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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do kids really need a thick winter coat for school?

91 replies

Floie92 · 30/09/2021 12:27

Every year I've bought my kids a decent thick winter coat for school and they've ended up hardly wearing them and then outgrow them! We live 1 minute walk away from the school so no long walks to school. Half the time they don't even wear them at school even in the winter, if it's raining they stay indoors, if it's dry they just tend to go out in the school fleeces over their jumper/cardigan. Ds hates coats in general.

They much prefer their thinner coats - not the paper thin macs you can get - I mean rain coats you get with a decent thick material but not fleeced lined inside or anything but they are rain and wind proof. I spent quite a bit on a decent rain coat for Dd back in the summer. It's not thick, padded or fleece lined bug very waterproof and a good material. Is that enough??

When it's dry in the winter and we go out about on the weekends they tend to wear thick fleece jumpers. Rain coat if rainy.

Will I be judged at school for sending my kids into school without a thick coat??

I only buy them for school and they barely get worn!!

OP posts:

Original poster

Floie92 · 30/09/2021 19:51

Thanks all. We live in the southwest and I don't think our winters are quite as chilly as other areas in the U.K.! It can be quite mild especially up until Christmas. My kids have plenty of warm clothes. Ds is autistic and loves fleecy things. Lots of winter woolies, school tights for Dd and Dd wears vests under her school shirt but DS is 10 and point blank refuses to wear a vest now 😅

I hate thick coats but I find that a decent waterproof coat is enough for me.

I absolutely do not begrudge buying my kids anything. At the minute they both have pretty decent wind/rain proof jackets. Dd is said to be insulated too but they aren't thick.

Also, the problem with the school fleeces being quite thick is that I have to size up in coats to fit over them yet when worn without school fleeces underneath means they are too loose!

We are just at the point we can't afford to spend on something that won't be used.

Dd had a beautiful £45 winter coat from next last year. It's worn a few times. Having no luck selling it even though I think it's a lovely coat. It's too small for her now.

OP posts:

EagleOrIgel · 30/09/2021 20:11

In your case, I wouldn't. They need a raincoat so will have one anyway. That over a thick fleece should be fine for SW England. You can always reconsider if they complain they're cold.
Mine do have thick winter coats as ours are kicked outside for breaks whatever the weather (except for gale force winds and thunderstorms close by).

MadeOfStarStuff · 30/09/2021 20:13

Buy a coat that suits your child and your lifestyle. If they normally wear fleeces and raincoats then just do that, don’t bother with a thick coat just because other people think you should. As long as DC are warm and dry (or at least, they have the clothing to be warm and dry if they bother to put it on) it’s absolutely fine.

ambereeree · 30/09/2021 20:43

In the southeast it never really gets that cold so I stick to a fleece and raincoat for my kids. This year we had a few cold winter days so put on extra layers.

thepinknecklace · 30/09/2021 20:45

I live outside Glasgow in a town that’s hundreds of feet above sea level. You need winter coat here 😂

BrilliantBetty · 30/09/2021 20:48

Thick school fleece was a winner here last year when they had the doors and windows open all the time.

With a light rain jacket on top for outdoors (+ hat and gloves)

I did put them in long sleeved thermal under shirt tops too as it really was chilly with all the 'ventilation'

CheeseTiger · 30/09/2021 20:48

I think parents should feed and clothe their children but they often don't. Then education staff have to deal with freezing cold, soaking wet crying children.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 30/09/2021 20:53

The head teacher at our primary school is often heard telling parents in the mornings that No, it's not just their child who refuses to take their coat out of their bag all day .

Certainly wouldn't be seen as a safe guarding issue to him as long as they have something water proof in their bag . My 10 year old often has his jumper stuffed in his bag too.

VestaTilley · 30/09/2021 21:08

Could you maybe get second hand ones from friends/family or the charity shop? That way they’re inexpensive but you do have them in case it’s a really harsh winter.

Looubylou · 30/09/2021 21:11

My son is 10 and just hates coats - he feels restricted. He has been known to arrive home soaked through with his coat stuffed in his bag. He likes thin sporty hoodies. He has just chosen a thin, sporty, waterproof jacket for school activity week. The three times moreexpensive one from outdoor shop is being returned, as deemed unsuitable. It's pointless spending lots if they take it off as soon as your back is turned.

Saz12 · 30/09/2021 21:23

Mine hates being cold, so winter jacket gets lots of use. I buy as big a size as is manageable, partly to accommodate layers underneath for sledging /skiing, partly in hopes of it fitting well enough to mean I can buy its replacement in the January sales.

