Children out in the rain

[Highby]

For the past 2 days my children have been out in the rain at break and lunchtime. They have spent the last 2 days wet. The heating has been turned down. The staff are cold.

AIBU to think school should be keeping my children warm and dry?

Is it just me who would have utterly hated being sent out to play in pouring rain as a child, wellies or no wellies?

I would have hated it too, but if it was forced upon me, I'd much rather be warm and dry than soaking wet and shivering!

I think that ideally they should be dressed appropriately and play outside. But in my children's school, their uniform would need to change to make that possible. The regulation coat is showerproof, which is great, but it is short, so if they're out in the rain they'd be soaked from the waist down. And there isn't enough room inside the school cloakrooms for everyone to wear wellies and waterproofs and change out of them once they come inside.

i live being outside with adequate clothes - rain cam be fun if you wear the right stuff!
i hated outside breaks at -20, but above that, it was fun (not born in the uk)

@adaline they call school trip/event money 'voluntary donations'.
I mean yes, they are voluntary, but if you don't volunteer your cash your kid misses out, so more like 'emotional blackmail donations'.

Your kid most definitely would not miss out on a school trip or event if a voluntary donation was requested by the school and you didn't pay. It isn't emotional blackmail, it's an attempt by the school to get enough money to cover at least part of the cost of the event. Of course if enough parents don't pay then the trip becomes too expensive for the school and then everyone misses out.

"It would be a lot better of course if British schools abandoned the idea of school uniforms entirely. Then children could be properly attired for winter in good fabrics, layers, boots etc and not in the thin rubbish and inadequate shoes that pass for school uniforms."

Yes 100% to this!

Most girls out of school wear trainers DMs and things. It only seems to be for school and parties that they have the shoes that dont' cover the foot with thin soles. Parties well OK but school, it drives me mad!

What I don't get about all the posters saying they blame the parents the kids should have proper clothes... But if they don't, and it's pissing down, and they are out in it, and have wet hair wet tights wet feet etc all day then how is this beneficial? It feels a bit like making the children have a horrible afternoon because you think their parents are rubbish or something.

It's all well and good saying "oh well they should have proper clothes" but fact is lots don't, and this is normal situation in UK, so then what.

Also not sure where all this stuff is going> ours aren't allowed wellies in the school or boots. They can change them and leave them on these stands outside which are open to the elements and nto enough for whole school. I'd imagine lots of kids trying to change and puttign their feet down in socks! Then they have to take their shoes back in?

Dunno.

They have wet play at DD school if it is more than drizzling I just asked her. They do drawing or colouring in apparently. She says she prefers playing outside. (I woudl have preferred inside it takes all sorts!).

You need to buy them proper rainwear then. A good quality waterproof coat with taped seams and Velcro cuffs, and waterproof trousers or salopettes. Ski mittens. A change of clothes just in case.

Kids in the proper gear won't get wet! It's your responsibility to provide that.

Also that coat that someone posted earlier is not for cold weather, more spring and early autumn as they'd be freezing at this time of year.

And I was all excited about their lined trousers, but they have virtually no sizes left in stock...

The over trousers things are £10 each, you'd need 2 at least on top of normal trousers and then you'd need to lug them around in a backpack as not everyone has a car... Sounds great .

Who?

By what mechanism will all kids in UK schools suddenly have proper rainwear?
What happens to the children who don't?

And in small schools where exactly is all this stuff supposed to go? Thst is a LOT of stuff. For wellies eg - as described, there is not a facility at DD school for all children to bring wellies, and the facility there is would not work well for break time changing as it's outside and not sheltered!

The kids at DD school also don't get changed for PE in recep and possibyl yr 1 as by the time they had all finished it was time to get changed again

I think some poeple live in fantasy worlds where
Schools have loads of cloakroom and changing space
Kids aged 4 / 5 still get a good break even when they have to change into saloppettes / wellies / skiing mittens etc before and after
All families have the money / desire / wherewithall to have all this stuff for their kids

And when real life just isn;t like that the answer is.....
No answer has been provided. Apart from it MUST happen even if it obviously won;t

I think people who have the idea that everything must be a certain way all the time, must go through life feeling very disappointed. Or maybe smug? One or the other! Both?

FACT IS lots of kids in UK schools don't have proper gear so it makes no sense to put them out in the pissing rain. That is life for you.

