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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

So annoyed it's snowing and my kids will be kept indoors all day because of safety fears

48 replies

TheDullWitch · 08/02/2007 10:25

They won t even be allowed out at lunchtime in case they slip and their parents sue. It breaks my heart they are missing such a vital bit of childhood. Does anyone else have this?

OP posts:
SleepIsForTheWeak · 08/02/2007 10:30

I dont have that (DS too young for school) but that is appauling! Poor kids

Original poster
TheDullWitch · 08/02/2007 10:31

Health and safety insanity. I feel like taking them out and taking them sledging.

OP posts:
foxtrot · 08/02/2007 10:32

Not sure what they will be doing, but the children were told yesterday to wear/bring boots, hats, scarves and gloves today. I expect they will be let out for at least one playtime.

snuffle · 08/02/2007 10:34

I remember school breaks... we were thrown out in ALL weathers, rain, gales, thunder one time and the school playing field got struck my lightening!

We hardly see snow 'down south' its a real novelty, my little girl is barely 6 weeks old, we built a baby snowman and took a photo of her next to it as we don't know when we are likely to see the white stuff again!

I think its a real shame that your child won't have the opportunity to play in it, the worlds gone mad with political correctness!

speedymama · 08/02/2007 10:40

Don't blame Health and Safety. Blame the freeloaders who think that they should sue anybody and everybody for every little thing that happens to them and their off-spring. That's what you get with an increasingly litigious society that we are fast becoming.

SpaceCadet · 08/02/2007 10:40

ds's school told me today that they wont be allowed out to play..shame

CountessDracula · 08/02/2007 10:42

How ridiculous

They were all outside at dd's nursery this am having snowball fights!

edam · 08/02/2007 10:43

Bet the school and LEA are over-reacting. People get so terrified of totally imaginary claims. I'm sure they'd be very hard pressed to ever find a case where a school has been sued for letting children play in the snow.

It's mainly insurance companies that put the pressure on, rather than health and safety themselves. Although we do have a ludicrous situation locally where they are telling firefighters they aren't allowed to climb stepladders to check smoke alarms for elderly people... given the inherent risks of the job, are stepladders really a key danger?!

FrogPrincess · 08/02/2007 10:45

we had that at dd's old school, and it was stupid.
I was delighted to see this morning that at her new school, all the girls were outside this morning having snowball fights, you should have seen their happy faces, brilliant!!! And normally when they get to school it's straight to the classroom for the 'morning challenge'
I loooove her new school

LadyMacbeth · 08/02/2007 10:50

Well we never get ANY snow in our part of Blighty so I feel my kids are missing out more than yours!!

P.s. Yes you are right to be annoyed, the world is going mad. But can you take your children out sledging this evening after school?

sandyballs · 08/02/2007 10:58

That would annoy me immensely. Thankfully DDs school is not like that. The head is a very outdoors sporty type and they have to go out whatever the weather. They're expected to keep wellies and rain macs at school all the time. When it snowed a couple of weeks ago they had an extended play time on the field.

JoPG · 08/02/2007 11:15

They are allowed out at DS's school as long as they have wellies to put on. Seems sensible to me. I have also put spare socks and trousers in his bag as I know he will get soaked

itsmeNDP · 08/02/2007 11:19

All 3 of mine are off today (2 schools)

I am in the worst hit area in the country (Worcestershire). It's horrendous, cars are coming off the road left, right and centre.

The kids went out to play snowballs at about 9.30, they were soon back in for hot chocolate, biscuits and a warm seat by the fire . When I was a kid I remember being out there for hours on end.

tortoiseSHELL · 08/02/2007 11:25

Our children were simply told to bring boots and hats and gloves and that there would most definitely be outdoor play!

itsmeNDP · 08/02/2007 11:26

There are 235 schools closed here and we are only a teeny, tiny county !

MegJoshMum · 08/02/2007 11:37

Our school are getting on with work this morning and then off out to play in the snow all afternoon.

charliecat · 08/02/2007 11:39

I was near my dds school at first break, the school doors opened and this massive weeehhheeeyyy came rushing out of the door as children came out to play...was lovely to hear

Kbear · 08/02/2007 11:44

OOh no, you're not allowed to enjoy yourself. Straight in, stay on the path, OFF the SNOW children, off the snow, stay on the path, Health and Safety blardy blah.

How dull. But I do see their point of course!

We are going to have a detour to the park on the way home from school tonight. Shame our park is flat though, no sledging.

When I was a gal , we used to sledge down a ridiculously dangerous hill near us, dodging trees and ending up in the road usually. This behaviour was condoned by my parents (Dad was with us sometimes), who let us play there even in the dark! Did no one care about kids before about 1990? We took the most amazing risks! Only hospitalised once too!

MrsMills · 08/02/2007 11:46

We've had snow here for about 3 weeks now and it has been really cold. Children spend about 2-3 hours a day outside, regardless of the weather.

If they bring sledges to school then they have to bring a helmet too, but I suppose they are much better prepared for the snow here (Sweden). You wouldn't dream of going outside without hats, gloves, snowboots, and snowsuits as a minimum.

Kids rarely have snowball fights, because the novelty soon wears out, so that's not a problem, and more wear play helmets than don't. It's all about being prepared I suppose, and not being scared of 'weather'.

I dread the day when the blame culture arrives here.

3andnomore · 08/02/2007 11:58

School and Nurseries are off here, today too....I mean, lol...wtf...am in Northamptonshire, we don't actually have THAT MUCH snow....hohum...

saffy202 · 08/02/2007 12:08

Mine do
Yesterday slight covering of snow and they were kept in all day. The same again this morning and they were hearded straight into school as soon as they arrived. It's all gone now

Original poster
TheDullWitch · 08/02/2007 16:09

Had chat with deputy head about why they wouldn t let the children out in the snow. "Well, it was really horrible out there at lunchtime and there were children crying before school because they d been hit by snowballs and other schools in the borough actually CLOSED." Oh well then lock them in all day then, if it makes life easier for you teachers.

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDullWitch · 08/02/2007 16:12

That way all the teachers could sit in their nice warm staffroom and not risk mischievous boys hitting them with snowballs. Trouble is they are all women teachers and more likely to see the dangers than the exciting winter fun.

OP posts:
Polgara2 · 08/02/2007 16:12

Yes, found out that at dds' school the juniors were allowed out but not the infants! World's gone mad I tell ya!!

Freckle · 08/02/2007 16:16

DS2 came out of school today and, after registration, the whole school was let out to build snowmen and have snowball fights! They built forts and had opposing armies apparently. Some of it was still there when I went to pick him up, although most of the snow had melted.

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