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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel sorry for Scottish children?

715 replies

silver3 · 10/08/2020 11:58

Imagine having to go back to school in this suffocating heat in new blazers and school shoes. I know September can be warm too but, it seems to me, there’s nearly always a heat wave like this in mid-August. My DC have been sleeping in the basement on and off for weeks because their bedrooms are like saunas. Schools don’t always have air-conditioning. AIBU to think Nicola Sturgeon should just push the start of term back to Sept?

OP posts:
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10
Sceptre86 · 10/08/2020 20:40

I am in Scotland and it rained all day today, I wore a jumper to work and will pit the heating on tonight. Different parts of the uk have different temperatures. This shouldn't shock you! It was warm on Friday and Saturday in my part of Scotland but much cooler on Sunday. I think our kids will cope with the temperature just fine!

isabellerossignol · 10/08/2020 20:40

I'm in N Ireland, not Scotland, but to answer a question that the OP asked, I definitely haven't noticed summers here getting warmer. I'm in my mid 40s and can only remember one properly hot summer which was 1995. We occasionally get a few days of nice weather at a time(maybe 19 or 20 degrees), it's not relentlessly awful weather all the time but the idea of an actual 'summer' is a bit of an alien concept to me.

The funny thing is that when I look back to my childhood I spent entire summer holidays playing with my friends all day long, exploring the woods near our house and playing tennis and football and doing handstands outside. I don't know if I'm looking back with rose tinted glasses but summers seemed a lot drier when I was young, although not necessarily warmer.

lowlandLucky · 10/08/2020 20:42

First( and only) deep fried mars bar that ever tried was 5 years ago in a chip shop in a Oxfordshire village

TheAquaticDuchess · 10/08/2020 20:43

I’m pretty sure the chippy in the Grassmarket does a deep fried mars bar AND a deep fried Tunnock’s Tea Cake.

Linnet · 10/08/2020 20:51

There is a Gaelic primary school in my city. I don’t know anyone now who speaks Gaelic fluently but years ago I worked with two girls who did, they were from Barra.

My dd goes back to school on Friday. They have to wear full uniform including ties and blazers. Blazers at our school are compulsory from 4th-6th year.

I have never had a deep fried Mars Bar, I’m not sure if any chippy’s here even do them.

My city is in a valley so we quite often have overcast days that are warm, although often chilly, whereas everywhere round about us has a lovely warm sunny day. May and September are usually the best months. This year April and May were brilliant, I sat out as much as I could as when it’s nice and hot in Scotland you make the most of it since you don’t know when it may happen again.😎

lyralalala · 10/08/2020 20:58

My cousin's kids go to a Gaelic unit at their school. She and her husband started learning at the same time, but the kids have massively progressed beyond them because they partly gave up. Amusingly (though I wouldn't find it as funny if it was my kids) if the kids are feeling mischevious they'll sit and have conversations that their parents can't follow to make the point that they promised to learn too Grin

BashfulClam · 10/08/2020 20:59

Yes it’s so hot here I’ve opened the top button in my duffel coat. These have been worn all day today it’s so hot!

BashfulClam · 10/08/2020 21:00

I know two people who speak Gaelic fluently but they both grew up on Scottish Islands.

Isadora2007 · 10/08/2020 21:03

We are starting back a week earlier than originally planned... but that’s fine considering all we’ve missed so far. And this is the expected weather we are sending our poor kids in... 😂

To feel sorry for Scottish children?
TakeMe2Insanity · 10/08/2020 21:12

YABU

It’s not hot in Scotland. Most people are wearing coats. Not big coats but but coats.

ReallyLazy · 10/08/2020 21:15

Trust me... we don't get many days where its "too hot"

LilQueenie · 10/08/2020 21:25

I'm on the east coast of Scotland and they want to put kids out at break in all weather. Well we have a storm at the moment expected to last 4 days with thunder and lightning. They also issued a threat to life warning. Thats why I feel sorry for them.

ludothedog · 10/08/2020 21:26

I do wonder about the frequent posts on here about expensive school uniforms including blazers. George is standard wear here, if you're feeling flush then M&S. Other than private schools no one wears blazers.

Loving farmer Jim aye!

shinyredbus · 10/08/2020 21:29

😂 you started an AIBU without even checking the facts? Dear oh dear.

DoAsYouWouldBeMumBy · 10/08/2020 21:35

@ludothedog

I do wonder about the frequent posts on here about expensive school uniforms including blazers. George is standard wear here, if you're feeling flush then M&S. Other than private schools no one wears blazers.

Loving farmer Jim aye!

I live in a very normal town in Scotland and the state high school kids wear blazers. So, much like PPs telling the OP to check her facts before assuming it's the same all over the country... Grin
isabellerossignol · 10/08/2020 21:40

I always read posts on Mumsnet and think that English school uniform rules sound very relaxed compared to where I live. It's kind of funny that people in Scotland might look at England and think that they seem really strict. Perception is everything!

luckylavender · 10/08/2020 21:43

I am genuinely astonished that anyone could start a post without having any concept of differing temperatures in the country. It's not unusual. And then be so blasé about it & try & justify their position.

celtiethree · 10/08/2020 21:45

All the state schools in our local authority have blazers as part of their uniform. They are mandatory in my local high school and are expected to be worn this week. That said they are not wool and definitely not too hot in the Scottish weather. Easy to wash and dry. Cost is roughly £50 and we’ve always got 2-3 years out of each one (starts v big finishes quite small 😂), so very good £ per wear cost!

luckylavender · 10/08/2020 21:48

OP - when you're in a hole, just stop digging. And maybe don't comment on climate change when your understanding of basic regional weather is so poor.

chocolatemademefat · 10/08/2020 21:56

Have you ever visited Scotland? sweltering heat doesn’t bother us much because it rarely happens. Hoodies and umbrellas are no strangers in my summer wardrobe.

dementedpixie · 10/08/2020 22:07

@ludothedog

I do wonder about the frequent posts on here about expensive school uniforms including blazers. George is standard wear here, if you're feeling flush then M&S. Other than private schools no one wears blazers.

Loving farmer Jim aye!

The high school kids in my area also wear blazers and ties. All state schools - North Lanarkshire
AudacityOfHope · 10/08/2020 22:12

Ahahhahaha!

PMSL at OP's response if 'I'm veggie' to a picture of a haggis lolloping around a hillside Grin

This thread is classic. OP if you'd laughed at yourself here you'd have become a legend.

ludothedog · 10/08/2020 22:16

Ok, blazers in some parts, not in my town in West Lothian, the town where I work in Fife and not all schools in Edinburgh.

ludothedog · 10/08/2020 22:19

In fact, the advice from our local high school is not to buy a blazer but to buy a "big coat" instead!

dementedpixie · 10/08/2020 22:43

My kids have blazers from previous years that are ok. They don't wear big coats and don't have lockers and don't want to carry them about the school (outerwear not allowed on in the class). They'll probably end up in hoodies as they've not to wear blazers or ties when they first go back