My 7yr old won't tie up her jacket.

[ScottishMum]

Me and my 7yr old daughter Rebecca are currently living in Scotland, where weather hasn't been pleasant, there has been a lot of days of rain and winds (high winds during Jan and Feb, as high as 80mph) but hopefully weather is beginning to turn.

When weather is bad, I ask Rebecca to put up her hood and tie up her school jacket because school not wanting kids coming into class with soaking wet uniforms or complaining of cold. The School also have a policy in place which states that, when its raining or windy then kids MUST tie the zips of their jackets up to the top before going out to play.

Rebecca doesn't like that policy and tries to challenge the teacher when he asks her to tie her jacket or she whines and then answers back.

When I am tying her jacket (because she won't), she whines and then wriggles and fidgets about which makes it harder to tie but I always get it tied and then explain that a) weather is unpleasant so needs zip tied up and b) teacher wants it tied so that uniform stays dry.

What are your opinions on the policy and also, are your children good at putting up hoods and tying their jackets when weather requires it?

[ScottishMum]

Kids that don't bundle up during bad weather.

One of the things that really annoys me, as a parent, is parents that don't make their children bundle up during unpleasant weather.


I am ALWAYS nagging Rebecca(7) to bundle up when its required which frustrates poor DD but as a parent, I am only protecting her from the elements.

I mean, it only takes a few seconds to either ask your kid to tie their jacket, put up hood and wear gloves or to do these yourself.

When I am picking up Rebecca from School, I see hundreds of kids coming out with wide open jackets, no hood or hat on and with no gloves/scarf and child looking frozen but I can't say anything, however, I HAVE asked Rebecca's friends to bundle up which pleases their parents. They are glad that I am looking after their childs wellbeing and that Rebecca is lucky to have a "caring mom".

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: My 7yr old won't tie up her jacket.

As long as they don't put up their hoods and rob the post office I am not all that bothered.

Here in Wales it is also wet and windy. The children huddle around the radiators and gentlly steam for the remainder of the day. Nobody minds all that much.

[thalassa]

Re: Kids that don't bundle up during bad weather.

This doesn't bother me.

Of course, I live in Virginia...which is a bit like living maybe off the coast of Portugal (I'm guessing based on latitude). But even then, I'm from Illinois and the hubby is from Wisconsin, both places with a cold winter. As a routine, I don't make my kids bundle up. They are capable of deciding if they feel cold or not. If they aren't cold enough to do it on their own recognizance, that's their business. If they are complaining of being cold and aren't zipped up, etc, they are smart enough to zip up and put their gloves, etc on. If they are cold and choose not to wear their coats, hats, scarf, etc, and are cold, that's their choice. Next time, perhaps they will have learned their lesson. Its not like its going to make them sick or injure them to get a little chilly.

Its something different when its cold enough to get frostbite, or if we are going to be out long enough in conditions where hypothermia is a possibility. But just to go to/from the bus stop or to/from a car to a building...they can make up their own mind on that.

If its legit school policy (like in a written dress code), then the kids would suck it up. If not, it seems to me to take policing normal kid behavior to an interesting level. Either way, its not something that I am overly concerned about as a parent.



(merged and moved threads)

[Medusa]

Re: My 7yr old won't tie up her jacket.

I'm not a parent. I'm also a Satanist. So. I'd wait for a rainy day. Give her nothing and let her be outside. Freeze her buns off. Sometimes stubborn kids won't learn unless you teach them the consequence.

Again. I'm not a parent. I'm pretty sure this would kill my kid. But it would probably take a few minutes of them freezing and begging to be bundled up.