View Full Version : Pre-school taking them out in all weathers?
I've just got back from dropping Grace at pre-school and there are a couple of mums having a huge grumble about the fact that the pre-school take the kids out for a short period every day, whatever the weather.
Grace loves being outside and providing she's dressed appropriately I don't have a problem with it at all (if pre-school take her out, it means I don't have to :oops:)
Grace always has wellies in her bag as well as hat, scarf and gloves and a huge kagoule which goes on over the top of everything and she has a change of clothes in case she gets soaked (although they have spares at the pre-school anyway)
Over the past couple of weeks they've had a couple of trips - they've been to the woods to collect sticks, they went to our little garage yesterday where they had a blast blowing up tyres and fixing punctures, next week they're going to the post office and the week after they're going to our local shop.
It's good for them isn't it? I'm now beginning to wonder if I'm some terrible mummy who doesn't care if her child gets cold/soaked
ETA - in any case, aren't there some new Ofsted guidelines which state they have to have time outside every day anyway
Roseyposey
22-01-2009, 01:07pm
Ignore them Abbie, its GREAT for kids to be outside all weathers. My daughter insists on going out when everyone else is inside, even if its pouring down. What is the worst that can happen? They get wet? So WHAT! Its good for them, I was always out in all weathers as a child and didn't do me any harm at all (apart from the fact I really hate being inside now!)
Its good for them.
Our pre-school does the same. They have a very well equiped garden and the children are outside every day. There has only been one day that J hasn't been outside since he started in september. A couple of weeks ago when it was stupidly cold (-6ish:faint: )
Well if it is bad for them, then I should have my Ofsted registration taken away from me then!
We are out in just about all weathers! We have juts walked almost 2 miles to toddlers and back in the rain and the two boys aged 2y4m loved it! Yes we are all soaked and covered in mud but nothing a quick change of clothes and some soup for lunch won't sort out.
Its good for them to be outside!
Grace loves being out in the rain. Her favourite outdoor activity is putting on her wellies and splashing in puddles. The wetter she gets, the happier she is.
A mug of hot chocolate and a change of clothes - no harm done.
A couple of weeks ago when it was stupidly cold (-6ish:faint: )
Ours still went out that day. They were "making snow" by shaking the frost off the bushes
We went out that day too.........the LO's didn't seem to mind but I was frozen to the bone!
Strawberry Bivi
22-01-2009, 01:22pm
No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Of course they should be outside in the fresh air, it's not like rainy days are a rarity in this country.
Penfold
22-01-2009, 01:25pm
Under the new EYFS it's recommended that childcarers (nursery/preschool/childminders) spend half their time on outdoor activities. And what's a bit of rain anyway? Cooping children up is no good for them at all (with a few exceptions - if they are ill I wouldn't take them out in freezing rainy weather) and it teaches children about weather and different seasons etc.
Jubjub
22-01-2009, 01:30pm
William's class are out in everything. I think it's the best part of the day for the children, and the less clement the weather the better.
What do those people think will happen to their children if they get wet? They're not mogwai, are they?
No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
That's the way I look at it to be honest. As long as they've got warm clothes, wellies, rain coats, etc, what's the worst that can happen? They get a bit wet or cold. They're not going to melt.
I, on the other hand, absolutely hate going out in the wind and the rain, which is one of the reasons why I love pre-school taking them out - it means I don't have to.
If they're ill it's a different story, they don't make them go out, but then if she were ill enough that I didn't want her outside, I don't think I'd send her anyway
WoollyNewty
22-01-2009, 01:38pm
This is one of those things that drives me NUTS!!!! (The mothers - not the taking kids out, I think they MUST go out every day!).
The pre-school is fantastic and they have the most amazing garden - it's like a child's paradise. The is plenty of shelter and every child is equipped with wellies, anorak, gloves etc if it's wet. They also have loads of spare clothes and if the child gets at all damp - they change them. So what's the problem?
Well it appears that some of these children have too much fun doing things like SHOCK HORROR jumping in puddles. Time and time again I hear certain mothers going off on one because 'it's a disgrace they let him go out in that' or 'his trousers were soaked! They could have been ruined!' (they were in a bag, not him at this point) and there have been formal complaints about it :sigh:.
