Denver School Kids Go Without Coats for Fashion's Sake

Just the other day, my daughter and I had a conversation about Denver parents who don't make their kids wear coats in winter. Believe it or not, there is an epidemic of this behavior in Denver schools. Her kids elementary school teacher actually thanked her for being one of the very few parents who make their kids wear coats. You've got to be kidding me. Who doesn't make their kids wear coats to school?

It's easy to find parents who don't insist their kids wear coats. That's right. You heard me. When we went to pick up the two middle school kids from school, there were hardly any children with coats on. Most of the kids were walking home. I found out that my older grand-kids are actually embarrassed that their Mom makes them wear coats and gloves to school.

It seems that wearing a coat to school in Denver just isn't fashionable. If you wear a coat to school and you're not popular to begin with, the other kids treat you like an outcast. You've got to be kidding me. What are the parents of these kids thinking? I'm so glad my daughter insists the grand-kids wear coats to school. Keeping them in good health is much higher on her priority list than guaranteeing their popularity.

My daughter tells me a friend of my grand-kids recently died from walking pneumonia. It could be a coincidence. Yet, she was one of the kids who refused to wear a coat to school. My daughter frequently witnessed her walking home without a coat in the winter. She even offered the girl her own coat one day. She refused it. True, you don't catch illnesses from going without a coat. Still, if you're already sick, it's a good plan to bundle up. It's no good to get extremely cold and lower your body defenses. A simple cold could develop into a fatal illness for kids with low immune systems.

Admittedly, Denver weather does have it's ups and downs. Some days my grand-kids come home carrying their coats. Sometimes it's warmer in the afternoon than it was in the morning. On the other hand, we have days that begin in the 70's and end with a blizzard. Anyone who has lived in Denver longer than a year knows the weather can go either way. That's why smart parents teach their kids to prepare for it.

Denver parents: Please insist your children wear coats to school. Making allowances for fashion shouldn't compromise their good health.

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