? idiots

[Aeroflotgirl]

I totally agree sweet, hot countries, tend to have their own hot weather provision, are blasé with childs health like some on here.

[DrEdwardNigma]

My daughter had her sports day yesterday.

All this panic over the heat is ridiculous, as long as they are hydrated, wearing a hat, and have sun cream there should be no problem.

[Aeroflotgirl]

Australian rules slip slop slap. In this weather chikdren shoukd have a ready access to water, sun cream and shade, should not be doing PE outside with none of those, in the hottest time if the day. Even then it should be for very hort periods.

[Aeroflotgirl]

drEdward the op ds had none of those yesterday.

[whois]

Children's PE is hardly strenuous anyway. Stand around and watch a skill being demonstrated, line up, have a go, repeat, maybe have a game in the second half of the lesson.

1h lesson, 15 mins to get changed either side leaves 30 mins outside.

Not looking anywhere near an SAS training exercise now.

Anyway, this weather is what rounders was invented for. Half the class sits down chill axing. Half the class stands around pretty still waiting for a ball to come their way!

[msgrinch]

yanbu op at all. Some of the responses are hysterical! Honestly they're not going to die in a bit of sun! its no Wonder kids are getting so fat. It was beautiful in London yesterday, perfect outdoor running about weather.