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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be fuming that dd has sunstroke and both dd`s are sunburnt after school sports !

79 replies

fakeblonde · 01/07/2008 20:16

DD 2 is 12 and it was her first sports day.
She is obviously sufferring from sunstroke and had to miss a music concert shes been practising for for months. Ive had to give her rehydrate and paracetamol.
She only came in for lunch all day.
dd2 is 15 and whie she hasnt got sunstroke because she know to drink gallons she is burnt !
I have always been proud that despite dd1 living on a boat and sailing around the world fgs from 4-12 she never once got burnt.Yet i send her to school and she is raw.
Apparently they went to sit under the tree and were told to come back onto the center field.There was no shade and no fluids readily available.
I know i should have smothered them in sun block, but i didn`t realise at 7am that it was going to be 27 degrees and they would be on the sports field from 9 30 until 3.

OP posts:
3littlefrogs · 01/07/2008 20:20

That is shocking. I would be having very strong words with the head. Also, I would take photographs and see GP.

Some people might think that is ott, but skin cancer is on the increase, and the school is in loco parentis and should have a policy in place.

DirtySexyMummy · 01/07/2008 20:20

Who are you fuming with?

Your children? Did you give them cream to wear, since you may not have known how hot it was going to be, but you did know they were going to be outside today.

GivePeasAChance · 01/07/2008 20:23

You could sue the sun?

Sorry but a Bit U. She could have gone in for a drink of water surely - when she went to the toilet? And maybe borrowed some cream from someone else ?

lackaDAISYcal · 01/07/2008 20:23

maybe a tad unreasonable? Our school has a very well laid out sunscreen policy and I assume yours does as well. we are constantly told about the dangers and advised to smother them in sunscreen regardless of the weather at 7am. And at 12 and 15 your DDs are surely old enough to realise that the sun is hot, and can dehydrate and burn and that they need sunscreen if out in it for any length of time.

that said, the school should have made sure there was water readily available and some sunscreen to hand for those who had forgotten to bring any.

tab1 · 01/07/2008 20:24

tbh think you are partly to blame for not providing suncream and hat and children are old enough to be aware too. Would definitely complain to school as advise from teachers could have prevented it.

3littlefrogs · 01/07/2008 20:24

They should have been allowed to sit in the shade, water should have been available, and there should have been regular breaks to allow time and opportunity to apply sun block. Of course 12 year olds can do all that, but the opportunity should be there. Particularly as it was an all day event.

Parents should be informed if the children are going to be outside all day, with limited access to water.

gemmiegoatlegs · 01/07/2008 20:25

well I did send a bottle of suncream and a hat up to school with my ds today.In fact I made a special journey with it this morning as I knew he would be doing sports outside.

He asked the teacher if he should put it on. she was too busy. He is a bit burnt
He is only 5

lulumama · 01/07/2008 20:25

tricky one

school should have provided ample cold drinks and ensured children were drinking enough if running around in hot temperatures

sunblock is your responsibility however

DS had sports day today too, we had a letter last week reminding us to use sunblock on the children in the morning and that drinks would be provided.

i suppose it depends how well your children tolerate the heat and sun, some children seem more prone to sunstroke than others

today was very ,very hot though

am sorry DD missed her concert.

RubySlippers · 01/07/2008 20:26

your children are 12 and 15, not 2 and 5

surely they know not to go out in the midday sun/drink loads/smother themselves in lotion

perhaps the school need to remind all pupils about the above though?

micci25 · 01/07/2008 20:27

i dont think that schools are allowed to give out cream are they/ due to that some dcs may be allergic to certain brands. dd1s nursery insists that you put cream on them before they go and leave some in a bag on thier peg if necessary. her new school has a similiar policy!

i agree that they should have been given water and been able to sit in the shade. but i can understand that if there were not enough teachers to monitor all dcs while in seperate groups this wouldnt be possible.

wrt the burning its your responsibility to ensure that your dc's have suitable clothing and suncream to prevent them burning!

