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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think boys in school uniform shorts at -3c is neglect.

364 replies

DragonMumE · 06/12/2023 09:13

Just returned from rural primary school in Lakes. Young lads in school uniform shorts - it's minus 3 here. I class this as neglect. Discuss.

Are people struggling to afford winter school uniform? Aldi sells school trousers for less than a coffee (1.75 gbp?) Or worse are they indifferent?

OP posts:
stargirl1701 · 07/12/2023 13:00

My postie wears shorts all year round. He hates the wet leg feeling of trousers.

Gettingbysomehow · 07/12/2023 13:01

When I grew up in the 1960's girls wore skirts and socks and boys wore shorts and socks all year round. We didn't notice the cold as we were brought up that way. As long as our abdomens were warm we were ok.

canonlydoblue · 07/12/2023 13:08

Its not neglect ( in most cases), its kids being kids. My eldest wore shorts every day but one last year (it snowed and I made him wear trousers). He's now devastated that he has to wear trousers in secondary. My 11 year old has not worn trousers at all this year as prefers shorts. We haven't had snow yet but we've had some minus temps and still he'll wrap himself up in coat, scarf, hat, gloves but still wears his shorts. Six year old daughter happily trots off to school every day in skirt and socks as she hates the feel of tights and doesn't want to wear trousers. We have cupboards stuffed full of uniform for every season but these three just hate wearing them!

Eight year old son and four year old daughter are much more sensible and happily dress for the weather.

SisterhoodNotCisterhood · 07/12/2023 13:13

My son is a doofus in my view cos I get a chill just looking at him. He'll be 12 in March and will only put his shorts on for school. I've told him he's daft.
He's not interested one bit in trousers and he doesn't need to be. He'll wear them if it gets cold enough TO HIM.
He also doesn't wear any of the half dozen or more coats he has at his disposal. It's not for lack of parents money or child's options, just him preferring his hoodie.

bnotts · 07/12/2023 13:53

Freezing Midlands here - about 50% of the primary school boys never wear trousers and they never wear coats even in the snow. I know their parents buy them..well the Mums do. I'd say 1/3 of Dads are in shorts and a guy was walking through this snow in flipflops last week.

ChocolateTurtle · 07/12/2023 14:02

Not unreasonable to wear shorts in winter if it's the child's choice but it is unreasonable IMO, if boys are forced to wear shorts by the school's uniform policy. I would say exactly the same for girls. Girls and boys should both have the option of long trousers during winter if they want them.

thedementedelf · 07/12/2023 14:09

Ds and his friends and a lot of their peer group were wearing shorts in the -8° weather last year. They wouldn't wear trousers.

DottyLottieLou · 07/12/2023 15:57

Some people are just more hardy.

ASouthPoleElf · 07/12/2023 16:24

Thanks for the laugh OP!
DS wears shorts all year round. He feels more comfortable, and finds it easier to play football at playtimes / lunchtimes in shorts.

Flo22 · 07/12/2023 16:59

That's your preference. Others are different. Get over it

ACynicalDad · 07/12/2023 17:01

My school uniform for under 11's was shorts, it didn't bother me.

MrsAvocet · 07/12/2023 17:14

It's probably by choice rather than an inability to afford long trousers. My DS is still moaning that his secondary school doesn't allow boys to wear shortsand he is in year 13 now. In primary school he barely ever wore long trousers and a quite a few of the boys wore shorts year round. I'm pretty sure he would have told me if he was cold!
My Dad lived to a ripe old age despite wearing shorts every day til he was 16 as was the norm in his youth in the 30s/40s, and I wasn't allowed to wear trousers at school until 6th form in the 70s/80. A knee length skirt and socks is no warmer than shorts I don't suppose. I don't recall it being particularly problematic.

Feralgremlin · 07/12/2023 17:57

As my father likes to remind me every time I whinge about DS’s desire to wear shorts in the middle of winter, he grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and at that time, boys in primary weren’t allowed to wear trousers! They had to wear shorts all year round regardless of the weather and “none of their legs fell off!”.

DS10 says shorts are comfier, easier to run in, and he doesn’t get as hot and sweaty at break time, so no, not neglect, just personal preference.

Talkingfrog · 07/12/2023 18:24

My 12 year old won't wear a coat to school and reluctantly wears a hoody that has to be taken off in school. Dark and wet when picked up from an aftershool club and in short shirt sleeves . Will sometimes still wear shorts around at this time of year ( not school). I pick which issues are worth a battle and for us that isn't one. For us there is a sensory element to some of it.

Iceache · 07/12/2023 18:31

I too own two boys and their school recently changed the uniform policy from only shorts for boys to them (and the girls) having a choice. My two have told me unequivocally that they want to continue wearing shorts in all seasons, so they have. They both survived -3 degrees and I’m pretty certain they are not neglected - nor do I need a uniform bank!

Grapewrath · 07/12/2023 18:41

Neglect can be defined as the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs.
wearing shorts on a cold day is not neglect. Honestly.

lljkk · 07/12/2023 18:44

ChimChimeny · 06/12/2023 09:16

DD used to have swimming lessons with a boy who wore shorts pretty much all year round, unless it was snowing. He just preferred them 🤷🏻‍♀️

yeah... I had 2 of those !!

Calliopespa · 07/12/2023 19:02

ConsuelaHammock · 07/12/2023 12:53

I have an acquaintance whose boys always wear shorts. She thinks she’s being like the royals. They just look cold and ridiculous.

I agree! 😆 Though funnily enough no-one has suggested the Princes look like a case of child neglect! 🤣 I just think children don’t feel the cold in the same way.

Rycbar · 07/12/2023 19:14

I work in a rural school. There are some boys in year 4 who never wear trousers. They all live on farms and are bred differently!

StaunchMomma · 07/12/2023 19:42

Very few of the boys in DS's Y6 class will wear trousers. Mine is absolutely adamant he wants his shorts, no matter the weather. He won't keep his jumper on either - he takes it off along his coat on arrival and constantly complains school is too hot.

I'd think it's somewhat of a rarity for kids to have a long walk home these days so it's not really that big of a deal, is it? If they're not ill and they're happy, wat's the problem?

StaunchMomma · 07/12/2023 19:45

I just want to point out that my DS does have trousers. In all likelihood they'll get donated to the school uniform bank, unworn, along with tags, same as the last 3 years' trousers have.

Harperhan · 07/12/2023 19:45

My boys choose to wear shorts all the year round. They have trousers to wear but they don’t want to.

Overloadimplode · 07/12/2023 19:57

Some people are set to warm. My daughter and I can't stand getting hot. I wear a tshirt and light jacket at this time of year. She hates tights and is happier wearing a skirt and socks right now. She just isn't cold. My other daughter goes blue and wears load sof layers. Just because you are cold doesn't mean everyone is.

littlejellyfish · 07/12/2023 19:59

YABVU. My DC is autistic and can’t tolerate anything on their legs so look under dressed in the winter. People like you OP are who I worry about judging me. Thanks!

ChilledToTheBone · 07/12/2023 19:59

A family member wears shorts 365 days a year. Doesn't own any trousers. Not short of money just hates trousers.
One of my dcs would wear shorts all year too. And only wears a coat if raining. Not even in snow cold weather.
I used to be similar until age started creeping up on me. Purchased a proper coat last year, 1st one since a teen

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