The school coat problem.....?

[Whippet]

-3 C when DS left for school this morning...... in his BLAZER

What do you do?
Is there a solution?
He is only in his second term of secondary, so this is a new phenomenon for me...

There is no 'official' school coat as such, but it has to be plain black or navy and long enough to cover his blazer apparently.

He already has a NEXT black moleskin jacket, and a more casual black jacket too... bu won't wear either...

Help.

Norman, as Mutt said, it ain't the cost, it just ain't cool.

And would you want to try and get a coat on top of a blazer-which-must-be-worn-at-all-times-even-in-40-degree-heat-in-the-summer? Well, would you?

Grimma, DD has a Gola bag and FWIW it seems much better than the rucksack she had last year - fits a concertina file to keep all her work in order and is waterproof!

She only ever wore the rucksack on one shoulder anyway.

Gola bags. Don't even get me started on the Gola bag issue.

Those side carried document bags are so bad for childrens' backs with the amount of books they have to carry around. A rucksack is the only sensible option. Girls' backs in particular are very vulnerable.

I agree schools should specify one type of coat and one type of rucksack and enforce with rigour. Stops all arguements.

I had a standard bag and a standard mac and a standard scarf and a standard cap at boarding school. No options and an inspection every morning.

I have no idea Norman. They don't wear coats to school anyway round here. From what DS says they are all a bit label conscious all of a sudden which just makes me

MoreBeta what are these books you speak of? No books at DD's school - we rarely even see her exercise books

DD brings most of her books home - quite often she does actually need them for homework. So each morning, apart from ones which are in for marking she has all the exercise books and/or folders for the days lessons, and a textbook or two for some subjects. Rough book, planner, pencil case, water, calc, phone, purse... adds up to quite a lot some days.

What about thermals underneath uniform then you wouldn't feel so bad about them being coatless!

MoreBeta. I agree but even DS2 (10) won't have a rucksack and too insists on a 'manbag'.

All those complicated excuses about why they can't wear a coat. They are scared of commiting themselves to a coat. Try getting them to wear a coat at the weekend and see what they say.

DD1 (15) has a Barbour which she begged for. She barely takes it off at weekends, but has worn it to school once. Apparently, there is nowhere to put it, she hated carrying it around and didn't want to leave it in the form room in case it got nicked.

She goes to school in all weathers in shirt, jumper and blazer. She will wear a pashmina style scarf and big wooly mittens. We tried putting a vest underneath the shirt, but apparently that is 'too hot' once in school. She once wore her Jack Wills gilet over the blazer, but got told off as apparently that isn't a coat.

DD2 (13) has a Jack Wills coat which she begged for. Same story.

DD3 (11) wore her coat which was chosen with great care for starting secondary precisely once. She now follows DD1 and 2 in their chilly ways.

I hate to see them heading off for the bus stop with no coats. They all have umbrellas in their bags, but on wet days they come back looking drowned. And let's not start on the ballet flats and wet feet. Or the thin tights and skirts.

Thank God DD4 is still at primary and goes out dressed sensibly.

apparently that is 'too hot' once in school
probably true - some schools are far too warm.

At least DSs school has drawn a very firm line against ballet flats and vertiguous heels for girls. Sensible heels only although no sign of any tights on many of them- just very blue legs.

DD has gone with cash today to apply for a locker. Looks like we might be buying a warm jacket this weekend!

At least DSs school has drawn a very firm line against ballet flats and vertiguous heels for girls.
so the lads can still teeter along if they want?

Tilly - well, DD noticed the page of Gola bags and wondered what that was about. I told her I'd remembered she wanted a bag and thought those were what the cool kids used. Cue - 'no, those covered in brand names or logos are what the kids who think they are cool use.'

I appear to have a Sensible Child. Can this possibly survive her impending teenage?

Grimma - in a word - 'No!

I used to have a Sensible Child like yours. Then he went to secondary school in September.

On the heels issue. The lads seem to be slightly more sensible than the girls - especially by sixth form age. The deputy headmistress has had to send several strongly worded letters home about the girls 'dress sense' in the sixth form but apart from excessively fat tie knots the sixth form lads seem to be quite restrained.

Oh Grimma i nearly led you astray with DS1's info. . What is THE bag to have now then?

Funnily enough my dd (11, year 7) is happy to wear a thermal vest, but also will not wear a coat no matter how cold or wet it is. She has to walk for half an hour to get to school. She uses an umbrella for light rain but that's no good in strong wind.
They have no cloakrooms and the lockers are inconveniently placed, so they have to carry EVERYTHING (PE kit, coat, textbooks, etc) around with them all day. I think it's dreadful and the 'uncool' coat hypothermia may pale into insignificance compared to the back problems being created for the future. Especially as it is also uncool to wear your backpack properly and it has to droop down from one shoulder with the strap on its longest extension...

The teens here have a 40 min rural bus ride from the village to school.More times than I care to remeber the bus has broken down ,got stuck, not turned up etc and they have been stranded (2 hours once in an area with no mobile phone coverage.Therefore in cases of EXTREME cold I insist that they at least take a coat with them.

11alice -although this is a bit of a light hearted thread that point you made is serious and I do worry about DSs school as so many children come via bus from deep rural areas and roads often get blocked with snow. It really is a risk not to have a coat with you if a vehicle breaks down.

I do wish the school would be a firmer on this and impose a rule that everyone has to have a coat.

-4 degrees today and no child in a coat. me sat in two shirts , vest,leggings, socks, fleece and down coat!
nobody in coats nobody!!!!

I had your dilemma last winter with dd in Y7 at her new school and posted here about why is it none of them seem to wear a coat ! ....

But then I found a lovely wooly, slightly bobbly black coat in the sales (at Gap) a while back, bought it, and shock horror dd really liked it when she saw it !

And yes, she's been wearing it often this winter (over her blazer) - it's quite nice and baggy so OK over the blazer which I think they have to wear.

So, we were doing really well til yesterday when dd spilled yogurt all down it at school - so now it may have to go off to be dry cleaned ?

< muses - I'm pretty sure she did really like it and wasn't just saying so ... >

I don't understand why schools are so insistent on the stupid blazers, which are hard to fit a coat over, and the two together make you almost boil to death on an average cold day anyway.

Yes mathanxiety - Anyone who thinks about it for 2 minutes can see it should be shirt, jumper and coat during the coldest months. Save the blazer for spring, summer and autumn.

What is THE bag to have now then?

a bag which isn't 'the' bag.

Beta, mine has made it this far into yr 8. But then, its a sensible school - no blazer! Lockers! Lots of coats at the bus-stop!

(we are in Lancashire. Think that helps - cold and wet)