AIBU to keep my child off school sports day in 32C heat?

[Saralocky28]

School sports day tomorrow and where I live it's saying 32 degrees. It's all in an open sports field, no shade. AIBU to refuse my child to go? Usually it's 4 hours of constant activity. Yes they can stop to cool down and have a drink but it's all outside.

Very mixed in the parent WhatsApp. It was already canceled two weeks ago because of the heat but tomorrow is going to be even warmer!

I know my son will want to go but as his mum I'm worried he'll get dehydrated/sunstroke. Or am I being ridiculous!

I certainly do have a job, full time actually but there's something most people use called 'annual leave' to watch their children in events such as sports day. Maybe you value your career more than your children?

Just to say that better for rehydration than water would be weak squash/juice and a salty snack. The body needs both sugar and salt to be able to absorb the water. I live in a hot climate and this is why we give the kids an ice lolly if they are starting to get dehydrated, not just plain water (though of course they drink plenty of that). Same reason for eating watermelon together with feta-type cheese.

That may be but they're going to be fine

Oh well, if you say so then we can all stop worrying.

I would just ask my kid and if they didn’t want to go I wouldn’t send them. My kid was moaning about the heat earlier and it’s 28 degrees here and he’s not used to it . It’s one thing if they are in water and keeping cool. It’s another thing altogether running around in heat they are not used to . Local football practice was cancelled here last night for the kids cos it’s too hot . So clearly it’s just not me. You can sympathise all you want but I’m just looking after my kids wellbeing and comfort here.

You know that you're right,dont be put off by those who disagree.
Exercising at 30degrees and over is potentially dangerous and frankly not worth it.

What an absurd post about “mummy’s wings”
nothing remotely to do with being weak. I am by no means a pearl clutching hyper vigilant parent, but my youngest child ended up being rushed to hospital with heatstroke in the early hours after a school sports playtime. Water, sun cream and hats didn’t mitigate effectively enough.
He had indeed had a brilliant time with his friends but that meant fuck all in paediatric a & e

What’s fun or safe about it?

I think it’s ridiculous for them not to cancel, but tbh it’s so hot in the classrooms that as long as it’s not continuous exercise then it probably won’t be that different. Scrub that, in full sun, of course it’s got to be worse. As I said, ridiculous. The kids were wilting today in class where we are.

I do wonder what people do when they go on holiday and its hot? Do they worry about the heat and stay inside, or do they put suncream and a hat on and get on with life?

We didn’t take our kids to very hot places when they young. As they got older we stayed inside with air con during the few hottest hours, as advised. We had a pool. We spent some time in attractions with air con. We didn’t make them do sports, other than swimming.

I do wonder how some people get up in the morning,

Well I am a teacher and we have sports day tomo and I am concerned. Tbh I’m more worried about spending 5 hours outside in direct sunshine, very little shade, certainly not enough for all the kids and staff. The events themselves are short and not that taxing but it’s the supporting I am concerned about. I would never spend 5 hours outside in direct sunshine with no shade on holiday. Yes I go to hot places but we sit in the shade and we swim to cool down.

When you’re on holiday in a hot climate you don’t sit outside at the middle of the day for several hours without any shade.

We go.inside during the hottest part of the day, sit in the shade, eat ice lollies, we don't run around in the sun

I bet they can't cancel because they've paid for the field, were allowed to postpone once but can't again.
DD's.school had loads.of gazebos outside, ice lollies, chilled water, hats, sun cream and only did 2 events each. It was hot but they coped. An open field.with no shade in the hottest part of the day is nuts

@StopPlayingGames i dont think the OP has specified what age the children are...they could be teens. As long as people have suncream, water and a hat, i dont see the issue...for example when the schools shut the other week most people roundabout here went to the beach...not necessarily in the sea...(in fact schools sent out the dangers of going in the sea on hot days)...just to the beach to fry themselves on the sand, happens every weekend including with children who run about on the sand/play football/volleyball/cricket.

Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, go for a swim, hang out in the air conditioning, or at least in a building that has been designed to be cool in the heat…people in countries that are hot do not go outside during the hottest part of the day, eg the siesta.

I think if he wants to go you should let him. However, if you're really worried he won't be safe and the school won't be sensible then keep him off.

Keep them off it's not worth risking them getting ill. I would think poorly of a school that is holding sports day in those conditions and I wouldn't trust them to safeguard children if they think that's a good idea.

In hot countries, people generally have the sense to avoid going out during the peak of the heat, which is why customs like the siesta exist. It's quite baffling to watch some people react to heatwaves by acting as though they're in some kind of competition to prove how little they care about the potential risks to health. It really makes me understand the origin of that old saying, what was it, about mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!? 😅

My school partially shut during the last heatwave, but when this one came along, we thought 'fuck it' and figured we'd just have to tough it out. No classroom below 31°C, no fans and learning definitely impacted, but we just can't keep shutting -this is the new normal. Irritated to find the same parents wanging on about staying open this week, as complained when we shut a fortnight ago ("teachers getting a break for nothing") and whinged about our Y6 Climate topic. Apparently, global heating is too scary for 11 year olds and, simultaneously, is also a hoax perpetrated by the net-zero elite.
Just go away.

If he won’t enjoy it, keep him off. If you send him, make sure he has plenty of sunscreen and water.

@Saralocky28 - If you are going to be there , I would let Ds go , suncream , bottles of water - hat - all that gubbins. I'd take an umbrella to sit under for shade and if he's struggling let him have a time out. I'd try it rather than not going at all , but I wouldn't hesitate to let him bail out for a while between activities. I don't know the format of the thing so I suppose I'm saying I would give it a go with all precautions and decide during the event than just not go at all.

I'm really not a fan of the phrase 'the new normal'. Whenever I hear it used, it always seems to be in the context of people saying that some bad thing is happening, but it would take too much effort to make changes or try and ameliorate the potential harm, so we're just going to shrug and declare it's the new normal, as if that magic phrase absolves them of any responsibility. Is your school in the habit of saying 'fuck it' to issues of children's health and welfare? I can't say I'd fancy sending a child there with that attitude.

I teach in a hot country - it’ll be 36 degrees by 2pm here today. Term finished a fortnight ago.

We hold Sports’ Day around March, Ramadan permitting (it’s moved earlier or just later if needs be).

We also have shaded spectator stands with room for kids not competing in a particular event, water dispensers every few yards, a staffed indoor library where anyone finding it a bit much can be escorted for a quiet break, & a private ambulance on campus...

(The ambulance would be overkill in the UK I grant you - where we are doesn’t have an NHS).

It’s perfectly possible to run Sports’ Day sensibly in a hot climate. Starting with: pick a cooler time of year.

At the very least I’d want your dc’s school to have non competing spectators under shade, so dc are only exposed to the full heat & UV during relatively short bursts in their events.

Doubt they do sports day though. What a ridiculous comparison