To think kids should be able to walk in the rain

[MiaMarshmallows]

To school if it is less than 30 minutes away?

Apparently it’s normal

Would much rather not, I have done and will do by myself but won’t do it to my kids by choice. Life is hard enough as it is, don’t think they need any more lessons in resilience from age 4. Also, in my mind, keeping them comfortable and dry where I have the means and ability to, is just common sense. I also do not have the luxury to traipse in the rain at snails pace to and from school when I have an actual job to get to.

There not doing an Arctic exploration, there going to school, I used to walk an hour in all weathers in the 1980s I had 1 coat for the whole year that was bought big by my mum and lasted about 3 years until it was small on me.

I also do not have the luxury to traipse in the rain at snails pace to and from school when I have an actual job to get to

Sneery much?

Actually no, small children don’t walk especially fast so the school run takes longer than it should but when it rains we are even slower. I have to be at work for 9 so if they get to school later I get home later. Not sure why others are so insistent that their way is the only way. Yes, they should be able to walk in the rain and they can. But my choice is to get them to school on time, dry and in time so I can not be late for work. I appreciate others may have more time on their hands or not mind leaving, earlier, etc. Not sure how that is really anyone’s problem but mine. If you’re happy to walk in the rain and get your shoes, socks, etc wet, good on you.

@RobinPenguins

I also do not have the luxury to traipse in the rain at snails pace to and from school when I have an actual job to get to

Sneery much?

Yes, but also she clearly thinks that people whose kids walk in the rain are forcing them to do it as some sort of exercise in resilience, don’t want to keep them warm and dry and are happy for them to walk about in wet socks all day. So sneering at us monsters probably feels entirely justified.

@lazylinguist

All shoving waterproofs in a bag will do is keep them damp, smelly and will potentially make them go mouldy. Damp waterproofs need to be aired and dried out, not stuffed in a backpack to fester all day.

Nonsense, they won't get close to going mouldy by the end of the school day. Just air them when they come home. Mine are fine after a wet day's hiking, stuffed in a rucksack until I get home.

And how many teenagers will leave them shoved in their bag for days/weeks because they don't need them? I'm betting quite a considerable number.

Of course they won't go mouldy after one day, but after a week or so in a backpack, they won't be very pleasant!

@Comedycook

As for secondary school kids wearing wellies... seriously, anyone who knows anything about teenagers, knows they'd rather die then walk to school in wellie boots!

Most of them would also rather freeze/drown too by the amount NOT wearing a coat in the torrential rain that was going on at school pick up here yesterday!

@GoldenOmber

All shoving waterproofs in a bag will do is keep them damp, smelly and will potentially make them go mouldy. Damp waterproofs need to be aired and dried out, not stuffed in a backpack to fester all day.

They don’t go mouldy and fester in the length of a school day, they really don’t. They’re designed for getting wet!

Get the impression a lot of MNers are picturing ‘waterproofs’ as something expensive, bulky and difficult to use, requiring special storage and care.

I have waterproofs for my DC, and they wear them for the school run if it’s chucking it down. I wear waterproofs myself for walking to/from train station in non-covid commute times, more than half an hour each way. They are a really useful thing to own because they are lightweight, easy to carry and store, and most importantly mean you don’t have to sit around damp and shivering all day because under the waterproofs you’re dry.

I work outdoors and wear waterproofs day in, day out. I also sold waterproof gear for a living for five years - I know what it is, lol.

Yes, you can buy cheap "waterproofs" from Decathlon or whatever, but good quality waterproof gear isn't cheap. If you're wearing it regularly you want it waterproof to at least 15,000mm, ideally 20k. It also needs reproofing and keeping clean, or the rain stops beading off and you get damp.

Now, I know most people won't buy waterproofs like that for their kids, but cheap waterproofs often fail and leave you damp and cold, and it leaves you feeling miserable.

I also don't know many any teenagers who will go to school wearing waterproof overtrousers, a waterproof jacket and wellies I was out this morning - the rain was torrential and most of the secondary aged children were in shorts and cotton hoodies!

Come on , who the fuck wants to walk anywhere in bouncing rain for 30 minutes?

This is MN - if you admit you hate the rain or being wet and windswept, you're told you're wearing the wrong clothing and just need to change your attitude

i was chatting about this with mom yesterday as i despair at the amount of kids who don't have coats/waterproofs or umbrellas.

I used to have to walk a mile to school each day, come rain or shine, and even with injured feet/ankles/back a few times as well, because mom didnt drive and dad worked away (mind you he wouldn't give us a lift if he was home either) so we always had a good coat.

I remember it being 'uncool' to wear a coat as a teen even then, but i wasn't cool, and laughed at the idiots spending their day soggy/cold while i was warm and dry.

My kids don't get the option of walking as we live 3 miles from school, so i have to drive them, but i don't meet them on the school grounds and they have to walk about 800 meters to get to where i park away from the entrance.. so i still make sure they have a decent coat to wear.

You really don’t need the really expensive waterproofs to walk for 30 minutes to school in the rain. You really don’t. I mean you can buy the really expensive gear that’ll keep you dry all day in driving rain.

