My daughter just started kindergarten this year, so I'm new to all this. At her school, the kids are sent outside for recess as long as it is at least 10 degrees outside. They have recess immediately after lunch and are not allowed to return to the room for coats, So, they are told to wear their coats to lunch. If it is really cold outside, the school is very insistent that children should wear snow pants to recess. I totally agree, but, then they have to eat while wearing their snow pants. So, these little children are crammed in (it's very crowded) on BENCH seats, eating their lunches WHILE wearing snow pants and coats. The bulkiness is one issue, but the temperature is another.
I asked my daughter if she gets hot, and she said yes. I suggested she take her coat off and sit on top of it while she eats, but she said she tried that and it was so slippery she fell off the bench. She also said her snow pants make it very slippery on the bench. I asked what the other kids do and she said she is the only one who wears snow pants, they all wear their coats, and some of the kindergarteners eat their sandwiches WHILE wearing their mittens and hats (kind of funny). My daughter sets her mittens and hat on the already crowded table (which explains the pizza sauce on her hat the other day!).
I would be very upset if I had to eat my lunch in 15 minutes every day on a crowded bench indoors while wearing a coat and snowpants. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't the principal? Do your schools do lunch like this? Got any solutions? My husband suggested sending her a ditty bag (a squeezable stuff sack) to put her coat and snow pants in while she eats, but 1) she doesn't have the arm strength to stuff them in the sack, and 2) her lunch is crazy short as is (20 min. to walk from the classroom, eat, and be cleaned up and ready to go outside). If she had to put her winter wear on at the end of that 20 min., there would really be no time for eating.
BTW: The Mad House Cafeteria is my question as well!
Seriously??
What if one of them overheats and faints?
She'll be fine without snowpants. The only time mine wore snow pants was for skiing or sledding, on the weekends.
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If you know any Boy Scouts that need an Eagle project that would be a good one, to make a coat rack for the lunch room at the elementary school.
My daughter started Kindergarted this year too so I'm new at this also. If I heard that they made my little girl wear all that stuff while eating in a short amount of time while she was sweating (she sweats a LOT!) I would be extreemly irritated by the school and talk to her teacher or principle and ask what they would suggest she do! Put them on the spot for once...sorry I'm a mama bear type of mom...no one makes my child uncomfortable like that and gets the easy way out! My daughter and I live in WI and she gets ready after lunch to go outside...this idea the school has makes no sense since it sounds like they do this so it's more convienent to them...and I wouldnt stand for that.
Um....yeah....welcome to the world of school.
They're generally LARGE on procedure and policy and SMALL on common sense.
Personally, as long as she has a warm coat, I'd skip the snow pants completely! She'll be OK.
(Hat & mittens go in coat sleeve, coat is lodged between knees. Comfy? LOL)
One thing is for sure the plan is made to maximize play time so any changes will cause a revolt by the kids. :)
I don't know about your kids but I have seen mine run outside in the snow without shoes on for around 10 minutes. My point is they will be just fine for that short recess without snow pants.
Oh coat goes between the legs while you eat. :)
That is crazy! I would talk to the principal or teacher about it and how they cannot expect the kindergartners to eat lunch in their snow gear! That school needs to figure out a better schedule!
1. Lunch time is a disgrace at my son's school as well. We should be teaching our kids to eat mindfully and slowly instead of cramming down unhealthy food in a mad dash to the next thing. No wonder American obesity in kids is at a critical level. My son gravitates toward the applesauce he can slurp down in a flash over the veggies he needs to chew. He will not learn the signals of fullness this way. And the hot lunchers (many of whom are on free lunch in our school because their parents can't afford to send a lunch) spend the bulk of their time in line for their fatty institutional food only to have to throw it out because they have no time to eat - can you tell this is a hot button for me? ;)
2. Since it sounds like snow pants are not mandatory, can you put tights on your daughter under her pants to eliminate the snow pants? She would not slide onto the floor then, and perhaps be a little more comfortable sitting on her coat.
Good luck!
That is crazy. I grew up here in MN, and we never ate in our snowpants! My son is in 1st grade and none of his peers eat in their snowpants either!
I'd be talking to someone at the school.
I see WHY they do it - but seriously - it doesn't make sense. They need to make time for lunch and also for putting on gear to go outside.
My son's school has recess BEFORE lunch for the 1st and Kindergarten grades. So the kids get dressed, go out, come in - TAKE EVERYTHING OFF then eat.
They need to reschedule the day.
Our elementary school is the same way and always has been. Except our kids have to wear snow pants and boots because we always have a ton of snow here. I have never liked the policy and think it is ridiculous to eat in your warm clothes! The school says they do not have enough time to change into the snow clothes after they eat...........I feel it is more of an issue of supervision because the teachers are on lunch break when the kids are finished eating so they would not be able to supervise them when changing. My kids have gotten used to it though and never complain, they just want to get outside to play as fast as they can!
