|
Post by kellybelly77 on Feb 5, 2016 17:16:19 GMT
I long ago gave up that fight! I figure they are old enough to know its cold and old enough to grab a coat. I have a freaking thermometer thingy right on the cabinet by the door to the garage. One glance and they know the temp. Today 14 to dd got on the bus in knee length yoga pants, a 3/4 length sleeve t shirt and converse. It was about 30. Middle dd got on the bus in a short sleeve t shirt and jeans.
The only one who wears a coat is toddler dd and that's because I put it on her!!
Dh doesn't even wear a coat in the winter here in the Midwest. He is from Cali and never even owned a coat until he moved here. It's just not in his DNA to wear one.
|
|
|
Post by Bitchy Rich on Feb 5, 2016 17:18:42 GMT
I just don't get not wearing a coat. Those kids NEVER look cool, they always look miserable.
|
|
|
Post by melanell on Feb 5, 2016 17:26:09 GMT
I just don't get not wearing a coat. Those kids NEVER look cool, they always look miserable. I think some kids just aren't cold and they look fine. I always thought of myself as someone who was warm most of the time, even as a child, but then I had a friend who moved to PA from Alaska and she had me beat for sure. Days when even in a coat and hat and gloves I felt cold, she'd be wearing a light sweatshirt and feel fine. I was the miserable one, and I was "dressed for the weather". Cold is relative.
|
|
|
Post by debmast on Feb 5, 2016 17:29:20 GMT
Nope. But we live in Houston. Most of the time they never need an actual coat.
I would make them take a hoodie or something when they were little. They are now 15 and 19. Old enough to know if it's cold. If they choose not to take one, that's on them
|
|
tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
Jun 27, 2014 18:32:45 GMT
|
Post by tduby1 on Feb 5, 2016 17:30:22 GMT
I did until 7th grade, at which time, each was told, "wear a coat or freeze, I don't care."-- in response to the oldest two's hatred of coats. We are in Michigan, it is cold! Oldest DS never did. However, mid way through 8th grade year he went to DC in Dec with his class and as they were going to spend a lot of time touring outside on foot we insisted he take a cost and bought him a nice wool one. Everyone went gaga over it. In the tenth grade he bought a wool pea coat and again, everyone loved it. Now he almost always wears one or the other.
Dd was so excited to ditch the coat in 7th grade, which was also a brutal winter. 3 weeks in she asked to go shopping for a coat. She isn't real faithful about wearing one now (10th grade) however she did have a wake up call a few weeks ago when her brother put the car in the ditch on an icy road while taking her to dance. She had on dance shorts, a dance tank and no coat! Luckily we were able to get to them within 10 minutes but she's been a pretty faithful coat AND appropriate clothing for the weather wearer since.
youngest DS is in the 8th grade and he happily puts his coat on every morning.
|
|
|
Post by rainangel on Feb 5, 2016 17:32:36 GMT
I live in a place that gets very cold winters. Add to that a temperamental coastal climate with lots of wind and rain. We currently have snow, icy cold winds and hail. It has NEVER even been a discussion about wearing coats. The same way there has never been a discussion about brushing their teeth, og wearing shoes. The people who works at their daycare or school has the same instinct as me about clothing. You wear clothing appropiate to the weather. Period. Norwegians are also very fond of being outdoors in all types of weather, and we have an expression that gets used all the time that says 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing' (only it rhymes in Norwegian). The amount of clothes the kids have hanging in the hallway at their school is pretty big. They have extra raingear, rainboots, wintercoats, bag with extra underwear, socks and wooly undershirts in case they get very wet in the rain and need to change their clothes. I cannot even fathom how an adult at the school would let a child outside to play in a t-shirt and shorts in that kind of weather. But there might be a LOT more to this story than what we know. Maybe she didn't even go to the school, but ran out to play on her own. Maybe the parents clothed her properly, and the kid took them off on the playground when her parents couldn't see her. We just don't know. To be fair; the SECOND my kids come home they tear off ALL of their clothes and spend the afternoon/night only wearing their underwear I was apparantly the same as a kid. I was thoroughly padded in layers and layers of clothing while outside, and practically naked when inside.