I have waterproofs that are fine with 30 minutes in fairly heavy rain and didn’t cost that much. Similar for my children. Not cheap “water resistant” stuff that lasts about 5 minutes, but not all-day-out-in-a-downpour gear either.

Again: what do people think those of us who can’t just ‘jump in the car’ do, exactly? Stay wet all day? Refuse to go to work/school/nursery? Or could it be, could it possibly be, that we actually do make this work?

I also don't know many any teenagers who will go to school wearing waterproof overtrousers, a waterproof jacket and wellies

Their call, then, really? I’m not sure that “Mum, I know I could stay dry by putting the right clothes on but I don’t want to do that so please drive me door to door” sounds that compelling, but perhaps I am just a terribly mean parent.

Some people have no choice but to walk.
Some have no choice but to drive.

If you had the choice and you didn't like the rain, surely you'd drive?

Unless you're auditioning your kids for SAS Who Dares Wins, giving them a lift in the rain isn't the end of the world.

@icedcoffees

Come on , who the fuck wants to walk anywhere in bouncing rain for 30 minutes?

This is MN - if you admit you hate the rain or being wet and windswept, you're told you're wearing the wrong clothing and just need to change your attitude

I do hate the rain! I just don’t think it’s worth bewailing the horror of having to go out in it when you have to go anyway. Far easier to say “bugger, it’s raining” and put a coat on.

@Calendulaaaaa

We biked as usual. The only comment on the weather was them asking if they could take umbrellas not sure how they were imagining that would work

I saw a woman riding a bike the other day, while holding an umbrella. She could barely steer and almost knocked into me jogging as she couldn't see where she was going!

If you had the choice and you didn't like the rain, surely you'd drive?

Nobody likes the rain, come on.

I probably would drive sometimes if I had a car, because I am a fairly lazy person. OTOH, my children live in a very rainy country, so I really don’t want them growing up thinking that going out in the rain is some kind of horrendous endurance mission that no kind parent would ever subject a child to.

Where I live it rains so hard sometimes that raincoats, wellies and umbrellas are not enough to stop you getting completely soaked. If that was the case, and I was able to drive my child to school rather than them sitting all day in wet clothes, then yes I would absolutely drive them.

It depends how heavy the rain is and how well dressed the kids are.

One day we left home and it started to pour - a 3 minute walk to the bus stop. My dd had on a heavy rain coat but didn’t have on waterproof trousers. The rain was torrential and by the time she was on the bus we were both soaked through. I even had to change my underwear! All the kids and parents were soaked. I had to take a skirt and tights to school for her.

If you are prepared for the rain then yes it’s fine. Although half an hour both ways might be tiring for a wee one, especially at the end of the day. We walk a lot and 30 minutes home might cause some moans some days!

She is actually responding to the comments about how we are raising snowflakes, are your children made of paper, etc? She also clearly said you do you, in response to the question, no I will not make my kids walk in the rain. Guess we won’t be winning any awards for powering through, but Idgaf. Next time, address me directly.

@Coffeepants

She is actually responding to the comments about how we are raising snowflakes, are your children made of paper, etc? She also clearly said you do you, in response to the question, no I will not make my kids walk in the rain. Guess we won’t be winning any awards for powering through, but Idgaf. Next time, address me directly.

Well, gosh, terribly sorry for saying you were only being sneery because you think other parents are mean and make our kids sit around with wet feet. Clearly you don’t think that and just felt like sneering anyway, I do apologise.

So, in order not make some parents feel terrible by walking in the rain, we ALL have to walk in the rain and make ourselves late for work as an added bonus.

OK.

This place is bonkers.

I think half an hour in the rain sounds pretty miserable. My kids went out the door in salopettes today though. We have a a five minute walk; ten minute wait (varies hugely) for the school bus. I don't mind walking in bad weather didrikson coat and ski gloves and muck boots but somehow standing in the rain is worse.

@icedcoffees

Come on , who the fuck wants to walk anywhere in bouncing rain for 30 minutes?

This is MN - if you admit you hate the rain or being wet and windswept, you're told you're wearing the wrong clothing and just need to change your attitude

But also on MN, you should all be walking regardless to save the environment.

I personally just find it lazy to drive when it's raining if you could walk it in 20 mins. If you can afford a car, you can afford a coat that is waterproof, there's plenty available that don't cost £100 each and are still waterproof.

But the environmentalists aren't wrong. All of this driving short distances is a contributory factor in why earth is screwed. Its just not going to change either because people are too lazy.

Did I say other parents are mean or did I say my choice is to drive?

@MeredithGreyishblue

So, in order not make some parents feel terrible by walking in the rain, we ALL have to walk in the rain and make ourselves late for work as an added bonus.

OK.

This place is bonkers.

Nobody said that, did they?

“AIBU to think kids should be able to walk under 30 mins to school if it’s raining?”
“Yeah, that’s a reasonable expectation.”

I think if you choose to and you can make sure they arrive with dry clothes and feet, then yes crack on.

If others choose not to, hey ho, each to their own, i personally dont enjoy walking in the rain, so i wouldn't be bringing my son along for the journey to make it longer.