Confounded every year by this???

Spon Farmer

I'm not sure if this is the right section to ask this but parents seem the correct people to ask this question that confounds me at this time every year.

Why do so many secondary school kids not wear a coat going to and from school when it raining and/or cold?

I see all the sauntering about and they must be soaked to the skin by the time they get to school. I kids yesterday carrying coats in their arms while it was raining.

How did it become a "thing"?

BoatMad

Spon Farmer wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the right section to ask this but parents seem the correct people to ask this question that confounds me at this time every year.

Why do so many secondary school kids not wear a coat going to and from school when it raining and/or cold?

I see all the sauntering about and they must be soaked to the skin by the time they get to school. I kids yesterday carrying coats in their arms while it was raining.

How did it become a "thing"?

Fashion is king and kids are waterproof !

PMBC

I like that phrase 'soaked to the skin'. Reminds me of the good-old bad-old days and brings a smile.
My mother had a strong dislike of me getting a wetting. So a 'fisherman like' overcoat was bought together with a 'Sou-wester' i.e South-Wester. I think it had a rubber like lining. You still see fishermen wearing similar style although different materials; luckily mine was navy blue not luminous yellow. Funny I don't remember anyone else wearing one. Or was it that I was too embarrassed and spent my time looking down at the rain pinging off the footpath! In the 50s it seemed to rain all the time.

BeardySi

It's not just school - I see it regularly with my scouts. They'll cheerfully stand around in the pissing rain. "oh, my hoodie is heavy so it'll keep the water out" is the inevitable reply when challenged...

Spon Farmer

BoatMad wrote: »

Fashion is king and kids are waterproof !

School uniforms is fashion?

One of the kids I saw carrying her coat was with a group without coats, so no doubt she felt awkward wearing it.

Spon Farmer

PMBC wrote: »

I like that phrase 'soaked to the skin'. Reminds me of the good-old bad-old days and brings a smile.
My mother had a strong dislike of me getting a wetting. So a 'fisherman like' overcoat was bought together with a 'Sou-wester' i.e South-Wester. I think it had a rubber like lining. You still see fishermen wearing similar style although different materials; luckily mine was navy blue not luminous yellow. Funny I don't remember anyone else wearing one. Or was it that I was too embarrassed and spent my time looking down at the rain pinging off the footpath! In the 50s it seemed to rain all the time.

Fair play to the woman.

These kids wouldn't have got away with it in my day.

The other day I was stopped at a crossing near a school and this kid was taking forever shuffling (actually shuffling) across the road. My first thought was "something wrong with his legs" and "poor lad".

Eejit just did have his shoes on properly.:rolleyes: The mother nearly jumped out of the car to go after him.:p

Spon Farmer

BeardySi wrote: »

It's not just school - I see it regularly with my scouts. They'll cheerfully stand around in the pissing rain. "oh, my hoodie is heavy so it'll keep the water out" is the inevitable reply when challenged...

Wet clothes and hair smells.

I thought kids were self-concious these days.

BoatMad

Spon Farmer wrote: »

School uniforms is fashion?

One of the kids I saw carrying her coat was with a group without coats, so no doubt she felt awkward wearing it.

Fashion in the general sense

LLL11

I remember hating wearing a coat too. I think maybe because (you thought) you looked slimmer and less bulky without one. And when you had a bag on your back with a coat on you tended to sweat.

danmanw8

Spon Farmer wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the right section to ask this but parents seem the correct people to ask this question that confounds me at this time every year.

Why do so many secondary school kids not wear a coat going to and from school when it raining and/or cold?

I see all the sauntering about and they must be soaked to the skin by the time they get to school. I kids yesterday carrying coats in their arms while it was raining.

How did it become a "thing"?

In my school, you could only wear the school coat which was hideous so some people didn't want to wear it and extremely expensive, so some people didn't want to buy it...

BoatMad

danmanw8 wrote: »

In my school, you could only wear the school coat which was hideous so some people didn't want to wear it and extremely expensive, so some people didn't want to buy it...

As I said " fashion "

( daughter of two girls )

freshpopcorn

When I went to school most people just wore hoodies. I never really got wet apart from the odd day. The reason why I know why people don't like coats is they found them to stuffy and puffy!

Wesser

When you're younger....... you're warmer... coldness happens as you get older. The circulation an all tha!

retro:electro

I think it's a fashion statement. I went through a phase as a teen not wanting to be seen with my hood up in the rain! It's to show a perceived level of social resilience, or what have you. They'll grow out of it.

aaabbbb

Having left school not too long ago. In my experience at least, wearing a coat along with a big massive heavy jumper even in the rain was just too hot and sweaty.

If it was only a light shower I would rather just let my jumper get wet as they were thick enough that I would never feel the wet if it was only drizzling. If there was a torrential downpour I would usually just throw the coat over my head but not wear it to stay dry or just use an umbrella. A lot of school coats also don't have proper hoods (usually just a flimsy detachable one) either to protect your hair so that was another reason.

Main reasons for me were - stay cool/not sweaty and also protect my hair so I didn't have to straighten/wash it again that evening. Also sometimes not wearing/bringing a coat was just much easier especially when you have a massive school bag, art folder, lunch bag, pe bag and home ec stuff to drag in with you too.

Sunny Dayz

Oh here! My son started secondary this year and they are only allowed wear the school coat and no other coat. Himself has not worn said coat once to school so far! His excuses have been, it's not cold, it wasn't raining when I left the house this morning (he gets dropped near the school in the morning), I forgot it, shrugs shoulders, etc


It was gas: he had a school event on one evening recently and it was raining so he wore [read: was made wear] his school jacket. His first time to wear it. He kept it on all evening indoors. *rolls eyes I could see him but I couldn't get near him or catch his eye to get him to take off the jacket! He wouldn't bloody wear it to school and when I finally get it on him, he wouldn't take it off. Funny it hasn't been worn since!

Sile Na Gig

It drives me mad too. On a par with seeing newborn babies out and about without hats. 
We have a rule that if the temperature is below 10 degrees they have to leave the house wearing the coat. It takes the arguing out of it in the morning. I have no control over whether it gets worn once they get out of the driveway though.