|
|
|
Post by compwalla on Feb 5, 2016 17:34:29 GMT
Nope. We check the weather every morning and I strongly suggest appropriate clothing but if they choose not to listen, suck it up, buttercup. Mostly they do listen and this is the result of not taking my advice in the past. If my son comes out in the morning with long pants and a sweatshirt and it's supposed to be 90, I tell him he maybe should re-think that. It only takes a couple of times of either sweating like a pig on the bus home or freezing his balls off on the playground to realize he maybe should listen to his mom.
|
|
|
Post by jeremysgirl on Feb 5, 2016 17:36:25 GMT
I believe in learning by natural consequences. This is one battle I do not fight. I let them choose how to dress, as long as everything is properly covered.
|
|
|
Post by Darcy Collins on Feb 5, 2016 18:00:10 GMT
I am a California girl who found herself in snow country with little ones. My poor, poor son was bundled up like that kid on a Christmas Story during his preschool years. I remember not once, but TWICE the kid threw up in his car seat on the way to school - now I realize the poor thing was over heating. He runs HOT. I spent most of elementary school at the lost and found collecting jackets, hoodies, hats and mittens that he'd been forced to wear outside for recess that he promptly took off and left on the playground. It was 20 degrees yesterday morning and he went to school in shorts and short sleeve polo (it would have been a T-shirt if his school allowed them). He left carrying his fleece lined hoodie (what he calls a winter jacket). Our rule is that you have to have something warm with you in the event of the car breaking down (we have supplies in our car, but we carpool) to and from school. He's not going to get frostbite walking the 5 feet into the classroom. Unfortunately they get about 15 minutes outside all day long - he'll run around like an idiot and won't be cold, and if he his, he can go inside. He owns a proper snow jacket that he will wear to play in the snow or snowboard/ski only because it keeps him dry. Usually he's wearing the thinnest shirt he owns underneath and sweats anyway. It has absolutely nothing to do with being "cool" he could care less what he looks like, he's just hot.
|
|
Country Ham
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,313
Jun 25, 2014 19:32:08 GMT
|
Post by Country Ham on Feb 5, 2016 18:12:20 GMT
My daughter inherited my warm nature. I don't like heavy clothing at all. I am constantly hearing "aren't you cold" and I offer up my arm and stuff for people to touch and see that I am not cold. My son wears shorts as long as it's not actually snowing. Both kids shove hoodies into their backpacks in case it rains or gets too cold.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 6, 2024 15:56:13 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 18:13:35 GMT
Until fairly recently, yes, I made him. But he's almost 8 now and sometimes the best way to learn is the hard way, like making the choice not to take a coat on a day when rain is in the forecast and you get soaked walking home.
Yeah, being in shorts and a t-shirt in 23 degree wind chill sounds miserable to me, but she's not going to get frostbite or hypothermia in very short order, especially when she's exerting herself. If she were my child, I'd monitor her and would let her make her own decisions.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 6, 2024 15:56:13 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2016 18:17:57 GMT
I have my limits. If it's below freezing and windy, I make them wear their winter coat. The rest of the time, I suggest a coat or jacket and insist on gloves. One hates his coat and will wear his jacket anytime I let him. I tell him to at least wear gloves. If he wants to freeze, that's on him. By high school, I believe they know when they're cold and when they're not.
It's not a hill worth dying on.
|
|
|
Post by marysue63 on Feb 5, 2016 18:30:06 GMT
When I was in second grade our teacher insisted that we wear a coat if it was under 60 degrees outside. I swear every since then (over 40 years) I've always used that as an indicated about wearing a coat for myself. And I taught my DD the same thing. During elementary school she had to follow that rule, now that she is in high school she gets to decide for herself but I do see her checking the thermometer some mornings.
|
|
|
Post by ilikepink on Feb 5, 2016 18:37:56 GMT
I tried, heaven knows I tried. Somewhere around 4th/5th grade, I just gave up. At that point, they were old enough to know it was cold outside. It wasn't that long a walk/drive to school so we weren't likely to get stranded. If they wanted to play in the snow, that required jacket/hat/gloves. I don't think any of their friends (all boys) wore jackets. Wear the coat or be cold, and if you are cold I don't want to hear about it. Several times I did say, your mother is cold - put a jacket on!