Do our dd's attend the same school? I have these EXACT issues as well. Other schools in the district do not have this policy and the kids put their gear on after lunch. At my daughter's school, they have time before lunch to don all that gear, so why not move it until after? If they readjusted the lunch schedule and moved the K lunch earlier (they are the first group to eat at noon), it would work fine IMO. This issue drives me batty!
Updated
After reading the other moms' comments I had to add: don't skip the snowpants. The supervisors will NOT let the kids play in the snow without them. I sub for recess occasionally and if the kids are not wearing their snowpants and there is snow, they essentially get no recess.
Just wanted to let you know that my first grade daughter deals with the same 'lunch routine' as your describing above except if it's above 0-degrees they're outside - plus they have to share lockers! I can't even imagine how that works out - two kids to a locker - stuffed with winter coats, snowpants & boots (both are mandatory at our school), gloves, hats, school bags and lunch boxes! My daughter said they literally just cram it all in the locker and slam it shut - they leave their boots outside their locker on the floor. It's how the school has been doing it for years and it works for them I've been told.
It makes me crazy to even think about it!
I would talk to the teacher about this - not out of anger, but out of curiosity. I would say that it seemed like an unusual thing to me, and ask how long this rule has been in place, and how it has worked for kindergarteners in the past.
My first thought is that this schedule was made by an efficiency expert but not by a teacher or a mama. Do other grades have to eat lunch in their outdoor clothes?
Lunch turns out to be more of a snack...there's so little time to eat, it really is a joke!
I would skip the snowpants. The other thing that might be a little easier is to have her pack a lunch, that way she doesn't have to go through the line and lose more time. As far as the coat, just have her wear it with the mittens and hat in the pockets. Keep it unzipped until actually going outside, the teachers will help her zip it.
Do they get a snack during the day? If she doesn't have much time to eat lunch, at least pack a healthy snack like a protein bar.
so ridiculous. frantically stuffing food in while sweating. i guess it's at least a plus that recess hasn't been axed altogether.
i think i'd go with the lined pants and skip the snow pants. if that ends up making her too hot while she's inside at school, i got nothin'.
khairete
S.
That is ridiculous! The kids should be able to eat their lunches comfortably, go back to their classroom before recess to put on their outerwear and then go play.
What if a kid throws up on his snowsuit or worse...his scarf b/c he is hot and eating his lunch so quickly ? I'd be royally po'd if that were my kid.
Go to the school w/her and sit during lunch. See if anyone notices how uncomfortable you are. Then talk to someone about how this needs to change. If it doesn't work, get more parents involved. I do not like the way the school treats our kids sometimes. It seems as if there is no passion or caring. The way that they treat old people at the homes.
I recently went to my own kindergartner's school. They have their own special toilet area, when I went inside there was urine and tissue everywhere.
Wet floor. I asked, how could my poor baby use the bathroom in such conditions. This bathroom is right next to teacher's desk. So I know she smelled that hot mess! Oh, I was so mad.
Sometimes schools will go on and on with some stupid thing when there really could be another way. It's takes moms and a loud voice. I would really try and change this. Think about what would work better and see if you could get it implemented.
Some moms did that at our school with drop off and pick up. There was no system in place so you had to park 4 blocks away and walk your kid to the school and same for pick-up. Finally, a momma bear with enough perseverance got it changed. Now we have a drop off and pick up location with the principal out directing traffic.
Get it done!!! :)
S. L. I went to elementary school in Marquette (Fisher school) and I don't remember having to do that. My dad worked at Graveraet till he just retired and I don't think they did it there either. Maybe I am wrong - I will ask my dad. Not sure what school your kids go to but that sucks!!
Perhaps some days you can do lined pants (fleece lined or flannel lined) instead of snow pants. On the really really cold days or snowy days our son wears his snow pants over his pants. He will happily wear them all day at school and never take them off. On regular winter days he does not wear snow pants to school. Sadly, the kids do not get a lot of time to eat. Really, being a bit too warm for 15 minutes is not that big of a deal.
my daughter goes right from lunch to putside too I never asked what happens with coats and hats and gloves but I know she often skips wearing a hat and gloves. Sometimes she takes her coat off too at recess outside in the cold. Id skip the snow pants, its not going to hurt her to wear regular pants outside to play. The cold doesnt affect little kids like it does us. We're not running around and chasing eachother. Shes probabl hot outside in all of that too
I don't have an answer to this. But I am shocked reading this. Really .. they have little kids eat lunch in the snow suits. That's ridiculous. I would go talk to the teacher/principal about it and hear what they have to say.
