To think kids should be able to walk in the rain

[MiaMarshmallows]

To school if it is less than 30 minutes away?

@goawayalcg

Suitable waterproofs? Just get an umbrella. My son certainly walks to school in all weather and it's about half an hour. Never thought about it.

I watched two schoolgirls in the space of five minutes this morning wrestling with umbrellas that had turned inside out. I never bother with an umbrella in windy weather. A good raincoat and reasonably rainproof shoes are more reliable.

I did it as a kid and hated it. I hated being cold. I only had one set of uniform so taking dry clothes wasn't an option.

Waterproof backpacks are available

@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!

And as for the suggestion of tying a hood under their chin. When was the last time you saw a secondary school age child wearing a coat even?

Problem is now they tend not to have lockers there's nowhere to put the coat/wellies/umbrella etc during the day so they have to carry it round with everything else*. It's not the same as going into work where you can hang it on the back of the door all day.

• and if they do have lockers it's probably all sitting in there from last time where they forgot it on the way home because it wasn't raining any more and it's sitting there damply smelling.

My 12 year old jogged his journey this morning (normally 25 min walk) as it was so wet - spotted him running 12km/h on the app I track him with!

Why just children? Adults should also be able to walk in the rain for distances of less than 30 minutes.

I'm guessing there is a fairly large correlation between adults who jump into the car for every short journey and those who have children that dissolve if asked to walk in the rain.

(My DD is disabled - she isn't physically capable of walking to school, so I have to drive her. I find it absolutely astounding that people would rather drive through the carnage that is "school run on a rainy day" chaos, than put on a coat and walk a short distance. "Can't afford it" only makes sense if you can't afford to buy your child a coat at all.

Why? I don't get it. If necessary, DC and me can and do walk in the rain. But no one likes walking in the rain. No one likes arriving at school with wet feet/hair/trousers etc. So, having only read your OP, I assume you're outraged by the parents who choose to drive their children when it's raining, YABU because you know what? I hate walking in the rain and if I can drive the DC when the weather is crap, I'm going to do that.

They need a coat during the day though whether they are walking to school or not, otherwise they’ll get wet at breaktimes and walking between lessons surely?

I said YABU because you haven’t actually stated anything bar ‘rain’.

It depends on the age of the child, how heavy the rain is etc…

I would have had more issue with the dcs walking to SCHOOL in the rain for 1/2 hour when they were at nursery than at secondary (mines have actually done that for many years).
That is if it’s the normal rain we have in winter in england.
Heavy rain with howling winds? Then no

I’d add the issue of the parent. Having a chronic illness, I would resent having to carry all the gear back home myself. Because this would be a struggle for me. Not every parent will be comfortable with the carrying stuff (ESL if there are several children to carry stuff for) nor will they be happy to walk for an hour in the rain either.

Healthy, able children in proper clothing should manage 30 minutes in rain. It's rare that you'd get 30 minutes of terrential, freezing rain so they can manage some drizzle.

Unhealthy, unable students obviously shouldn't be forced to- especially if they have risk of getting ill from the cold or slipping on wet floors.

If there is no other option then yes but only if they have adequate clothing and footwear.

Depends on the rain 🤷‍♀️

We're a 40 minute walk to school with DC 2 and 6. We walk the vast majority of the time, even when it's raining. I've actually found that it is very very rare that the rain will be so bad that we need to hop on the bus. But, sometimes it is and so we do. The time I walked mine to school and my bad filled up with water through the zip so I couldn't even hand over dry clothes sealed that fate!

Sure! My 10yr old was outside in the rain lying on a blanket in shorts and a vest "sunbathing" yesterday and her little brother was out playing too so clearly the rain doesn't bother them much! We only live a 2 minute walk from school so always walk anyway, if we lived further away and the weather was really horrid I would probably drive tbh, the children might not melt but I'm concerned that I might!

@lboogy

😂 quite right. What is she on about ?!

Er, what's it to you?! I took Eatyourvegetables comment in good humour but you're being a bit weird.

Its never crossed my mind that children would not attend school due to rainfall, no matter how heavy. Unless it closes the school and/or floods routes then why shouldn't they be in?
I dont drive either so we were always on foot. I've been liked a drowned rat many many times. Gives me great curls though!

@Doomscrolling

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.

But those are dangerous driving conditions.

I would've said parents shouldn't drive their kids around in that if at all avoidable.

And if they can walk to school, it is avoidable.

My LO has just started school and I’m determined to walk to and from school- my neighbour doesn’t and if it’s less than bright and sunny they drive…it’s an 8min walk ffs- the planet is doomed!

I wouldn’t want to be sitting in wet clothes and shoes all day. Umbrellas do not stop feet becoming drenched and most of the time it’s too windy to use an umbrella.

As should adults.

@pelosi

🤣

Washed and conditioned my hair, blow dried it straight, tried on outfits, ironed chosen outfit, did make up.

Wasn't Sunday evening invented for organising work/school clothes, ironing the same??? All I decided on Monday morning was what knickers!

I walked half an hour to school every day for 7 years, whether it was sunny, torrential downpour or on several occasions, a blizzard.

Kids these days don't know they're born.

I have decent waterproofs for going outdoors for various activities in the rain.

I have a below-knee length decent waterproof coat with a hood for my commute (train but standing on water-front open platform and a decent walk at the end of that train journey). I have spare shoes under my desk at work (mostly used for posh meetings, but have been useful when soaking wet on arrival), and also spare socks in my drawer for not so dreadful days - on more biblical days, I wear my sailing boots (equivalent to wellies) for the commute and change shoes when I get to work.

In terms of "needing to be nicely done up" days, I do my best before I go (use protecting serum/mud/hairspray etc to hold hair, wear hood, use umbrella etc) so it stays intact, but I also have a spare hairbrush, full makeup kit and spare tights in my desk drawer, and a full spare decent outfit (jacket, plain trousers and plain top) in my coatrack - as I sometimes get called into high level meetings unexpectedly and may not be appropriately formally dressed - but can repair damage caused by weather as a useful by-product.

@Pedalpushers

I walked half an hour to school every day for 7 years, whether it was sunny, torrential downpour or on several occasions, a blizzard.

Kids these days don't know they're born.

I walked an hour (uphill both ways) in snow and rain every day, pulling a wagon behind me, wearing only a pillowcase and crocs, being chased by wolves.

Agree

Lots of people don’t have cars and walk to school all weathers.

I think it's great to get kids out in all weathers to play if they can go inside when they're done, get warm and dry in fresh clothes. Sitting around in damp polyester or soaked feet though is a different thing. It's not about being pathetic or wimpy or anything else, why be miseale and gold if you don't have yo?