Obviously it can be any mother who is like this, but where I live we do have a lot of families that originally came from much warmer Southern European climates and they do seem to be the main complainers. There seems to be a strong cultural belief that damp/cold equals illness/weakness with things being said like 'he was allowed to play out today - I can't believe it, tomorrow he is bound to have flu'. :brainache: I've even heard diarrhea blamed on the rain :puzzled:. I know there are plenty of Italian/Greek etc Damsels who aren't like this at all but there is a definite group who believe that here! I actually wonder if it would help if the pre-school did some kind of re-education campaign and sent out a letter explaining to parents WHY outdoor play was so important and how the children are not left and it doesn't damage them and you don't catch flu by jumping in puddles.....
Oh and then there's another type of mother who screams and smacks her child when they, accidently, walk through some mud/damp grass while waiting to go into the classroom because they will ruin their new white trainers. This always make me seeth inside - so shouting at your child and smacking them is OK in the name of fashion is it????
Sorry - massive rant there :oops:. I need that!!
Actually - now Alex is mainly in the school nursery it annoys me that they don't take them out so often. They are a lot more windy about it. It's drives me mad when A tells me he hasn't been outside all day. However as Penfold says, the EYFS is now making outdoor play much more important so there is much grumbling about how they will find the money to buy a shelter and wellies :teehee:.
Penfold
22-01-2009, 01:41pm
However as Penfold says, the EYFS is now making outdoor play much more important so there is much grumbling about how they will find the money to buy a shelter and wellies :teehee:.
I'm itching to buy an outdoor shelter for my back garden but funnily enough DH is not keen :teehee: He says our house is enough like a nursery as it is :grin: I'd LOVE one though!:oops:
we do have a lot of families that originally came from much warmer Southern European climates and they do seem to be the main complainers. There seems to be a strong cultural belief that damp/cold equals illness/weakness with things being said like 'he was allowed to play out today - I can't believe it, tomorrow he is bound to have flu'. .
Oh yes, my MIL is still adamant that Sol be dressed "properly" even when on the beach in 25 degree weather, and she's been living in the UK long enough to know better! In Italy a slight breeze (even if temps are 30+) means kids are kept inside, etc etc. :loco:
I feel sorry for those sort of mothers who complain actually, they obviously never had a childhood playing in the woods or making mud pies or dancing in the rain for the hell of it.
Oh Penfold we have a wendy house at the bottom of the garden.......it has a veranda and the kids love it!
I'm happy for them to be out. DS and DD attend/ed a preschool on a farm which has a forest school with a shelter. They love going out in their wellies and waterproof trousers.
I'd be more concerned if they were kept in everyday than taken out to be honest.
They are hardly going to melt are they? I'm definately of the "if they are dressed appropriately then great" school of thought - it is great for kids to be outside!
If it is tipping down with rain then fair enough, but yup they should be outside - about to take dd2 out to splash in muddy puddles in a minute actually - she loves it!
Adelelee
22-01-2009, 02:25pm
Our nursery takes the children out in all weathers and I think it does them good :nod::nod: I quite often pick E up and her little face is pink with playing out and I just love seeing that she is having so much fun ALSO she does not feel the cold like I do :happyno:
So :thumb::thumb: to playing out is what I say!
xx
donna-j
22-01-2009, 02:29pm
One of my friends is like this and it drives me mad. She is so over-protective of her wee girl, and moaned that the nursery have them outside for a run about at 5pm because it's bad for her chest to be out in the damp apparently. I though that kind of thing was disproved about 100 years ago ...
suemarie
22-01-2009, 02:35pm
If they get wet they get wet, nursery usually has spare clothes & you always tend to take in a spare set just in case.
Lucy is only in toddlers & she frequently has changes of clothing due to getting wet outside or inside.
They usally do wrap them up pretty well though for outside expeditions plus if they are damp/wet when they get back, they'll be changed into their dry clothes.
I'm glad I'm not alone!
It was only a few mothers, a couple were having a big grump and another couple joined in, but quite a lot of us disagreed with them.
