Too cold for six years olds to be outside for PE for 45 minutes?

[Married2aWelshman]

I'm all for getting the kids outside, particularly mine, but it was 0 degrees in London today and my DD1 told me that they did PE outside and they were all freezing in their tracksuit bottoms and school t shirts, also allowed school cardigans but that's it. No gloves, majority of them already coughing and spluttering as is the January norm. Some of the, crying. It's not like they were playing rugby and sweating their arses off. AIBU to have a word with the teacher in the morning?

I remember crying with pain at primary school because my hands were so cold... I still get incredibly painful hands in the cold now. So I wear gloves and therefore can still go outside and exercise every single day. Common sense, no?

So why don't we apply some of that to children?

MsGameandWatch: I am being dismissive, but not of showering. I have already said that being forced to be naked isn't okay. But being a bit cold isn't traumatising. That is a major over-reaction and so, yes, my examples are analogous.

Theyre not 😊

Anyway I don't think most people on here are being precious about the cold and wanting to demand PE doesn't that place at all, they just want them in appropriate clothing.

they just want them in appropriate clothing

tracksuit bottoms and cardigans. Sounds OK to me. I could see your point if they were told to run around in the nud in sub zero temperatures, but they're not, are they?!

MsGameandWatch: And the people who want them in appropriate clothing have a point. The people catastrophising about 'ritual humiliation' are projecting.

"You Brits could do with better cold weather clothes too."

Oh, adequate cold weather clothing is available, but plenty of people don't wear it.

MsGameandWatch: And the people who want them in appropriate clothing have a point. The people catastrophising about 'ritual humiliation' are projecting

Not in my opinion. The conversation is just going off in other directions as it does on MN and people are posting what the OP reminds them of, their experiences. Happy for you that you haven't had such experiences so cannot relate but dismissing them in the way you have repeatedly, appears in my opinion, unpleasant and ignorant.

This thread seems to have become a conversation between you and I, which is derailing, so I won't respond to you again if you don't mind.

Minus two here and yes the kids are outside running in t shirts and leggings. RUNNING is the key point here. I ran with the dog in shorts and a vest this morning at the same temperature.

Agree that they should be doing outside PE with appropriate layers. DS who is 4 has only had one indoor PE session in the last few weeks as they decided it was a bit too icy (a few frozen puddles) and not safe. No change the rest of the time. No change with playtime either.

If I go for a run I'm wearing 3 layers on my top half. I'm very sensitive to the cold and so is my dc-and I do boot camp in the snow/rain/hail so I'm no softy, I dress appropriately and teach my dc to dress for the weather as well. We are in physical pain for hours if we get too cold.

I'd be having words with the teacher-doesn't sound like the kids were appropriately dressed.

I think they should be outside regardless, but active and in appropriate clothing. Daily. There are always kids who cry, which is sad, but thermals might be a better option than creating cabin fever.

The exception for me would be very icy ground and thus safety issues.

Someone sending my kid into the cold wouldn't bother me - it's not for very long, and they should be moving around the whole time anyway. But they should be allowed to be properly dressed.

What would bother me a lot more at the moment - because the OP said she's in London - is that air pollution in London is really really high at the moment, and the mayor has issued warnings about exercising outside - all that deep breathing!

Kids should not that distressed because of 45 minutes outside its not the artic no wonder kids are so unhealthy these days.

Ha, at my DC's nursery the sleep outside in this weather (in the UK, mirroring what they do in Scandinavian countries), and they play outside all day too if they wish (and most do).

Maybe they need sports sweatshirts?

It's not too bad if they are straight out and doing an activity or just running around... but it's when the teacher's wrapped in multiple layers getting them to stretch and stand still to listen to instructions. If they do a warm up and instructions in the hall (if at all) then I would be less bothered.

I hate the cold. I'm sat in fluffy joggers, a thermal top, socks, a dressing gown, booty slippers and still bloody cold and that's inside. Being actually cold is painful, and if the kids were crying then clearly they weren't warm enough, but that might be because they weren't active enough or they are 'soft'.