Living in GA now, I wore my warmest jacket once in 5 years. I did notice last week while driving to work - it was cold, 37ish?, a young boy, maybe 3rd grade, and I assume his sister, walking to school (I pass them frequently), she was bundled up, and he was wearing shorts and school uniform shirt. A few days later, 53ish degrees, and they were both bundled up. Go figure.
Sometimes you have to pick your battles.
|
|
tanya2
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1604
Posts: 4,422
Jun 27, 2014 2:27:09 GMT
|
Post by tanya2 on Feb 5, 2016 18:40:13 GMT
well now "make" is a strong word LOL. My dd is 16 - and therefore knows everything (just ask her, she'll tell you!) - so no there is no "making" her do much of anything. But yes I strongly suggest that she dress weather appropriately. Whether it happens or not is another story
|
|
|
Post by gmcwife1 on Feb 5, 2016 18:43:22 GMT
Make, no, suggest, yes.
My kids all have different internal body temperatures so I trust them to make the decision of when they need a coat or not. None of them dress way outside the norms of what the weather is though. None of them wear shorts in the snow or coats when it's 80+ so I'm fairly confident in their clothing decisions.
|
|
cakediva
Drama Llama
Making the world a sweeter place one cake at a time!
Posts: 7,427
Location: Fergus, Ontario
Member is Online
Jun 26, 2014 11:53:40 GMT
|
Post by cakediva on Feb 5, 2016 18:54:24 GMT
DS is 14 (almost 15) and a furnace. Unless it is insane snowing and cold out, he'll start out in pants in the morning, but by end of day is in shorts. Mostly because he's had basketball practice, and is extra warm from working out.
But today, I'm wearing a winter coat, and because he's just played basketball, he's in his t-shirt.
I'm not going to force him, he knows his cold tolerance.
But when they were little? Ya, there was some enforcement going on!
|
|
|
Post by SallyPA on Feb 5, 2016 19:39:04 GMT
This is funny to me- I thought my kids were the only ones that do not like to wear a coat! Unless they are skiing or it below zero, they do not wear their winter coats. They prefer underarmour hoodies or a similar lighter type jacket.
|
|
|
Post by Yubon Peatlejuice on Feb 5, 2016 20:05:21 GMT
No, we don't wear coats unless it is rainy, really windy, or below 30 degrees. This is MIchigan for petes sake.
I saw a funny meme on Facebook. It was a pie chart called "why I make my kid wear a coat". 1% of the pie was "so he doesn't feel cold", 1% was "so he doesn't catch a cold" and the other 98% was "so the school doesn't call CPS". That about sums it up for me.
|
|
|
Post by nnnsmom on Feb 5, 2016 20:09:13 GMT
I gave up on coats years ago. My boys wear hoodies when they are cold. When they are cold and when I'm cold differ by about 30 degrees! I could be wearing a long sweater and scarf and they'll be wearing shorts. Ha!
|
|
Grom Pea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,944
Jun 27, 2014 0:21:07 GMT
|
Post by Grom Pea on Feb 5, 2016 20:54:56 GMT
Gosh this is making me wonder if i should suffer through the tantrums that a coat/hoodie creates in my 3 year old ds who is on the spectrum. Dh insists he should wear a coat but half the time i don't even wear a coat because we live in San Diego. My latest plan was to find the hoodie version of his favorite lego movie Emmet t shirt which i just saw on amazon, as i guess bat man is not cool enough to make him want to wear sleeves.
|
|
|
Post by just PEAchy on Feb 5, 2016 20:59:01 GMT
I've never had that problem with my kids. They are teenagers now and wear their coats to school (North Face Denalis, so not big parkas, lol), but I don't recall it being a problem when they were younger either.
|
|
|
Post by Merge on Feb 5, 2016 21:07:28 GMT
I'm convinced that tweens and teens are impervious to cold. I have not been able to get either of mine to wear a coat since they started 6th grade - even in colder climates like our trip to NYC last winter. It was 32 degrees out this morning and my youngest stood in the school courtyard in a hoodie. Many of the other kids wore only their t-shirt and jeans. I see them at the bus stop in shorts and knee-length skirts in this weather, too.
