Kids wearing shorts to school

[NAB]

Isn't a hoodie a heavy pullover?

I mean, that's what we call hoodies, where I live. They're hardly flimsy. In fact, they're meant for the colder weather! Maybe hoodies are different, in other locations??

I wear flip flops, even if it's below freezing. My mom could just kill me for doing that.

It was 32 degrees, this morning, and I sure as heck wore my flip flops. Everyone was looking at me strange.

But that's normal, for me!!

I hate shoes.

Hoodies are not necessarily heavy material. Sweat shirt material at best so it is like wearing a just a sweater outside that you could wear inside too.

We have a lady at the bus stop that hated shoes too but when it snowed she wore sneakers with out socks...brrr.

 

[allison443]

My kids wear a uniform to school, so no shorts...but the girls wear skirts, even in the cold weather. Is that really any different from shorts?

 

[ckay87]

Know what, though...about hoodies. I noticed that they are making warmer and warmer hoodies. In fact, just picked one up for DS at Target and he loves it. It totally looks like a hoodie and is just as comfortable, but is lined as well as any winter jacket. Only difference is that it's not waterproof. He'll need a separate ski jacket.

I really think it's a matter of comfort. Think about all these crazy dressing trends we've discussed here....pajamas, shorts, hoodies, even baggy pants. They like to be comfortable. Smart designers will design for comfort as well as practicality (like my hoodie example).

And you know else? Many kids aren't spending vast amounts of time outside anymore, I don't think. If they're just running from the house to the bus and the bus to the school, they are likely warm enough. I'm as guilty of doing this as anyone. Of course, if we get stranded ....we are in trouble!

 

[Ariel Mae]

A hoodie was my only jacket for years, even when I lived in Maine. I was older...well, early 20's. But it was very warm. I draw the line at shorts though.

At my daughter's school, they're allowed shorts in early Fall and late Spring ONLY. She's in elementary though. Maybe they get looser with the rules in High School.

Allowed to wear shorts?

I'm so glad that our uniform rules weren't so strict. I was, in high school, an avid short wearer. As much as I could.

That's just like them telling girls to wear skirts. I wouldn't. I hate skirts. Eww. Eww. Eww!

Tell me I couldn't wear shorts. I'd like to have seen them try.

Hoodies are not necessarily heavy material. Sweat shirt material at best so it is like wearing a just a sweater outside that you could wear inside too.

Hmm.

To me and mine, a hoodie is a heavier jacket, as aforementioned/described.

Hardly something we wear inside. Too heavy, and hot.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

My DD7 and DD10 both went to school today in flimsy shorts and sleeveless shirts. Neither of them even wore a hoodie.








Of course, it's about 80 deg F and sunny!
Sorry...had to rub it in a little

 

[debster812]

Not even a battle I'm willing to engage in. DS is 11, and he has always run hot. He has just in the past week or so, started wearing jeans to school, and yesterday it was 62 degrees here in MA. He went to the bus this morning in shorts and hoodie (sweatshirt, not anything like a coat a PP was describing).

I figure he's well old enough to know when he's cold, and when he's not. And if he freezes his little butt off, next time he'll know better. This is also the kid on the soccer pitch in just his sleeves, when all the other players have long sleeve Under Armour under their jerseys.

And as far as being allowed to wear shorts, if there is a dress code in place, then of course you have to follow those rules.

 

[mrsbert]

Boys are stupid. I have given up.

This is how I feel. Pick your battles.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

When I was a kid, we were not allowed to wear shorts to school, even in the blistering heat with no air conditioning. My husband was allowed to take his tie off when it got super hot. When did all of that change?

hmm, the 1960's or earlier? No offense, but really, ties at school? I started elementary school in 1969 and I don't recall kids wearing ties to school, though a couple of them must have on picture day in K and first grade. We wore shorts for as long as I can remember, too.

As for hoodies, around here a hoodie can be any hooded shirt, but mostly they are just sweatshirt fabric or fleece. I've seen some thick ones with really warm linings as well, but then I also saw some short-sleeved T-shirts with hoods referred to as hoodies in a store ad.

My kids don't get cold as easily as I do. I'll suggest a coat for my 11yo, and so far, she's pretty good about wearing it when it's really cold. She might only need a hoodie (sweatshirt ) on a day that I wear a warm coat, or wear shorts on a day I need to wear a hoodie, but no big deal IMO. She's not getting frostbite. It's not a battle worth fighting, IMO.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

When I was in high school (late 80s/early 90s), in CT, all of the boys on the basketball team wore shorts year-round, high-top sneakers without socks, and those big heavy "starter" coats...

 

[lillygator]

ugh...clothing is a battle in my house and DD is only 6!
it was in the 50's this am (I know, not cold to you Northerners but freezing to us) and of course she wanted to wear shorts and short sleeve shirt (it does warm up in the day) but I had her with pants and long sleeves....I did notice most all the safety patrols had shorts on though.

 

[MichelleVW]

Eh, it's not a battle I would choose to fight. I know right now, my teens insist on wearing their hoodies on 30 degree mornings. I advise them against it, but I figure that if they get cold enough, they will bundle up. Making our own judgements and misjudgments is how we learn things. As parents, we have to flat out prevent them from making certain misjudgements, and some others we have to let go and let them learn. Especially by high school. I wouldn't be so quick to judge...they are just kids, and probably good kids at that.

