Is it not "cool" for middle school kids to wear winter coats?

[becka]

Well I don't think it is a new phenomenon. I remember when I was in middle school all I would wear was my denim jacket - no matter how cold it got. Looking back it seems stupid that I froze so much of the time but back then I didn't care because it wasn't "cool" to wear a big coat.

 

[MELSMICE]

My big middle school concern was lunch boxes -- ds won't take anything that doesn't have to have a cold pack, so brown bags were out -- but that turned out to be a non-issue. Probably because they all carry those "cool" soft-sided bag-types now.

It was about middle school when my DD's decided lunch boxes were not cool either. Could only do brown bags. Well, now it's not even cool to bring a lunch, so they buy every day!

 

[phorsenuf]

No offense taken! I didn't think anything like that while I was reading your post!!!

I didn't think you would but sometimes things here can get dicey! LOL

 

[transparant]

The official excuse is that coats don't fit in the lockers. I've seen them & you know what? With the backpack in & half their books, a heavy winter coat won't fit in some of the lockers. (There are 2 types the school has.) I guess the good news is that there's no way to stuff a kid into one.

What is up with those itty bitty lockers!! My kids don't wear their coats either and they give me the same excuse. They really are little though. Mine always wear the hoodies too. My oldest son hates being cold so he's actually worn his coat throughout the day in school because he can't fit it into his locker!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

It was about middle school when my DD's decided lunch boxes were not cool either. Could only do brown bags. Well, now it's not even cool to bring a lunch, so they buy every day!

DD 11 buys everyday too!!!!

 

[luvflorida]

A few weeks ago I posted that I dropped my daughter off at school. It was 1 degree outside with snow on the ground. I saw many teens standing/walking around, and most of them did not have coats on!

I agree, this is one battle I don't care to fight. These kids are high schoolers, so if they decide they don't want to wear a coat, for whatever reason, then that's their decision. I can think of more important issues to battle over at this age. My daughter, a Freshman, usually wears sweaters or sweatshirts. I've noticed she doesn't wear hoodies as much as she did in middle school and now likes a lot of the zip up jackets/sweatshirts. They're kind of sporty and not as bulky as hoodies.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dd 11 is in 6th grade....She just left for school and the temp is 34 with a windchill of 26!! She tells me her "hoodie" is just fine!!! I just get so tired of arguing with her....I just said "fine" and out the door she went....I guess it just isn't "cool" to wear a winter jacket nowadays....in January....in Michigan!!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!! with my 8th grader..."BUT MOM I AM WEARING A HOODIE!!!!"

It is true that her locker is too small for her coat, though. Also she is only at the bus stop as far as being outside, so I don't sweat it UNLESS....she keeps complaining about NOT FEELING WELL. (Which is the current disagreement here.)

 

[piratesmate]

What is up with those itty bitty lockers!! My kids don't wear their coats either and they give me the same excuse. They really are little though. Mine always wear the hoodies too. My oldest son hates being cold so he's actually worn his coat throughout the day in school because he can't fit it into his locker!

I think DD would wear a coat more often if she could wear it throughout the day. However, the dress code bans any "outer wear" being worn in class. Evidently, a hooded sweatshirt doesn't count. Some of the rules are just stupid IMHO.

As for the lunch thing, DD refuses to buy this year. The way her lunch period is run, those buying have only 5 min to eat about every 3rd day. (They rotate who gets called last.) She said it isn't worth it, so she packs every day. What a pain! This is the 1st building it's been like this. Hopefully next year she'll have more time.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

And I thought it was just a problem in the New York area. I guess kids are kids no matter where they live!
My 8th grade DD wore only hoodies last year. This year it's the same but she likes this cheap puffy jacket from Steve & Barry's that I actually saw her wearing. I went to her locker last day of school before Christmas vacation (another teen story!)and found 5 hoodies!
I'm wondering when they go home after classes, don't they remember they wore something in the morning? How could you have 5 hoodies in your locker!

My fifth grade DD will wear her winter coat, but no gloves or hats- very uncool!

I can't argue about this much, because I remember going outside with wet hair, and light jackets. I figure when they freeze then they will learn.

