Dad Defends Decision To Keep Kids Home From School In The Heat (And Other Ways UK Parents Are Coping)

With the soaring temperatures in the UK, it can be hard to find ways to keep cool.

And parents have the additional worry of making sure their kids are hydrated and safe in the sun, too.

A dad from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, decided to keep his children off school when temperatures reached higher than 30 degrees earlier this week.

Adam Lamberton, whose two children, George and Tom, attend Pingle Academy, said he didn’t want his kids to be in school in the high temperatures.

“I know it won’t be any cooler [at home] than it is in school, but at least if they are here, I can make sure they are drinking plenty of water, staying safe,” he told the Burton Mail.

“I know they won’t wear sun cream or their hats if I’m not here to tell them, so at least they are safe if they’re with me.”

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The school, Pingle Academy, said in a statement, according to the Mirror, that they had bottled water available for kids and there are places for them to go if they want to stay out of the sun.

Other parents are more concerned with the uniform their children have to wear, despite the heat.

A mum of a child who goes to school at Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, in Wales, has started an online petition calling for boys to be allowed to wear shorts.

She states that the school’s uniform policy allows girls to wear skirts and requires boys to wear trousers.

Jenny Underwood said her 14-year-old son, Rhys, was “put in isolation” after breaking the uniform policy by wearing shorts.

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“We are trying to get the uniform policy changed to include shorts for boys in the summer months,” Underwood wrote on the online petition.

At the time of writing, the petition had 426 out of the 500 signatures needed.

HuffPost UK has contacted Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn for comment and will update this article on their response.

Dad Alan Godwin told us on Facebook he puts his kids drinks in the freezer the night before to keep his kids cool in the day.

What do you do? Let us know in the comments below.

Before You Go

5 Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors

It burns calories faster(01 of05)

The wind acts a natural resistance when you run or cycle outside so you are forced to work harder. Research by physiologist Professor Andrew Jones found treadmill runners expended less energy to cover the same distance as those running outside. His study suggested that to replicate outdoor running, treadmill runners would need to adjust their machine incline to 1%. But trail and park running, with its undulating terrain and – in the case of some parks – steps, offers natural resistance and interval training without the hassle of messing with machine settings. (credit:jacoblund via Getty Images)

It reduces stress(02 of05)

The mood-boosting effects of exercise are widely known (thank you endorphins!). But according to a 2011study by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, additional stress-relieving benefits can be gained by taking your workout al fresco. Compared to exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with “greater feelings of revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy.” (credit:Geber86 via Getty Images)

It boosts self-esteem(03 of05)

As well as reducing stress and other negative emotions, exercising outdoors has been linked to increasing self-esteem. A study by the University of Essex found that exercise alone significantly reduced blood pressure, increased self-esteem, and had a positive significant effect on four of six mood measures. But both rural and urban pleasant scenes produced a significantly greater positive effect on self-esteem than the exercise-only control. Exercising in an unpleasant urban environment had the worst outcome, prompting the researchers to conclude that ‘green exercise’ has important public and environmental health consequences. (credit:Peyo via Getty Images)

It's good for motivation(04 of05)

If you want to find a fitness regime that will get you motivated and keep you feeling that way, working out in the fresh air could be the key. Participants in the Peninsula College study also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and declared a greater intent to repeat the activity at a later date. Another study of post-menopausal women found increased adherence to training in those who exercised outdoors compared to those who trained indoors. (credit:RyanJLane via Getty Images)

It's a free gym(05 of05)

Taking your cardio session outdoors is easy: swap the treadmill and exercise bike for outdoor running and cycling. But what about weights and resistance training? According to Jamie Wykes-Hobday, founder of social fitness app, FitFCK, it’s possible to do that part outdoors, too. It just takes a bit more imagination.

“Get creative with your workouts and you will be amazed at how easily you can substitute a gym for an outdoor workout using just your bodyweight,” he says. Squats, lunges, press-ups and bench presses can all be done outdoors.

Make the most of what’s available in your local park, such as trees and benches. Or you could always cheat by going to one of the growing number of parks that have their own outdoor gym area. (credit:jacoblund via Getty Images)