3littlefrogs · 01/07/2008 20:27

It sounds as though there was no communication from the school here. And no fluids readily available. It would be difficult to carry enough water for a whole day without prior warning.

PenelopePitstops · 01/07/2008 20:29

your kids are 12 and 15, they can look after themselves

you can read a weather forecast, you knew it would be hot, so give them cream and bottled water

YABU

lulumama · 01/07/2008 20:29

agree the no water thing is unacceptable. even if they took a bottle in with them, it would be warm by the afternoon and not particularly refreshing. school could have provided cold water at the least.

RubySlippers · 01/07/2008 20:31

if the school really didn't provide any fluid from 9 - 3 that is pretty crap

the OP says fluids weren't readily available not that there weren't any

Rachmumoftwo · 01/07/2008 20:33

I think at 12 and 15 they still need reminding of these things. They should not be outside all day with no shade and no water whether they have sunscreen or not.

ja9 · 01/07/2008 20:35

yabu - def your ( and your dcs) responsibility. sorry.

Piffle · 01/07/2008 20:36

for sports day we are sent a letter home telling the kids what to bring.
cold water is available in coolers inside and boys can fill their bottles as much as they like for 50p "donation"
Ds1 is 14 btw
he would apply suncream himself from stick I provide and school provide lots of shade
I think yabu a bit by not thinking ahead and sending them with cream/hats/money for drinks. But school do bear some of the responsibilty.

allgonebellyup · 01/07/2008 20:36

i think they are old enough to apply suncream and remember it themselves, after all , they are not 4yr olds!

myermay · 01/07/2008 20:43

I think you should've made sure they had cream on tbh, i knew it was going to by hot today, so put cream on my kids beforehand. The news,radio all said that today would be the hotest day of the year. Also don't they take a sure hat in?

Original poster
fakeblonde · 01/07/2008 21:08

Thanks for response.
I honestly didnt know it was going to be hot. I am a busy working mum of 3 and havent listened to the news for over a week.
I knew it would be fine so - sports day to me meant-
Plently of extra money for drinks, a drinks bottle full of water , good t shirt and a sun hat.
I usually send cream but didnt because i thought it would be a couple of hours with (silly old me ) plently of provided ,if not natural, accessable shade in this day and age of sun awareness. Call me niave but at 12 the school have a duty of care to not allow this to happen.She was outside from 9 30 until 3 .When she sought shade she was told she could not do this . Children arent allowed to just leave the field because its hot and my daughter unfortunately on this occassiom has been brought up with rather old fashioned values of doing as she is told .
Anyway its taught me a lesson.

OP posts:
wheresthehamster · 01/07/2008 21:10

Dd2(13) was at a sports meet all day. As she left home we repeated a mantra together - hatwatershade hatwatershade. Still got a burnt face but that's her fault. By secondary school your children have to take responsibility for themselves.

You will know what to expect next time!

2shoes · 01/07/2008 21:10

yes theya re old enough to deal with it themseleves. but at that age they rarely do. I think although not to blame. reminders from the teachers would have been a good idea.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 01/07/2008 21:11

There are plenty of working mums who manage to check weather forecasts! Dont be so daft!

Original poster
fakeblonde · 01/07/2008 21:12

"i think they are old enough to apply suncream and remember it themselves, after all , they are not 4yr olds "

12 is still a child as far as i am concerned.
I blame myself not my dd-and the school , but to a less extent now i have read these posts.
I think we are very niave here tbh-the sports day was cancelled at my dd school last year because it was too hot-only 14 in the school so perhaps a little mollycoddled ??????????

OP posts:
Sidge · 01/07/2008 21:18

I symapthise.

My DD1 aged 9 came home on Monday last week with a burnt face and pink arms. It turned out they had had sports day practice and were outside for hours. We hadn't been warned about the practice and so hadn't sent suncream in. I don't send it in every day as they're not outside for that long normally (and they had lost her cream last time) so I was really cross that they hadn't told us the children would need it.