I remember having a major throwdown with my oldest in 6th grade because she had asked for (and received) a fairly expensive new winter coat, and then refused to wear it all winter, even on the coldest days. It's SE Texas and I get that we don't get much use out of our heavy coats, but I think when it's below 40 she can put that sucker on since she asked for it.
The following year that coat was outgrown, so I bought (at her request) another one, which she swore she would wear. Nope. Hung in the closet all winter.
I haven't bought her a heavy coat since then. She wanted one for New York last year. I asked her if she was realistically going to wear it, and she agreed that she probably wouldn't, so no new coat. We're going to Paris and Amsterdam in March this year, and she started making noises last week about maybe needing a coat. I just gave her a look. The one from 7th grade still fits, is still in style and has literally never been worn. If she's cold, she can wear that one.
|
|
|
Post by Delta Dawn on Feb 5, 2016 21:27:30 GMT
I just don't get not wearing a coat. Those kids NEVER look cool, they always look miserable. I know right??? Field trip and it was freaking cold that day. We were out at the pumpkin patch and we had a cold snap. Even cold for here! I can't put the coat on the kid with force because I will be seen as worst mother ever. Then who lets there kid go out on a field trip in a polar fleece jacket? Apparently I did. He was the easiest teenager ever. EVER. But as a young child I swear this was revenge for what I put my mom through.
|
|
|
Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Feb 5, 2016 21:38:48 GMT
Wearing shorts is like wearing a dress without tights.
I did make my kids wear coats until they were teenagers and knew if they were warm. My daughter has always known how to dress because of her asthma she has learned what works for her. She has all kinds of coats from hoodies clear up to the heaviest winter coat. She layers and can go any where in a day and be weather appropriate. We always made sure she had the coats she needed every year when she was small and as she got older she started choosing her own. And the Jungle thingie is called a jungle gym so you were close. I loved playing on those jungle gyms when I was a kid and we would get really hot and take off our coats and the either put them on the ground or have some one in line hold it. So you might have seen the kid she she was playing without her coat but she could have had it there with her.
I hardly ever where a coat. I am usually so hot all the time I just wear a hoody but a couple weeks ago I started a new pill and I have froze since. and I pulled out my heavy winter coat and started wearing it. I have worn sweats around the house instead of shorts.
|
|
tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,368
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
|
Post by tincin on Feb 5, 2016 22:29:02 GMT
Probably till about 4th or 5th grade. At that point, they were old enough to be cold if they wanted to be cold. They both survived.
|
|
|
Post by AussieMeg on Feb 5, 2016 22:45:53 GMT
Both of my children refused to wear track pants and jackets to school in winter on PE days, they'd both wear shorts and t-shirts. Hardly any kids wear long pants and jackets at school, even in winter. Some parents make their kids wear long stuff but the kids take it off as soon as they get to school LOL! Personally I think they're crazy. But the way I figure, my kids are old enough to know whether they're cold or not. I do make them pack a jacket though, just in case.
Our winters are cold IMO, but we don't have snow so it's not as cold as some places in the US get. The temperature in winter ranges from about 12 C (54 F) to 17 C (62 F) in my state. Sometimes a bit colder. As far as I'm concerned that is DEFINITELY cold jacket weather.
|
|
J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
|
Post by J u l e e on Feb 5, 2016 22:47:12 GMT
I have never engaged in this battle. My daughter wears shorts and a hoodie 95% of the year (in Ohio). And not to be cool. She actually hates to look cool. And she knows if she's cold or not. I don't understand how we think it's possible to decide how someone else feels. I want her to listen to her own body and trust herself to make decisions for herself, not because I'm telling her how she feels. And I really don't want the kid who does what I decide for her only to have her change clothes and toss the coat once she's out of my range.
|
|