I saw something kind of silly today on my way to work. It was sprinkling slightly with occasional bouts of actual rain. A school bus winds its way around our subdivision and stops at various corners to pick up elementary school children. Today, a big black Hummer was waiting at a usual corner stop. The bus pulled up and two or three children got out of the Hummer and onto the bus. The Hummer then proceeded to drive back home, about 200 feet away. That’s right, not even a full city block’s distance away.
It’s nice that the kids have parents who watch out for them. But this is a little much for me. Kids do not melt in the rain. They don’t get colds from rain (colds are caused by viruses). Kids are pretty resilient and a decent raincoat goes a long way towards eliminating any “threat” from rain exposure. Let the kids stand in the rain a bit.
Standing in the rain will not scar their psyches. It might, however, toughen them up a bit. Might even get them used to uncomfortable or inconvenient situations. My grandma had to walk 2 miles in the rain and snow to attend class in a one room schoolhouse. She’s 86 now and still going strong. A little rain never hurt her. My dad had to walk or bike to school quite a bit in the rain. Never hurt him. I had to stand at the end of a long driveway in the rain waiting for the schoolbus. Never hurt me. So, parents - get over it. Quit trying to protect your kids from the evil, horrible rain. Let them get out there and experience Mother Nature.