To wonder why teenagers won't wear coats

[littlefifi]

Minus figures this week and yet my 12 year old ds refuses to wear a coat or jumper because apparently other kids pick on kids who wear them? Is this a thing? Is being cold a cause for bullying now? He only started high school in September so I'm still learning the rules.

He wears a blazer but only a thin cotton shirt goes underneath. In full embarrassing mum fashion I can't stand to think of him walking to school in only that and being cold but I'm obviously not going to insist either, it's up to him.

Who would have thought coats were for the weak?

DD1 always wore a coat throughout teens. Preferably two, or maybe three in winter.
DD2 wore a coat when necessary and as long as it went with the rest of her outfit.
Ds hasn't worn a coat in 8 years. He does have a ski suit he wears in the snow.
I haven't even bothered buying him a coat the last two years. He's 16yo and more than capable of telling me if he's cold.
If you see a lanky looking boy walking up the road wearing shorts and at best a hoodie (with only one t-shirt underneath) that's him. He does have a pair of trousers (one pair I bought him for work experience last summer and he hasn't worn since) for the first time in years.

There are two varieties of teens - the ones who won't wear coats and the ones who will not take them off. My 15yo ds is of the second variety.

It was social suicide when I was a teen, but round here they all wear coats, huge knee length puffers were the style last winter. The girls make laugh with skirts up their bums and bare legs and big puffer on top.

Our local high school doesn’t let them! They have to wear blazers and can carry a brolly if it rains. Mean.

The all wear coats round here- SW London- private and state schools. 95% are black puffer jackets

It has ever been thus. Coats detract from the "look", even when that look is school uniform. I started wearing a coat again at aged 18 when I bought myself a fabulous faux fur from Miss Selfridge.

DS refuses to wear a coat but he does wear thermals and carry and umbrella. It's because there's no lockers and they can't have the coats in the classroom? So he's have to stuff it into his already full bag.

I almost never wear a coat but I'm always too hot unless I'm stood completely still (eg on the side if a football pitch in winter). If I'm walking anywhere I can't wear any sort of coat or I'm ready to expire. I carry an umbrella in the rain and will wear a thick cardie and/or big scarf at the most. I think my DD has the same affliction, she has a jacket in her bag for when it rains but most of the time just blazer. She can make her own mind up.

Sometimes it's about not feeling the cold.

I'm one of the people that always get told to put on a coat, but I simply don't feel the cold like others do. I was warmer blooded when I was a teen and felt the cold less

Some of it is possibly neurodiversity for the following
Equally I hate the bulk of a coat, it's heavy on me and restricts movement. I'd always rather be cold than hot and stuffy

What a ridiculous policy!

I know I was moving but I remember running in a cross country race in an actual blizzard at 13. Round here no kids wear coats. They are also a faff to lug round school.

What bizarre places schools have become! Thank god my DDs wore coats and so did everyone else!

My DC don’t wear one to school because they cba carrying it around all day and there’s no lockers to put it in.

Because wearing a coat is sensible behaviour and is therefore to be avoided at all costs lest you might appear to be actually [shock, horror!] sensible which would be instant social suicide.

Another mum to a 12 year old. I've learned layers is the only way. Will wear a hoody under his blazer and a hat and gloves if walking to the bus stop.

My Ds aged 11 will never wear a coat. Ever. I make him take one out with us because I feel like I look like some awful parent wearing a coat and scarf and he’s wandering round in a hoodie - so at least people can see I’ve provided him with a coat…! 😳😆 But he will never, ever wear one. None of the kids round here (Norfolk) do. My dd is 20 and it was the same when she was that age. Thankfully now she’s sensible!

Mine must be off and she's always worn one a thin waterproof when it's warmer weather if she needs it for showers and then Disney Dad bought her a north face coat for now! It's all about the labels, she's nearly 13!

Mine never really wore coats to school before sixth form. They’d wear thermals, shirt, school
jumper, blazer and hoodie under blazer which would come off before they got in.

I teach secondary and all the students wear them. The boys prefer sports type pullover shells and the girls all wear North Face puffas. DD is 16 and has loads of coats from a yellow tartan duffle to a blue cape/coat and all sorts in-between, including a purple frock coat and a rainbow puffa.

Coats are normal here. Getting them to take them off is the challenge.

Because they've no locker and don't want/have room to pit a bulky coat (especially a wet one) in their bag and lug it round all day.
In my kids school they aren't allowed to wear the coat on school premises either so that makes it even harder.
They wear under armour though.

I'm in Norfolk too and have the opposite experience. Most students wear coats.

All these young girls are running about here in the usual baggy grey tracksuit bottoms and sleeveless tops. I have no idea why they do this .

My DS 11 doesn't want to wear a coat to school but I think it's more to do with not wanting to carry it if he takes it off. DD13 will not tolerate being cold, she insists on tights, a jumper under her blazer and a massive quilted coat. I do see a lot of girls in skirts and ankle socks even in winter so I do think it's a thing.

I was the same when I was at secondary and my kids were fairly similar in year 7/8. However, when they got into year 9 they would wear coats but only very expensive North Face ones (that cost over £200 each). So long as it was one of these coats they were fine to wear it. Its still the same now (south coast)