Do kids really need a thick winter coat for school?

[Floie92]

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!!

Yes

@Lockdownbear

Yes! He had one coat which was okay when he was 5yo which he wore without complaints but since that one grew too small he won't even put them on to see if they're comfortable.
He won't wear a fleece, and even tends not to wear a jumper most of the time. He was delighted when his secondary school decided they could wear shorts. He may be the only one that wears them all the year round, but that doesn't bother him.

My parents have a photo of me and my sibling at the sea:
#1: Wearing jeans rolled up to the knee and a jumper
#2 Bikini
#3 Thick duffle coat, scarf and hat.

(I was #2)

@MargaretThursday, thanks for your reply 😊
LO is 4, last winter the only jacket he'd wear was a hand me down that had been kept for going to the park.
I was so embarrassed 😳 walking around with him in this jacket that I'd stitched back together. Meanwhile his lovely new jacket hung in the cupboard - unloved!
The school jacket is fleece lined but not too thick I thought he'd be fine with it but he won't wear it either.

A fleece and good raincoat is much more practical than a traditional winter coat for kids imo.

Dd is in secondary now, and has always has thick winter coats. We live in the lakes and it's always bloody cold 😂 but like me- she gets too hot, she hates coats. So this year, I got her a thin Jack Wolfskin jacket (it was 3x the cost of what I would normally spend) and its been the best thing ever, it goes in her bag, round her waist, it's not too hot, she can layer up under it.
Game changer.

Sounds like a 3 in 1 would work best for OP's DCs.

I need to find our fleece liners for ours. It's not quite cold enough for the big coats to emerge but it is getting cool for only a waterproof.

I live in Iceland and I never wear a thick coat. They are not at all necessary. As others have said, your layering approach is very sensible. You need a good top layer that is wind and waterproof, but thin is absolutely fine and more practical and versatile in many ways. Then a good mid layer or two when it gets a bit colder (I use a wool jumper most of the time). Then I add Merino base layers when it's significantly sub zero, which is not something that generally happens in the UK.
That said my kids do have padded winter coats and snow suits, but they would be major overkill for where I grew up in southern England.

My kids only have 1 coat. They wear it to school and home life. I thought that was normal! 😕

@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse

My kids only have 1 coat. They wear it to school and home life. I thought that was normal! 😕

My oldest has multiple warm coats but he grows slowly and wears them out rather than out grows them. My LO at the moment has a school jacket and a thin waterproof. He doesn't feel cold and doesn't like being bundled up.

I think the one you pictured is fine for autumn and mild winter/spring, but once there’s a frost or the temp drops below zero it looks a bit inadequate. They may be fine walking to school as they’re moving, but in the playground or lining up they could be shivering with cold and not tell you.

I remember being cold in the playground and too proud to tell my mum (who would have bought a warmer coat!)

My DS is 6 and would happily wear his ‘autumn coat’ or no coat, but once temperatures drop I’ll be sending him in with a fleece lined, padded, slightly longer coat with fur lined hood. Even if I have to carry it on the way, I want it on his peg as an option in case he’s cold. You never know when a sudden hailstorm, sleet or blizzard will happen.

@FateHasRedesignedMost

I think the one you pictured is fine for autumn and mild winter/spring, but once there’s a frost or the temp drops below zero it looks a bit inadequate. They may be fine walking to school as they’re moving, but in the playground or lining up they could be shivering with cold and not tell you.

I remember being cold in the playground and too proud to tell my mum (who would have bought a warmer coat!)

My DS is 6 and would happily wear his ‘autumn coat’ or no coat, but once temperatures drop I’ll be sending him in with a fleece lined, padded, slightly longer coat with fur lined hood. Even if I have to carry it on the way, I want it on his peg as an option in case he’s cold. You never know when a sudden hailstorm, sleet or blizzard will happen.

But if the kids are wearing a fleece under a windproof coat as the OP describes, that basically adds up to what you have described, apart from the fur hood which a hat could easily replace for cold days? Same for the people who are suggesting the 3 in 1 coats. I agree I've used them before and they are useful, but essentially the OPs kids are already doing that because of the uniform fleece.

But if the kids are wearing a fleece under a windproof coat as the OP describes, that basically adds up to what you have described, apart from the fur hood which a hat could easily replace for cold days?

True, if they wear the fleece (mine won’t, even if his teeth are chattering with cold he doesn’t seem to link this with clothing!)

In below zero temps I’d want a coat with insulation (padding), that buttons to the chin and is a bit longer (covering child’s bottom). Or for days when the wind chill is bitterly cold.

For temps above freezing I think it’s fine to layer up with thermal vest, shirt, fleece, raincoat (provided child can be trusted to keep the fleece on).

In below zero temps outdoor trousers will do you a lot more good than a big long coat. Thin windproof shell trousers do a huge amount to keep you warm.

My son is autistic. Finding a winter coat is something I dread every year. He hates them all and barely get worn. He only wears his tatty warm bomber jacket. The padding is very soft inside but I know it’s too short so doesn’t shield from the rain, also he’s outgrown it last year but none of the replacements get worn.
Last week on a whim I bought a £20 jacket from Asda. He really likes it! Not crinkly, not very stiff, no fussy bits, average weight fleece lining, nice length. He’s been wearing it this week and likes it but says the zip is difficult to do up- he’s right, it’s stiff and I fear it’ll get stuck fairly soon.

[quote Lockdownbear]@MargaretThursday, thanks for your reply 😊
LO is 4, last winter the only jacket he'd wear was a hand me down that had been kept for going to the park.
I was so embarrassed 😳 walking around with him in this jacket that I'd stitched back together. Meanwhile his lovely new jacket hung in the cupboard - unloved!
The school jacket is fleece lined but not too thick I thought he'd be fine with it but he won't wear it either.[/quote]
@Lockdownbear

Many sympathies. The coat he liked age 5yo he wore until threadbare and the sleeves were nearly at his elbows. It's stored in the loft as he got upset when I said it was time to get rid of it.
New one, which was as close to it as I could find, went to the charity shop having been worn maximum twice.

He does have some sensory issues, and I think it's just that he doesn't like the restrictiveness of it.

He’s been wearing it this week and likes it but says the zip is difficult to do up- he’s right, it’s stiff and I fear it’ll get stuck fairly soon.

Go back to the shop and try all the other coats in that size, see if one has a smoother zip and buy it for reserve (or next size up!) if you can.
Else I think using a graphite pencil to draw on the zip is supposed to help it run more smoothly .