Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To complain to the school for allowing dd(8) to do games outside wearing shorts yesterday?

59 replies

ChopsTheDuck · 07/01/2009 11:08

I'm was fuming when she told me, and I jsut can't get it out of my head, and debating about calling the school or popping in later.

She forgot her PE kit. I packed it all ready for her, she left it in her room, and although I did realise she had forgotten it when I dropped her, it was first day back at school and I had so many things to catch up on, I really didn't have time to make another trip up there to drop it.

I assumed if she did have games, she'd have to sit it out. She came home and told me she was asked to hunt for some trousers or shorts in a pile and ended up going outside in sub zero temperatures in shorts. I can't believe they let her go out like that, and she is now complaining of a sore throat.

Am I being precious and overeacting or not?

OP posts:

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:01

Oh yes and netball out in the freezing cold....brrrrrr...bending your finger back and no pian because its so cold......brrrrr

TheDullWitch · 07/01/2009 12:01

YAB precious. They are kids. They don t feel the cold like we do. Stop worrying so much. And certainly don t bollock the school.

My big peeve is that if it snows my sons are locked indoors at playtime by precious women teachers who think "ooh it s cold, ooh it s slippy, you might fall over". So they are deprived of normal winter fun. It happens every year.

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:03

At DS footie club they insist on a warm top and trakkies in this weather...and thats an hour of complete running about like lunatics...everyone has their own ideas on it....but if your DD was hating it.. then it was wrong.

digbies · 07/01/2009 12:03

Moving the lesson indoors can have its own problems, moondancer - see mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/677649-to-expect-school-to-be-ready-for-games-being-cancell ed

TheDullWitch · 07/01/2009 12:06

So children should never have to do things they hate?

Most schools don t have room for all kids to do indoor sports at all time. Would you rather they cancelled a games lesson than go outside>?

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:09

She was not properly dressed up for outside sports.....like most have said children don't usually feel the cold like adults...but some do, and if it was painful for her to be outside in shorts then i can sympathise!

mayorquimby · 07/01/2009 12:10

surely shorts are fine for pe. i coach football and 90% of the kids wear shorts regardless of weather and when i am playing myself (different i know,i'm an adult my choice and all of that) i'd never wearanything other than shorts

slayerette · 07/01/2009 12:10

Not sure about your philosophy 'if your DD was hating it then it was wrong', Idobelieve!

DS hates lots of things - switching the TV off when I say it's time and he doesn't think it is, taking his vitamins, having his hair brushed, putting his dirty clothes in the laundry basket when he'd rather strew them across the floor, eating anything that's not bread and cheese...

Is he still going to do them? Too bloody right he is!

cory · 07/01/2009 12:12

Agree with DullWitch. Makes me fume every time mine come home from school and haven't been allowed outdoors because it is -1. I used to play around happily in -15, had the idea of training my neighbour's dog to be a sleigh dog, great fun. But obviously, we had more clothes on.

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:13

I guess different coaches/schools have different ideas for what they should be wearing.....and i am sure children feel the cold differently from one another , i know mine do.

Dp asks that his footie team to wrap up warm...at least then when they have warmed up they can start taking the layers off.

Original poster

ChopsTheDuck · 07/01/2009 12:13

WHiel I think children do have to do things they hate some of the time, and learn that life isn't always going to suit them, I'd would rather they cancelled it than went outside with children innapropriately dressed, yes.

But then personally I do think they place too much emphasis on sports at this school anyhow. It's three times a week in winter and prob over half the school time during summer. She is struggling academically and I'd be thrilled for her to spend an extra hour learning rather than sports which she can do outside of school.

OP posts:

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:15

Its not about chldren being let out to play with their coats on at playtime though...of course they should be outside, its about a child going outside after being in a warm classroom with probably warm tights on out ito a lot colder weather than we are used to for winter......not nice!

Of curse i don't mean because she dosen't want to if she is standing out their in pain because of the cold it is wrong.

Original poster

ChopsTheDuck · 07/01/2009 12:16

I think it's not so much about them hating it, but being in pain because they feel that cold. That is what made me cross.

I agree some children defo feel it more. dd has been moaning every day because I've been making her walk and she is still cold in duffle coat, scarf, hat, etc. ds1 I can barely get to keep all his clothes on.

OP posts:

sunnygirl1412 · 07/01/2009 12:17

MayorQuimby said:
"surely shorts are fine for pe. i coach football and 90% of the kids wear shorts regardless of weather and when i am playing myself (different i know,i'm an adult my choice and all of that) i'd never wear anything other than shorts^. (My italics).

I know it's not what you meant, but I now have a picture of you in my head, playing football nekkid apart from shorts. Clearly I need to go and stand outside in the cold for a while!!

Moondancer · 07/01/2009 12:17

Chops - I agree with everything you just said. I eventually got allowed to forgo pe in order to do extra maths! - much more useful.

idobelieveinfairies · 07/01/2009 12:19

Mine are the same chops...some of mine are sufferning in this cold...others are wondering around without a top on saying its not cold

sunnygirl1412 · 07/01/2009 12:20

I wish I'd had that option, Moondancer - I'd far rather have done extra maths than hockey.

mayorquimby · 07/01/2009 12:21

"I know it's not what you meant, but I now have a picture of you in my head, playing football nekkid apart from shorts. Clearly I need to go and stand outside in the cold for a while!! "

well someone still has to behave inappropriately in this new pc world of ours it may as well be me.

Guadalupe · 07/01/2009 12:23

Having corned beef thighs in winter is part of being at school isn't it?

scarletlilybug · 07/01/2009 12:24

YABU.

In my day we had to do PE in gym skirts and bloses whatever the weather . In fact, we only stopped having swimming lessons in the (outdoor) pool when the pool froze over - seriously.

If we ever complained about being cold, the teachers would just tell us to run around more.

We're breeding a nation of softies!

Original poster

ChopsTheDuck · 07/01/2009 12:29

oh god, dont give them ideas! The pool thankfully is restricted to summer term.

OP posts:

digbies · 07/01/2009 13:18

God, I remember that! Not with ice, but outdoor swimming in the middle of winter! We needed drysiuts rather than swimming cossies!

Yeni · 07/01/2009 16:47

We had to do cross country in our navy blue knickers! I remember sometimes my fingers were so cold I couldn't button my shirt up afterwards.

I don't think it is a big deal really.

MaureenMLove · 07/01/2009 17:15

There's nothing quite like the feeling of a hockey ball on your bare shins in the middle of a freezing winter! I still remember that feeling well! It's character building!

There may be no option, but to do PE outside. It may have been that the inside space was full of other students doing PE and I know from experience, that finding an empty classroom at short notice is not always easy.

onager · 07/01/2009 17:55

Of course they feel the cold if they are not dressed for it, but it's like national service. People think it's a pretty neat idea because they are now too old to do it themselves.

It's a sore point for me since when I was in primary school PE/Sports mostly consisted of walking to the nearby park in all weathers and watching the headmasters team play football. He really cared about football so it was only for those who were good at it. The rest had to stand and watch (but still in shorts and vest)

Flip

1 2 3