I love it that Grace goes out and splashes in the rain, makes mud pies and goes running in the wind (she loves running with the wind in her face). Her little cheeks are pink and her eyes sparkle. There's a huge field behind the playing field with sheep and sometimes horses, they love seeing them, being able to touch them. It's the best thing ever if the sheep manage to escape into the school playing field :lol:
Penfold
22-01-2009, 02:41pm
Sounds like a lovely pre-school Abbie. I know when it was cold last week one of my Dad's sent his DD with no shoes or coat because he didn't think we'd be going out :rolleyes: Luckily, I have spare coats etc so we just wrapped up warm and went out in the buggy.
donna-j
22-01-2009, 02:42pm
Another reason why I need to move out of the city. It's so much easier to just get out and about when it's on your doorstep. Getting the car packed with wellies, coats etc then driving to outdoor-ness is such a PITA and makes us stay in far more than we should.
Your preschool sounds just fantastic, providing such a wealth of experiences.:clap:
Kids need to be outside, fresh air to stimulate their brains instead of being inside all the time.
We have some kids who hate going outside as they are not made to! But it amazing how many parents we have who send their LO to school with no hat or gloves. We have the biggest collection of odd gloves you've ever seen as our spares!:lol:
ChelseaHarvey
22-01-2009, 03:09pm
When alfie was at pre-school they use to be outside in the rain They had to have wellies & spare clothes left at the nursery/pre-school.
They only didnt go out if the parents had said not to send them out or if they had just got over being ill
Franny
22-01-2009, 03:32pm
I'd have hated it as a child and I know R particularly doesn't like the cold or wet either but she soon forgets when she is running about with her friends so I don't think it does her any harm so long as she's wrapped up.
Your preschool sounds just fantastic, providing such a wealth of experiences.:clap:
:nod: we're really lucky with our pre-school, the primary school as well
I guess one of the pluses of living in a small village is that the countryside is right on our doorsteps. I can (and do) literally open my back gate and the kids can run wild.
SnaffleFox
22-01-2009, 03:56pm
When I was teaching nursery, we took them out everyday :nod: The thing that used to drive me nuts though was the parents who didn't send their child to pre-school with a jacket or appropriate outdoor footwear (think sandals in the middle of winter) - we don't have that many spare jackets ffs! :hissyfit:
I think it's great for kids to be outside everyday :thumb:
Tekkencat
22-01-2009, 03:58pm
Im with you here (as in out they should be :thumb:) they are children afterall not battery hens -
sounds like a brilliant pre school btw
fifitrix
22-01-2009, 04:41pm
Kids need to be outside, fresh air to stimulate their brains instead of being inside all the time
WSS :nod: Our nursery have outdoor time morning and evening regardless of the weather - J is obsessed with puddles so its suits her spendidly if it's raining :grin:
I almost find it funny that mothers are concerned about their children getting ill from being outside- in my experience germs float around a lot more inside and die outside.
The only issue I could maybe understand them being concerened about were if their child were asthmatic and irritated by the cold air (has happened with dd before).
I'm possibly be more concerned about dd being outside in the summer, honestly- sunburn, etc but they use sunscreen at her preschool so no worried there!
Penfold
23-01-2009, 07:47am
When I was teaching nursery, we took them out everyday :nod: The thing that used to drive me nuts though was the parents who didn't send their child to pre-school with a jacket or appropriate outdoor footwear (think sandals in the middle of winter) - we don't have that many spare jackets ffs! :hissyfit:
I think it's great for kids to be outside everyday :thumb:
Drives me mad too - especially, as I said, the Dad who sent his WALKING child with no shoes and no coat on a very cold day. I don't have many spare boys clothes atm though I'm building a small stock but when the little boy I have doesn't come with a coat etc then he ends up in one of my girls' old coats - makes mum remember next time!
coolfm
16-02-2009, 04:25pm
I've been reading up on outdoor play recently. I'm not in the least bit surprised to read that when children get to play outside every day, instances of illness drop significantly. Interestingly, in Sweden, children in nurseries etc are only taken inside if the temperature falls below -15C. OK, so they are a little more used to cold temperatures, but you can only get ill from being cold if it's cold enough for frost bite or hypothermia (unless, of course there's an underlying complication/condition which could be exacerbated by the cold).
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