Eh, for high school age kids I wouldn't fight that battle.
If they get uncomfortable enough they'll wear a coat.

I gave up on the coat battle when my kids were little. We lived in Alaska and I would always send them out to play with a coat and I would see it on the ground 10 minutes later. But if they were cold, they would put the coat back on, come get gloves etc, so I stopped fighting them.

Last year we lived in North Dakota where it gets dangerously cold, so there were morning that I did tell them to wear a coat and take gloves/hat etc just in case the bus broke down and they were stranded. Thankfully they understood enough to know that 32 below zero is freaking cold and they had enough sense to listen to stupid mom on those occasions!

 

[eliza61]

My brother in law is like that! Makes me crazy! He wears shorts pretty much all winter long, and I just don't understand.

He's 16. It's apparently cool to be cold.

Yep.
My 17 yo wears a hoodie all year long. dead of winter and absolutely refuses to use an umbrella. He knows that he can get hack up a lung and would get absolutely no sympathy from mom.
He has plenty of company at his H.S.
I agree, I have enough battles trying to get the pain in the *&^ to study for his SAT's

 

[Tikitoi]

Eh, it's not a battle I would choose to fight. I know right now, my teens insist on wearing their hoodies on 30 degree mornings. I advise them against it, but I figure that if they get cold enough, they will bundle up. Making our own judgements and misjudgments is how we learn things. As parents, we have to flat out prevent them from making certain misjudgements, and some others we have to let go and let them learn. Especially by high school. I wouldn't be so quick to judge...they are just kids, and probably good kids at that.

Very well said!

 

[LisaNJ25]

My 16yo son wear shorts 2-3 days a week. You pick your battles as a parent and thats not one of them. Hes old enough to know that he needs to wear warmer clothes.

 

[Kathi OD]

They're in high school, old enough to choose what to wear. Personally, at that age, it's not a battle worth fighting. I'd save my energies for the really important ones. It could be worse, at least they're going to school.

FWIW, the gym teacher I work with has NEVER worn long pants to school. Not sweats, not break-aways, NOTHING other than shorts, even when it's snowing, in the 10 years he's taught here. So the rest of us all think he's crazy, but owell....he's the one w/ the cold legs, not me!

 

[Angelhalo]

LOL how true!
And even little Suri Cruise ( Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes daughter) has had several photos in the celeb mags published of her outside in the cold in short sleeved shirts without a coat, while her parents are bundled up in sweaters and coats! It's become a running joke. Finally last week, when it was bitterly cold, the paps caught her wearing a winter coat!

Both Tom and Katie have stated on many occassions that they always put a coat on her but that she hates it and takes it off.

My BIL wears shorts all winter long, he's just a really hot natured person.

 

[Barb D]

The school is overheated, and they'd rather be cold getting there than hot once they're there.

And their lockers are small and inconvenient (DS17 doesn't even have one this year) so they either have to stuff that coat in or carry it around all day.

And I, personally, wear shorts way beyond the time lots of other people do. And my kids got their heat sensors from me, not their always-cold dad.

I'm not a bad person or a bad parent, and my kids are not idiots. Thank you.

 

[aprilgail2]

Isn't a hoodie a heavy pullover?

I mean, that's what we call hoodies, where I live. They're hardly flimsy. In fact, they're meant for the colder weather! Maybe hoodies are different, in other locations??

my daughter has one that is as thin as a t-shirt-
But that's normal, for me!!

Now I don't want to be a helicopter parent, but who lets their kids leave the house in shorts when it's cold enough for there to be ice on the cars?

?

As far s I am concerned once they reach high school age thye are old enough to pick what they want to wear- if they want to freeze then fine-not a battle I am going to choose to take

ugh...clothing is a battle in my house and DD is only 6!
it was in the 50's this am (I know, not cold to you Northerners but freezing to us) and of course she wanted to wear shorts and short sleeve shirt (it does warm up in the day) but I had her with pants and long sleeves....I did notice most all the safety patrols had shorts on though.

My 8 year old daughter this year did not want to waear her winter coat for anything-it was darn cold out one morning and she wanted to wear her sweatshirt only to the bus stop- I told her it was cold but she insisted only on the sweatshirt- ok fine- you want t ofreeze then just wear the sweatshirt. The next morning she gets ready to go to the bus stop and this is what I hear" It was cold yesterday, where is that heavy coat of mine"- live and learn huh LOL!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My 6th grader said last week....I think I should start wearing shoes to school. She had been wearing flip flops. Granted they were nicer ones, leather and sturdy.

Now we are in the battle of "the coat". It was 24 this morning and she wears jacket.

As far as my HS senior, I don't care. She usually just wears a jacket or a hoodie.

 

[kellyg403]

My hs kids are always leaving the house in shorts and hoodies, sometimes flip flops. I am with the others, they catching the bus to go to school so I guess if that is the way they want to go, I let them. Eventually it will dawn on them to put on long pants. Maybe in Jan or so. They will wear gloves though. There is a pretty picture, a hoodie, shorts and gloves.

I agree not a battle worth fighting over with a teen!

Kelly