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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No more snow days for kids

134 replies

Snowflakesandroses · 06/01/2022 20:17

It’s been snowing pretty heavily here today and it’s due to snow again overnight and into tomorrow…my DP works in a school and was told that if the school has to shut tomorrow due to the snow that he’ll be expected to work from home using the online classroom and kids are expected to log on remotely to join in lessons, the same as they did during lockdown.

AIBU to think this is a step too far?

OP posts:
OnceuponaRainbow18 · 06/01/2022 20:17

Nooooooooo gutting!!!!’

Driposaurus · 06/01/2022 20:18

Yeah I realised this during the first lockdown… no more snow days!!!

RedCandyApple · 06/01/2022 20:19

I’m in London so we never really get snow days anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

Herecomesanothernamechange · 06/01/2022 20:19

YABU.
Why is it a step too far?

Previously, logging on from home wasn’t a thing but now it is, so why have kids miss out on more learning when they have missed so much already?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 06/01/2022 20:19

What age?
Secondary... fair enough.
Infants... no way way
Juniors... depends on how well set up everything is.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/01/2022 20:20

That is sad!

At least they can play out in it at lunch time and after school - few primaries provide a whole online day.

oswaldcat · 06/01/2022 20:20

I dont really understand - do you think the school shouldn't close - or that it should and your DH shouldn't be expected to teach online?

KiloWhat · 06/01/2022 20:20

What noooo

It's a childhood right of passage

duckme · 06/01/2022 20:20

Yep, our school said this too. I can't imagine many kids would be online though. I don't think I'd make mine logon for just one day. Snow days are as rare as rocking horse shite here, so I think I'd let my kids enjoy one day!

FourTeaFallOut · 06/01/2022 20:21

Oh, that's a miserable turn of events. Snow days were the best

We were supposed to get snow here, thundersnow no less, and nothing - not a solitary snowflake.

wigornian · 06/01/2022 20:22

Rarely happened here in Worcester but head of IT wrote an article about how effective online provision honed during the pandemic would consign them to history:

www.rgsw.org.uk/worcester/rgs-news/snow-days-a-thing-of-the-past-rgs-article-published/

DigitalGhost · 06/01/2022 20:23

We had a snow day in November and my DDs teacher sent us work to do. She's in Reception! No chance she'd sit and watch zoom though.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 06/01/2022 20:23

@oswaldcat

Defo no teaching and a fun snow day!!!!

MargaretThursday · 06/01/2022 20:23

@duckme

Yep, our school said this too. I can't imagine many kids would be online though. I don't think I'd make mine logon for just one day. Snow days are as rare as rocking horse shite here, so I think I'd let my kids enjoy one day!
That's roughly what I've said to mine. The first day they can go off tobogganing etc as long as they catch up on the on-line work later. After that they'll have to do any live lessons they have first and go out at the end of the day (or before it starts).

I think this is roughly what teachers will expect too.

Nesbo · 06/01/2022 20:23

@Herecomesanothernamechange - because snow days are joyous things as a child. Even now in my mid 40’s I can remember them so vividly. Those are the unexpected little things that make life fun.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 06/01/2022 20:24

They can still play on lunch and after school- kids have missed enough school, we have technology let’s use it

FawnFrenchieMum · 06/01/2022 20:24

It’s never a full days worth of work though for primary aged kids, so in our house it would either be work for a couple of hours then go out and play or get out early, home, warm shower, warm clothes and log on for a couple of hours after lunch.

High School age, they have missed enough and need much learning as they can get.

Chipsahoy · 06/01/2022 20:25

In jan last year we had amazing snow in the east mids. Best I’d seen in years. Both my older two were expected to be online in classes. Fuck that. We went to the park and played in the snow. They remember the day fondly. Couldn’t give a monkeys about missed education Tbh, think they do far too much schooling as it is. More snow days and time off not less!

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 06/01/2022 20:26

Sorry can't do online lessons without advance warning, we need to borrow an extra laptop as all the ones we have are normally in use during a work day (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

Downton57 · 06/01/2022 20:28

I'm 60 and can still remember my complete unbridled joy when I was 8 and my dad said he wasn't going to be able to get the car out the drive as the snow was so deep (we lived several miles from the school) and we were all going to have a snow day. A whole day of building snowmen, making snow angels, igloos, snowball fights and hot chocolate in front of the fire. It's so sad kids will lose out on that incomparable feeling.

Exhausteddog · 06/01/2022 20:28

I think DC school said they would be set work via satchel or similar on day 1 and if there was more than one snow day they would do on-line learning from about 10am on day 2. DD is year 11 and I think they've only had 1 snow day (the school has sometimes been the only one in the town that opened - much to DDs dismay!🤣)

Kite22 · 06/01/2022 20:30

because snow days are joyous things as a child. Even now in my mid 40’s I can remember them so vividly. Those are the unexpected little things that make life fun.

This ^

In jan last year we had amazing snow in the east mids. Best I’d seen in years. Both my older two were expected to be online in classes. Fuck that. We went to the park and played in the snow. They remember the day fondly. Couldn’t give a monkeys about missed education

and this ^

I mean, I suppose it might be different if you live in the Cairngorms, but for much of the UK, it is a wonderful, special memory making day that happens rarely enough for it to be seen as an exception, and a chance to get out there and play.

TheCanyon · 06/01/2022 20:33

I was saying this to my dc when we had snow in November, they were gutted. Mine will probably do a half day work and then out to play... No doubt sledging in the school playground Grin

stripetop · 06/01/2022 20:44

Ahhh, this was our exact debate when the local authority sent iPads for home learning. Till we remembered snow here means no wifi so snow days good to go!

Spudlet · 06/01/2022 20:53

Alas, the WiFi has gone down. Alack. Etc.

If we start having Canadian style winters with snow all the time, fine. But given how rarely we get snow (down in East Anglia anyway), we’ll be building snowmen and getting the sledge out if we get a day of the school being closed. That rural WiFi hey, so unreliable…