Our primary school doesn’t do indoor playtimes. They change shoes to indoor shoes inside anyway so if it’s wet they come to school in wellies. My ds is wearing a ski jacket from decathlon (cheap but good) and if his trousers get too wet he’d change into his gym jogging bottoms which stay at school all term anyway.

FACT IS lots of kids in UK schools don't have proper gear so it makes no sense to put them out in the pissing rain.

so your solution is to punish everyone, keep all the kids inside - and drive the teachers crazy in the first place? Why should children be penalised because of lazy parents or those who just don't care?

If children don't start getting changed for PE in reception, when on earth will they learn?

We are forever complaining about obesity problem in this country, demanding that children stay on their chair all day long is not going to help. In this country, it rains, often.

The solution would be for the school to add waterproof gear to the mandatory uniform. If you have to treat parents like simpleton, so be it. Even if children were not going to school, being home ed or other, they would still need clothes, food, appropriate weather outfits. They would still be outside when it rains, so why refuse to buy the most basic items simply because they are at school.

Thinking about it more there is nowhere to hang wet coats and clothing to dry at our primary. Small cloakrooms in the lower years and lockers in the higher years. No room to hang over 600 wet coats and waterproof trousers.

I have a waterproof coat and it’s still shit being out in the pissing rain.

The kids at DD school also don't get changed for PE in recep and possibyl yr 1 as by the time they had all finished it was time to get changed again

At my kids school they never got changed for PE, not even in P7! Just changed their shoes. Again, I think it was the same issue as with loads of outdoor wear, there just wasn't anywhere to store a change of clothes.

"so your solution is to punish everyone, keep all the kids inside - and drive the teachers crazy in the first place? Why should children be penalised because of lazy parents or those who just don't care?"

No, that;s not MY solution lol

Just pointing out that saying "oh well all parents should have wet weather gear for their kids every day and all schools should have somewhere to store it / changing space and all children should be able to get changed in and out of it and still get a break even when aged just 4" is impractical. It's not real life.

If YOU can find a way to make all teh kids have proper gear and all the schools to be able to have space to change and store wet clothes boots etc and all the kids to be able to get in and out of it quicksmart (whole school gettigng changed at same time for break? could be logistically tricky) etc then I am very into the idea of playing out in all weathers (well I'm not personally but generally I thikn it's good for kids to be running around outdoors in the fresh air!).

They should be kept warm and dry by their clothes, not by staying inside. If they don’t have decent waterproofs, hats and scarves now is the time to solve that!

Right and how do we do that?

UK has massive child poverty issues.

Am happy to help what is your suggestion. I already donate to a charity for this + help at coat collection/ sorts at this time of year.

Parents are not all aware that their children are being left outside in the rain. Which I think is why some are only coming in a hoody. I might suggest the head let's everyone know. In an ideal world each child would have head to toe foul weather gear but in the real world people just don't have that sort of kit as it isn't necessary in day to day life because who in their right mind would choose to stand out in the pouring rain for an hour!

Doesn't solve the issue of schools not having enough space and therefore not allowign stuff like boots

That can be phase 2

I agree gettign all the kids in proper clothes for the winter is an excellent plan but it's a huge job.

Maybe you are thinking a MN thind to help?

MN thing sorry - typo

What parent in their right mind only sends kids with a hoody in late November?

I'll give you a clue - it's not the working class mum with no car, because she walks everywhere and KNOWS how cold it is to be wet.

Yup

I know of teachers in prep schools where kids go on field trips and parents have been in talking to the teacher all concerned because "she's never been out in the rain."

WTF.

Same type as who send their kids on a trip to a nature reserve (in autumn) in furry outered boots, with no coat. Present because it spoils the look.

I get my kids 3-in-1 waterproof coats in the sales for £20 each or so in summer. They're often £70 or so new but you can get real bargains. Just got to buy carefully. They last two years too and do all seasons.

in the real world people just don't have that sort of kit as it isn't necessary in day to day life

well, I live in England so in day to day life waterproofs are a necessity because we do leave our house sometimes, and being England and all that it RAINS! Shocking news, I know.

It also means that when your kids are doing any outdoor sport ,they have the right kit, because, again, yes it will rain.

It's strange that what is normal in some state schools seems completely alien in others. When my kids are kept indoors due to severe weather, we receive an apologetic message from the school!

@highby did it kill you in the 80s/90s? No.

It'a a bit chilly and some rain. Give over.