To think kids should be able to walk in the rain

[MiaMarshmallows]

To school if it is less than 30 minutes away?

Of course they should. I walked to school every day as a kid with a raincoat, I didn’t have wellies or other waterproofs and it was completely fine.

They can - but most don't - even when it's not raining! It's 1/2 mile from my road to school. Most children go in the car. Then they have to do the 'daily mile' around the playground! If they just walked to school and back they wouldn't need to.
You don't need special clothing, just a waterproof coat and sensible footwear (wellies and carry school shoes in a bag - they seem to manage that in the snow). The children won't dissolve in the rain nor will they catch a cold if they get wet!

30 mins with a good raincoat/waterproof coat and wellies is fine.

Problem I have is stopping DS jumping in the biggest puddle he can find. And he's tactical about this and gives a false sense of security so he will avoid many that don't meet his standard, so you think ah we've got this and drop your guard and then "the one" will be discovered and he's soaked. By the time I've shouted "no" he's up to his ankles. The little scrote. 🙄

I dropped my daughter and her friend 2 min walk away this morning.

Usually they walk 10 min to give them a bit of independence. However I was right there available to drive them and didn't want her sitting in wet clothes. She has a chronic illness and feels the cold.

I remember getting soaked on my way to school in the morning. It was miserable having cold soggy feet all day long. And I had those ridiculous long flared school trousers in a material where water just seeped up the trouser leg so by the end of the day it would be wet up to my thighs. Then we would have assembly in a big hall and all have to sit on the floor where 200 kids just walked their wet dirty shoes over the floor.

I guess I could have walked to school in wellies but then they weren't part of the uniform and it was before lockers etc so would have had to carry them round all day.

Can you tell I wasn't a fan of school! Especially on rainy days :)

I mean, I'm sure they can - but it's generally miserable so why would you want to if you have a viable alternative?

I'm a dog walker so walk whatever the weather but my first walk of the day today was grim - it was absolutely pissing it down and the wind meant it was blowing practically straight into my eyes.

I did it because it's my job and I'm an adult who can deal with it, but I certainly wouldn't have walked in it to school or to an office job if I had a car to use! It was grim, and that was with me being kitted out in full waterproofs plus wellies.

@imagen

You won't be drenched if you wear good quality waterproof clothes. If it's that much of a worry, just give them a change of clothes as well so they can get changed if it's really an issue.

Regarding public transport, actually it will make a difference. More fuel is used the more weight there is. As such, less people on the bus = less weight = less fuel consumption. Yes, it won't make a huge difference but any difference is a good difference. Again, public transport has become too convenient for people who are more than able to walk, or even cycle, to their destination.

Wow it’s a good job that PP didn’t disclose any disabilities in terms of needing 2 hours to get ready, or you would be feeling pretty shitty right now. You didn’t check first, did you

We are the kind of smug parents who take our toddlers out in the rain for fun, even before lockdowns (“oh just pop them in a puddle suit!”), so I’m sure mine will be fine come the walk to school

@coachmylife

Can someone explain to me how it's possible to afford a money-pit car, and not a raincoat??

We ALWAYS walk. Don't have a car. But I do think I need to get DS some wellies that fit, as today it really was pelting down.

Because the car is a necessity for many things - getting to work, school, the shops etc.

Proper waterproofs are expensive and parents often can't afford to spend that kind of money on stuff their kid will have outgrown in a matter of months.

At my daughters school there are no coat pegs or lockers - Covid, of course - so she would have to carry a wet coat all day. One of her mates was soaking wet (torrential downpour at school run time) his blazer was wringing wet and his white shirt transparent so he wanted to change into his PE shirt, he was told no. So if it's raining I'll take her to school.

Me and DS3 walked to nursery this morning while it was chucking it down, which took longer than 30 mins because of the puddle jumping and stopping to look at all the snails and slugs.

Waterproof jacket, trousers and wellies he was completely dry when it all came off.

Shock horror but we don't actually have a car!!!

Kids school is a short walk (10 minutes so they are fine with waterproof coat and wellies) and I am WFH but when I was in the office it would be a 10 minute walk to school then a 40 minute walk to the office no direct public transport so I had no choice I had a spare outfit at the office!

If you get the right week in Lidl, or get them a good brand secondhand, waterproof trousers and coats and wellies are available for under £20. And then hand them down, if you have more than one child. I know that’s out of the reach of some people, but it’s not like it has to be super expensive to get decent ones.

But if you hate walking in the rain yourself, you’d probably rather spend that £20 on something else. Personally, I dislike driving in school rush traffic, so I’d rather pay for waterproofs and walk, if the journey is doable on foot.

On the other hand, the fewer people get on buses the worse the public transport network will eventually become. (I am not saying get the bus to school if you can walk).

With a raincoat and umbrella, sure. Wellies too if it's really heavy.

@EatYourVegetables

YANBU. Obesity epidemic, climate emergency, and a fuel crisis, yet some people can’t walk for 30 min.

As for the poster who says But it took me 2 hours to get ready, YABU, jeez, what do you do for 2h, it took me less time to give birth.

😂 quite right. What is she on about ?!

Depends. A normal amount of rain, sure.

This morning it was like stair rods and local roads had flash flooding. They shouldn’t have to walk in that if at all avoidable.

Last time my ds walked in the rain, his fabric rucksack (school regulation one so no choice) got so soaked his exercise books disintegrated! I drove him this morning

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!

Our road is too dangerous to cycle on when it’s wet. The visibility is too poor as there’s too much spray (rural road). There’s no pavement, and it takes 45 minutes to walk across the fields in good weather. And DS has ASD and finds wet clothing and glasses very distressing.

Damn right we drove in this morning…!

mine went off this morning for her 30 min walk to school with her new colour change harry potter umbrella. She was quite excited to use it for the first time so no arguments from her.

Sometimes she gets a lift if my husband has to go that way to work (he's a cover teacher so can go anywhere) but today was the opposite direction so she had to walk.

Let's face it - in the last 50 years we have become absolutely pathetic about kids and weather in this country.

As people say - good weather gear is a lot cheaper than running a car.

Children don't even get playtime if it is raining - I can't bear it! my kids are bouncing off the walls when we have wet weather, I pick them up and they have watched tv in the classroom

Yet - take a child out in the rain they will LOVE it - if they are given permission to actually enjoy themselves they whoop and leap and splash.

Walking in the rain is fine IF the children are dressed appropriately. I work in a yr1/2 class and some children come in drenched head to toe. Girls school shoes hardly cover any of the tops of their feet, so their socks are soaked through. Trousers dripping. I try my best to find spares and hang their wet clothes up but it's often not possible. Imagine going to work wet and having to stay like that all day. Wellies and full waterproofs great but just a coat then no, they are not dressed for a 30min walk in the rain.

@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!

Agreed, and even if they did wear them, where are they supposed to put them when they get to school? They don’t all have lockers.

Small children... fine. Puddlesuit or waterproof overalls with wellies, then they're completely dry for nursery/school when they arrive (although the parent has to schlep all of the waterproof gear home with them). If parents don't have the correct gear, no because I wouldn't want my little DC sitting in damp, wet clothes for the whole day.

Older children... unless you have waterproof gear for them, they're willing to wear it and their school provides somewhere to store it, than no. The walk itself is not a problem - I quite like rainy walks in proper rain-gear! - but it's not reasonable to expect anyone to sit in damp clothing for the whole day.

My DC goes to a mostly outdoors nursery so I'm not against kids being out in the rain and cold. But the little ones there wear full rain-gear and are checked regularly and changed if wet. Totally different situation.