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Original poster

What would you do re summer preschool policy?

49 replies

Happy3487 · 05/07/2017 15:14

My son who is nearly 4 attends a local pre-school within a private nursery and their summer 'policy' is that children must wear long sleeves, have socks on, leigonnaire hat and sun cream on.

I do all of the above except the long sleeves (purely because i can not find any for sale that are summery and are within my budget) the only lobg sleeve white cotton thing i can find is a school shirt...which i have got for him and put this in his bag (but looks silly on him as is really smart)

Therefore i send him with short sleeves that cover his sholders.

The pre school staff have pulled me up on this several times. I tell them that i am worried about him overheating

Anyway the last few times i have collected him the preschool have made him wear his hoodie jumper. The temperature has been mid 20's. When i have collected him he has been obviously hot- i.e. clammy, red faced and feeling very hot. Yesterday i collected him and he told me he didnt want to wear it but one of the staff members told him he had to.

Prior to that the preschool had put on one of his winter long sleeve tops which must of been in the bottom of his bag... it was dark colour and thickish material...this was on a day when it was nearly 30 degrees outside.

I am fuming that they let him clearly over heat.

The staff dont lead by example and are usually there in shorts and a nursery polo shirt. Angry

I dont know weather to raise this with the nursery/preschool owner or ofsted or something similar... what would you do?

Thanks in advance

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PuckeredAhole · 05/07/2017 15:17

It's to protect the children against skin cancer. It's not rocket science. I put my children in long sleeves at nursery because I can't be sure that the nursery workers will remember or have time to reapply sun lotion.

You will be able to find some long sleeve cotton tops if you look hard enough.

Original poster
Happy3487 · 05/07/2017 15:22

I understand that they are worried about burning... but surely they should be also worried about heat stroke/exhaustion????

My son is usually only there for a morning or afternoon session (i.e. a few hours and i always cake him in high factor sun cream so i am not worried about that.

But when i collect him and he is clamy and red faced and very hot from wearing a jumper (on top of his t shirt) in the sun... children can not cope with heat as their bodies are not able to regulate temperatures as well as adults... children can get heat stroke/exhaustion very quickly.

OP posts:
BackforGood · 05/07/2017 15:30

That sounds ridiculous to me. I would certainly raise it with the Manager and express your concern that they felt it was a good thing to put him in a hoodie on a hot day.
It is OTT to have to cover arms. Would they let you sign a waiver or something ?

aliciagardner · 05/07/2017 15:35

clicky link

OlennasWimple · 05/07/2017 15:37

Primark or Asda must surely have a pack of long sleeved tops?

PotteringAlong · 05/07/2017 15:39

But he wouldn't overheat wearing a jumper if you sent him in in a lightweight long sleeved cotton top

SnowiestMountain · 05/07/2017 15:39

Sounds a bit weird, are you in the U.K.?

VeryPunny · 05/07/2017 15:40

Not an Ofsted matter, but your nursery are BU. Shorts, t shirts and sandals the order of the day here, and our nursery staff manage to ensure that children have suncream applied (they do it) and wear hats. Our outside areas also have those enormous gazebo things which are UV-protection rated so they can be outside in the shade as well.

Never had one of my children get sunburnt.

drinkingtea · 05/07/2017 15:42

That's a ridiculous policy.

DC3 was only wearing his pants, his baseball cap and suncream when I went to collect him today

welshweasel · 05/07/2017 15:44

Our nursery are the same. I think it's a very sensible policy (speaking as a doctor whose mother had melanoma and as a mother of a fair skinned child) and enables the children to spend a large proportion of their day outside. You can get cheap long sleeved tops in primark.

Broccolirevolution · 05/07/2017 15:45

The nursery staff do not have to dress like 4 year olds because they are qualified adults with the sense to apply sun cream in their breaks if they need to.

The children need to wear the long sleeved tops because these are the rules decided upon by the nursery manager and if you didn't like their set up you would have sent your child elsewhere.

Do you want to inspect the staffs lunches too?

Just because they work in the nursery doesn't mean they are 4, or that you own them.

Wolfiefan · 05/07/2017 15:46

Why not get a proper sun rash type top with long sleeves? It's their policy. I think it's a bit mad but unless it has suddenly been brought in since he started I don't see what you can do about it

drinkingtea · 05/07/2017 15:47

Welsh no playing under the sprinkler? No paddling pool? Our kindergarten has an old fashioned water pump in a sand and pebble area where they build rivers and damns - confining water play to the kind where you only get your hands wet because you must wear long sleeves at all times on a hot day sounds so joyless :(

drinkingtea · 05/07/2017 15:47

Dams not damns!

drinkingtea · 05/07/2017 15:49

I suppose a 4 year old is very nearly finished with nursery if you are in the UK, but it sounds very OTT to insist on long sleeves.

2014newme · 05/07/2017 15:50

Get a long sleeved rash vest. He's overheating because you aren't providing clothing that meets their policy. Which us neglect in my opinion. Poor kid.

AuntieStella · 05/07/2017 15:57

What is your budget?

Perhaps we can help you find something suitable, within budget and useful for the summer holidays.

For example, Decathlon long sleeve rash vests start at £5.99 and could be useful if you have any plans involving beach or any outdoors water during the holidays.

tinytoucan · 05/07/2017 16:00

I think you can get long sleeve cotton tops for kids in Tesco. Same as t shirt material so he shouldn't over heat.

grasspigeons · 05/07/2017 16:05

I'd go rash vest as well
They aren't expensive and they can get wet

welshweasel · 05/07/2017 16:17

They do lots of water play. They have spare clothes to change into if their stuff gets wet.

Original poster
Happy3487 · 05/07/2017 16:41

Yes i am in the uk and f u to the person/people saying this is neglect.... did you not read the original post???
I have a long sleeve white cotton shirt in my kids bag however the preschool put his hoodie on him (as they request that they are sent in wih one for all weather in case it turns chilly) to me... the preschool are the ones neglecting my son.

I have looked in 10+ shops and they either dont have his size (or the next ones up) or they dont sell long sleeve tops that are like normal tops for the summer . Hence why i got him a stupid looking school shirt for his bag.

His previous nurseries (hes been to 2 others since he was a baby) and they have never had this policy... like other have said, he would often either be in just a nappy or have no top at all and never once got burnt.

OP posts:
RoseAndRose · 05/07/2017 16:45

Asda have several styles

<a class="break-all" href="https://direct.asda.com/george/kids/tops-t-shirts/D25M1G1C1,default,sc.html#direct.asda.com/george/kids/tops-t-shirts/D25M1G1C1,default,sc.html?prefn1=length&prefv1=Long%20Sleeve&prefn2=size&prefv2=4-5%20Years" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">direct.asda.com/george/kids/tops-t-shirts/D25M1G1C1,default,sc.html#direct.asda.com/george/kids/tops-t-shirts/D25M1G1C1,default,sc.html?prefn1=length&prefv1=Long%20Sleeve&prefn2=size&prefv2=4-5%20Years

OlennasWimple · 05/07/2017 16:51

Amazon have lots of cheap long sleeve tops in his size

Loopyloppy · 05/07/2017 16:58

Buy your poor kid suitable clothing and stop blaming the nursery for doing what I think is very sensible.