But we’re rural Scotland! If they’re comfortable in layers + waterproof/wind proof jacket then that’s probably better anyway - can adjust layers to the weather / activity level and still be comfortable.

Simplelobsterhat · 30/09/2021 21:29

@CheeseTiger

I think parents should feed and clothe their children but they often don't. Then education staff have to deal with freezing cold, soaking wet crying children.

That's a jump from a waterproof but not very thick coat to not feeding or clothing your children!

I'm amazed they wear fleeces AND jumpers. It would be one of the other in our primary school. With that no you probably dont need a very thick coat in most of Britain I wouldn't think. More important to be waterproof abd windproof which many of the padded coats aren't. Can always get a thermal underlayer for extra cold days.

Do what suits your family and don't worry about those looking for any excuse to judge on here. I don't think I've ever noticed what coats the other kids are or are not wearing!

Greenhand · 30/09/2021 21:33

I think a good waterproof coat is sensible. My kids tell me you get bullied for wearing a proper coat to secondary school as evidenced by the fact none of the kids seem to wear them.

randomsabreuse · 30/09/2021 21:36

I spend half my life ostentatiously carrying my kids' rejected coats when I could more comfortably stuff them in my bag. I feel bad snuggled up in my big coat with my kids in t-shirts so I carry the coats in my hand, occasionally suggesting that the kids might want to put them on...

RavenT · 30/09/2021 21:41

My son wears a lightly padded raincoat during the winter months. He hates bulky padded coats and so do I!!

Lockdownbear · 30/09/2021 21:42

Op you know your kids and what they wear.

I've got one who feels the cold and wants a coat and one who feels the heat. I know what you mean about feeling judged but really as long as they are dry what does it matter?

DeepaBeesKit · 30/09/2021 21:42

I kind of get your point OP. 48 weeks out of the year my DS would refuse to wear anything but a lined raincoat type coat. However, we live in a region that gets cold snaps a few weeks each winter where it does really get chilly, we typically get a couple of long weekends with 4 or 5 inches of snow lying each year. So I tend to buy a thicker coat knowing if we don't have it it'll limit us going out then. Our school doesn't have fleeces, just standard pullovers, and DS wears thin short sleeved shirts.

NCkitchen · 30/09/2021 21:47

3 in 1 coats are definitely a great idea. Eg) www.polarnopyret.co.uk/collections/waterproof-kids-jackets

babybythesea · 30/09/2021 21:47

Maybe it depends on the school. Ours go out in the rain. Not if it’s a howling gale with rain blowing sideways but even if it’s quite heavy rain we go out for playtimes. We just stay in the playground rather than using the field! It takes a lot for us to shift playtime to wet play. And we do forest school every week and that never, ever shifts inside. We just dress up for wet and cold and out we go.

I’m a TA. I’m not sure which is the worst of two evils - standing outside in the rain or supervising the hell that is wet play!

MargaretThursday · 30/09/2021 21:51

I haven't bought ds a coat the last two years. He's 14yo and I think the last time he wore a coat was when he was 9yo. He hates them.

He does have a ski suit which he wears in the snow, and I bought him a body warmer, which he has worn once under protest.

He wears shorts (his choice) to school and has never complained about the temperature even when all the windows are open.

My dd will be found wearing a coat when the temperature is mid twenties.

Lockdownbear · 30/09/2021 21:52

@babybythesea but rain just needs a decent rain jacket/ waterproof it doesn't need to be a big padded Michelin man number.

Skysblue · 30/09/2021 21:54

Depends where you live - we have a 20 minute countryside walk to school which can get breezy - it doesn't sound like yours do need a thick coat for school. They do need some kind of rain jacket as they may not be allowed to play outside in slightly wet breaktimes without it.

Lockdownbear · 30/09/2021 21:54

@MargaretThursday when your boy was younger was it a fight to get coats on him?

Your kids sound like mine. I've a photo of one in a paddling pool and the other in a big winter jacket

CiaoForNiao · 30/09/2021 21:54

I hate thick coats. So do DC. Thin fleece lined ones with warm jumpers are much better for us. I was lucky to get DS1 in that when he was small. He was the one wearing shorts to school in the winter term. He was gutted when he went to secondary and had to wear trousers all the time

kowari · 30/09/2021 21:56

Just send them in what they are comfortable in. Don't know why you are buying every year though, I've always just bought every second size in most clothes once in school (except trousers up to about age 8). By the time DS outgrew one size the next had zero room for growth.

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