 

[Mel6197]

I never wore anything but a hoody in High School.. None of the kids did.. And this was 7 years ago.. For me and my friends it wasnt a cool thing...It was more of having to carry around a winter coat threw the school all day.. Crowded hallways, Lots of kids.. Schools are HOT.. So either you wore your coat and was dying all day with the heat, but didnt have to carry it around, or you had to carry about this HUGE Coat, bumping threw kids in the hall..Etc.. Not fun..

 

[swanmom]

For us, the good news is that those 'puffy' coats from North Face are all the rage so my DD will wear that coat because it's 'cool.' Heaven help me, though, if that coat goes on the 'not cool' list!

 

[720L]

Is Columbia "out" now and North Face "in"? Just wondered because I have noticed a lot of kids in North Face stuff lately.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

My dd 11 is in 6th grade....She just left for school and the temp is 34 with a windchill of 26!! She tells me her "hoodie" is just fine!!! I just get so tired of arguing with her....I just said "fine" and out the door she went....I guess it just isn't "cool" to wear a winter jacket nowadays....in January....in Michigan!!!!!!

I never liked wearing a bulky winter jacket to school because it barely fit in my locker. Maybe that's the reason. I grew up in Minnesota and it wasn't uncommon for me to wear a hoodie to school in the winter.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DD did get a sleeveless "puffy" coat for Christmas. She might wear that. We will see...

 

[Dan Murphy]

Never has been cool to stay warm, properly dressed, LOL. I recall 40 years ago (okay, a little over 40) going out of the house on bone-chilling days with a windbreaker on, zipper open, no gloves (hands in pockets) collar up (like Marlon Brando, LOL), hunched over (like that would make me wamer), mom yelling at me as I walked away, to dress warmer. Nope, not cool. BUT, now it is cool to be warm. We learn.

 

[missypie]

I never liked wearing a bulky winter jacket to school because it barely fit in my locker. Maybe that's the reason. I grew up in Minnesota and it wasn't uncommon for me to wear a hoodie to school in the winter.

I just found out that that is why my middle schoolers won't wear their winter coats to school. Their lockers are tiny...barely large nough to fit their books and binders in. A winter coat won't fit and there is no where else to put it. Thank goodness we're in Texas!

 

[CajunDixie]

So far this season I've only worn my winter coat 1 day and that was only because I had a funeral to go to last Tuesday. My kids have the same problem with the lockers at school being too small and they both are very warm blooded so its hoodies for them too. Older DS is still wearing shorts on the "warmer" days too. I've told them if the bus breaks down and they freeze its their problem. And if they get sick they pay for the cold medicine.

 

[Cindy B]

Its not cool for 4th or 5th graders either.

My son (4th grade) left for school with a hoodie on. He's just getting started on the hoodie phase I guess. It sounds like he will wear them for a while.

My daughter (2nd grade) didn't want to go out without her coat today either. SHe finally relented and wound up wearing it (puffy kind) unzipped to school

Her teacher makes the kids wear hat/gloves outside if it goes below a certain tempature. The hat and gloves are in her backpack.


I work in a middle school, and I don't see that many coats either. There are a lot of hoodies, and some puffy vests but not a lot. The lockers are small here, so that is a legitimate reason.

 

[CookieGVB]

I thought I was the only one witnessing the "not cool to wear coats brigade" (or PANTS, for that matter!) in the winter.

6th grader - WANTED a hat, and loves his winter coat

8th grader - wouldn't be caught DEAD in a hat, but will wear the ear-wrap thingies, and sometimes wears his winter jacket (surprisingly, this morning even, at 50+ degrees)

Gloves are only worn when it's REALLY cold, or snowing and they want to play in the snow.

 

[DiznEeyore]

It was about middle school when my DD's decided lunch boxes were not cool either. Could only do brown bags. Well, now it's not even cool to bring a lunch, so they buy every day!

Even before we got to the lunchbox issue, I informed ds I wasn't figuring $55+ a month into the budget so he could look "cool", LOL!! He gets to buy 1x a week if he's lucky.

Maybe it has something to do with us living in a lower middle class area. Nobody around here can afford to buy their kids lunch every day!