Wearing shorts to primary school in this weather?

mavisangelica

My son (now 18) wore shorts all the way through primary school until year 4. I had put him in shorts for the first day and since then he refused to wear long trousers. (It was actually a godsend as he wasn't a thin child and it was difficult to get long trousers to fit - we always seemed to buy trousers several years bigger than his age.) I had heard stories via other parents that we were being accused of being cruel when there was snow but he wore his wellies

Then one day he decided he wanted to wear long trousers.

Strangely, over the last 6 months he has taken to only wearing shorts again for the majority of time (I reminded him of school.).

meritaten

I think probably an ASD! either that or he is trying to 'toughen himself up'! or doesnt feel the cold - I went down the school Tues to pick up the grandkids nicely wrapped up in jacket and scarf - and this girl walked ahead of me wearing Jeans and a Strappy Top!

Dunroamin

LandyAndy wrote: »

Same here. Only went into long trousers when I started secondary school.

The boys of my generation were in shorts (and caps) until the third form of secondary school. Some people nowadays would be stupid enough to call it child abuse.;)

anniemf2508

maybe he doesn't feel the cold.... my husband wears shorts and a short sleeved shirt most of the time

clearingout

KiKi wrote: »

Maybe he's not cold. I'm not! When I go to work I still wear a summer skirt or thin work trousers, and a thin top. I leave the house around 0630 in a summer skirt and I don't care what people think. I get SO hot indoors, even when it's cold outside.

I'm sitting here at the moment, it's 8 degrees outside, I don't have the heating on. I'm wearing a strappy summer top and a thin pair of tracky bottoms, no socks. I might put a cardi on later if the temperature drops.

I see people wandering around with huge Winter coats, woolly tights, boots, jumpers, and I have no idea how they're not burning up - but, of course, we're all different.

this is me! glad I'm not the only one. I don't even own a winter coat!

miss_independent

A 14 year old boy I taught wore shorts all year round, day in day out. The same pair as well, Hawaiian patterned board shorts. He didn't have Autism, he just thought he was cool. In winter, he wore a scarf and Peruvian hat with his Board Shorts. No coat. I repeatedly told him, in December, that he wasn't dressed appropriately for the weather. The next day after my last warning, he didn't show up for the dress rehearsal for the Christmas Show in which he had a major part. He didn't show up for opening night, or indeed the rest of the week. The principal called his parents to ask why he hadn't turned up and why there had been no explanation.

The day of the dress rehearsal he had been playing football outside. In the snow. It was -12 and he had been wearing his board shorts and a sleeveless vest, no socks, no coat. His legs and hands turned blue. He caught Hypothermia and, two or three days later, a chest infection.

In January, he turned up in the same outfit.

Personally, ASD aside, I wouldn't let any child of mine go about bare legged in this weather, or without a coat outdoors. Sorry, but you can't just roll up to the office in shorts if you feel like it. There is a time and place and you are never too young to learn to dress appropriately imo. I'm fine with kids wearing superman costumes or fairy wings with wellies and a pirate eyepatch to town or on the food shop, a friends house, whatever but certain places, like school or church, I do feel they should learn it's important to a)look neat and tidy and b) dress for the weather. Most schools here only allow summer uniform after Easter (I know I used to be boiling sometimes in early September and wished I could wear my summer dress). At one of my schools we weren't allowed to wear tights (or Trousers) and I can remember how cold my legs used to feel in Winter, walking to school and in the playground.

SingleSue

Middle son has been known to build snowmen in shorts and t shirt....he has aspergers and appears to have his own central heating. When he was younger, he was well known for stripping naked at playgroup because he was dressed for the conditions but it was obviously too hot for him.

We also soon discovered that when he overheated, he got very violent...so now I don't stress too much about it (although I still get eeek when everyone else is wearing coats, including me, and he is walking around bare arms!)

*Edit - after reading the previous post, he does now wear proper trousers, shirt and tie to school although he is allowed to not wear the blazer or the jumper.

marisco_2

Schools can get very hot and stuffy. There are several boys in the class I teach in that wear shorts all year round. I put it down to personal preference. I am sure if they felt the cold they could ask their parents for long trousers. They have no problems expressing their opinions and points of views at other times.

lovesabargain123

My youngest loves his shorts.. Infact twice a week we fall out when he goes off to football in his short sleeved kit, even in torrential rain. We now compromise that he has to take a hoody but I reckon it spends it's time at the side of the pitch x

Contains_Mild_Peril

KiKi wrote: »

Maybe he's not cold. I'm not! When I go to work I still wear a summer skirt or thin work trousers, and a thin top. I leave the house around 0630 in a summer skirt and I don't care what people think. I get SO hot indoors, even when it's cold outside.

I'm sitting here at the moment, it's 8 degrees outside, I don't have the heating on. I'm wearing a strappy summer top and a thin pair of tracky bottoms, no socks. I might put a cardi on later if the temperature drops.

I see people wandering around with huge Winter coats, woolly tights, boots, jumpers, and I have no idea how they're not burning up - but, of course, we're all different.

Very true. I'm kind of the opposite: I wear cardigans in summer when other people wearing T-shirts feel a bit too warm. When I see young women enjoying nights out in winter wearing skimpy dresses with bare legs, I wonder how they don't freeze!