Silly question re walking to / from school with children using umbrellas - bit of an AIBU!

[Numberfour]

I am a CM and one of my mums wanted her DS of 4 to use an umbrella today because it is raining. He had a coat with a hood on. I don't like the children to use umbrellas because I find I am having to constantly watch where they are going or get them to move out the way etc because they are about the bump into something or into someone.

Am I being a bit over the top? I must say that I do this more out of having a smooth school run than safety issues!

Do you let your preschoolers use umbrellas on the school run when it is raining? AIBU not to let mine do so?

not a cm, but my pre-schooler has a proper rainset which he wears when it is raining hard or heavy rain is forcast. I don't like little ones with umbrellas as well, too dangerous and they get we from the waist down as well and can't walk as fast as I need him to.
for light rain a coat with hood is ok, imo.

depends how many children you have with you ie having a double buggy is harder work than no buggy

mine do use brollys but i have less children

1 of mine had an umbrella this morning but they didn't use it on the school run, they had their hood up. I had 7 children to walk close together for the school run and I'm the same as you, really don't like using umbrellas so won't when there are lots of us. Having said that, I've not had a parent 'tell' me they want it using.

I don't allow umbrellas on the school run either. Safety is a higher priority than keeping dry. The little ones need two hands to hold their umbrella straightish, and even then they can't see where they are going and constantly poke others accidentally. And if they have two hands on their umbrella they can't hold hands with me or hold the buggy, which is essential on our route to school.

Also the school don't allow us to leave umbrellas there so I would need to carry them all back with me.

I felt stupid & petty at first when explaining to parents but although I get puzzled looks sometimes, everyone has accepted it.

Parent, not CM, here. I wouldn't let mine carry an umbrella when we were going anywhere purposefully (like taking the elder ones to school), where there was lots of traffic, busy pavements and no time to deal with any additional confusion. I was very happy for one to be used if we were just going for a potter round the park or to the local shops when I wasn't in a hurry.

Thanks, everyone! I asked 5 other childminders at the Children's Centre today and all but one agreed - it is too dangerous and too difficult to have the children use umbrellas.

Thank you. At least now I feel that I am being sensible. (The mother in question does have some peculiar requests like not giving the child cold things to eat because it will make him cough and not allowing the child bananas and grapes because it will make him cough... and most of the unusual requests I can accommodate, but umbrellas, no)

"Where there was lots of traffic, busy pavements and no time to deal with any additional confusion" - Meditrina, you hit the nail on the head there! Thanks. That is what I was trying to tell the mother this morning but the words did not come out as sensibly as that!

I knew a childminder who used a double buggy whitout a canopy and on raining days the poor 2 year olds had to hold thier umbrellas tthemselves to be ptotect from the rain...

have to say i dont use either umbrellas or the horrible plastic covers.. as a former cssualty sister, now cm, i can tell you that we had lots of children admitted after febrile convulsions (fits from a high temp) from cooking under these covers as had all the usual hats, gloves and coats as well. mums dont realise that they are quite dangerous and soooo unnecessary..

i get all the mindees waterproof overalls, like type sold in theme parks and we all enjoy the feel of rain on our faces.. lovely.. never use umbrellas.. bloody pain..