It was bitter here yesterday and I was wrapped up warm and pregnant so have some extra inner warmth but it was uncomfortably cold. I know there's a culture of wrapping kids up in cotton wool and some parents will be complete opposite and have them out freezing their little tushies off in little clothing - but I personally feel tortured if I'm too cold! I can't function or think properly. I don't think YABU at all

"Kids in the UK are hardy" "in my day....". In the 1970s kids used to die from preventable diseases and didn't wear seat belts too. There are plenty of studies showing that; although coughs and colds are not caused by cold weather; it is more likely that you will catch them if your body is cold- the cold greatly reduces the ability of the body to fight infection - in effect suppressing the immune system and the cold dries out the inside of mouth and nose making them more susceptible to infection. The kids then return to the centrally-heated, warm and moist environment of the classroom, where it is exactly the right temperature for bacteria and viruses to survive longer outside of the body. This explains "cold and flu season" - why more people, especially kids, get sick in winter. I would be livid if I found out my kids were outside inadequately dressed. My husband comes from an extremely cold country and they would never let kids do sport outside without proper clothing. This mentality of exposure creating hardy kids is one that's particular to the UK. It's old and outdated. YANBU

is that air pollution in London is really really high at the moment, and the mayor has issued warnings about exercising outside - all that deep breathing!

True ArcheryAnnie. I ran yesterday - in gloves, head band, running tights and windcheater (which I took off to a vest once I got moving) but my breathing was laboured and I don't have respiratory problems. Today I'm in the warm. Tomorrow I'll go swimming or to the gym until the fog lifts in London.

I used to hate sport at school for many of the reasons PP have mentioned. Now that I am able to make my own decisions, including wearing sensible clothing, I do it voluntarily.

Yes, they need better clothes if they are going to be outside.

My dd never minds the cold and rarely complains about anything, but she too was crying from it yesterday after running around for an hour in the park wearing a hat, two thin layers and a medium-weight coat while I'd been standing in my Arctic gear with a hot water bottle stuffed up my jumper. Oops.

Oh c c Coldfield bng cold. C research has shown that if your nose gets cold and is unable to filter air in the right way you are more likely to inhale bacteria and viruses. It's legitimate medical study Google it if you want to read more. If your core body temp is high enough to still keep your nose warm you are ok. For the kids Lots depends on how active they are but also what the wind chill is because that cools your extremeties but you might not feel cold or be shivering. Seems there is lot to be said for a balaclava or scarf after all. My kids hat scarves so reading this research did not make me a better mummy though !

I don't think it's helpful to compare kids with adults, for a start. Many kids don't feel the cold like an adult.
I spent some time supervising playgrounds as a teacher and it was always surprising how many kids ran around with no coats on or coats flying open in cold weather.

I think if outdoor PE in cold weather is the weekly norm, the teachers should make sure the activity is appropriate so kids keep warm and also consider extra layers in the PE bag. But you can't really do games wearing a thick coat or gloves if there are ball games involved.

And there will always be the sniffling kid who cries no matter what and is to be found not joining in, standing around, getting cold and crying regardless of what they wear.

It's not too cold them to be outside but completely unreasonable to not allow hats and gloves, t thankfully they're allowed to at DS school because if he doesn't wear gloves his hands crack and bleed, they're constantly on the verge in winter despite lots of protective barrier cream.

I don't see why it would impact sports - DS does rugby and football at school, all the kids and instructors wear hats/gloves.

I don't think it's helpful to compare kids with adults, for a start. Many kids don't feel the cold like an adult.

Much as I hate to say it, but do you have any evidence for this apart from standing around in the playground in your coat and scarf looking askance at the crying kid who's not joining in?

No one is suggesting anyone does cross country in a duffle coat, just appropriate athletic kit for cold weather. I wear it.

And as for ball games, goalkeepers manage to catch the ball in great big gloves so I don't see why they should be a particular problem. But if people think it is, there are other cold weather sports - running, hockey or cycling for instance. I'd always wear gloves doing those activities because your hands get cold and when you start to get cold you get tired and you can't exercise properly and have to cut the session short. That's obvious, isn't it?

Haha, welcome to the Gulag! Might as well get used to it, we're all probably going to be scrabbling around in the freezing cold with rags on our feet in years to come.

Children these days are protected -mollycoddled- from germs, walking to school, rampant health and safety laws to make sure they never get hurt, and now no PE outside in winter! At some point these tender little fledglings will have to deal with raw, unsanitised dangerous LIFE. God help them!