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AIBU?

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Original poster

To insist on coat or blanket from car seat to house with 6 month baby?

145 replies

untitled1 · 02/11/2025 22:00

It’s 7°C outside and DS (6 months) needed to go from house to car, about 20 metres. He was wearing a cotton bodysuit/onesie with no vest underneath.

I thought he needed a coat/blanket and hat even for that short distance, especially as he’s just getting over a chest infection.

DH thought it was fine for such a short trip and that I was being over the top. He took DS out as he was- no hat, no coat, no blanket.

Am I being overprotective? Do babies really need full outdoor clothing for literally 30 seconds outside? Or is it important even for very short distances?

Is this something worth insisting on or am I overthinking it?

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:51

but your dh should be made aware of guidelines op

Ophy83 · 03/11/2025 09:49

I think this one small thing tipped you over the edge when the other issues - what the baby is wearing all day, and what they are being fed - are far more important. The River Cottage baby and toddler cookbook is helpful. Or if your dh won't read books maybe you could find something for him to watch (not that educating him should be your responsibility!!).

Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:49

@EleanorReallyI am main carer

OP posts:
Livelaughlurgy · 03/11/2025 09:49

What does dh wear? I used to make mine take his jacket off in the car so that he'd be wearing the same as the kids. If dh is going around the house in a t-shirt it makes sense that he thinks a vest is fine.

EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:48

who is the main carer?
who stays at home? is it your dh?

Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:47

@Mamabear0202you have three upper layers? DH would hit the roof if I did this, he will not understand baby needs one more layer and just always says temperature is fine. Often puts just get on him indoors and says it’s warm

OP posts:
WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 03/11/2025 09:47

Neither coat nor blanket is necessary for such a small time/distance between two perfectly ok environments. Yabu here.

Also - you don’t know better than your other half, you just have different opinions, neither more valid than the other, you are both the child’s parent.

footnote, both of my kids have made it to adulthood eating solids with gusto from the age of about 6 months. They were hungry, they got given decent food and it wasn’t against guidelines at that time. And nothing bad happened!

EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:47

pick your battles doesnt apply to your dh op.
he is being in an idiot regarding the weaning. as well as the dressing.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/11/2025 09:46

In cold weather, personally I wouldn’t think a cotton onesie with no under layer enough anyway, unless it was thicker than the usual ones.

Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:46

@EleanorReallyim what sense do I need to speak up? I did but seems I was being OTT from most posters!! Or are you referring to my last update? Can you be specific

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:46

just dress him and point out to your dh he is wrong, i dont care about arguing. he needs to be more aware

Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:45

@Ophy83I said coat/blanket which I thought implied either or but sorry if I was misleading

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:45

you need to speak up op

Mamabear0202 · 03/11/2025 09:44

I think you’re being a bit OTT. Baby doesn’t need a coat or blanket for such a short trip; and I wouldn’t lose my mind if my OH did it. I personally would just throw a blanket over baby as takes two seconds but if my OH didn’t, so be it.

But your baby should probably be wearing a vest and onesie at this point. Even you’ve stated how cold it is. My 12 MO is in vest, top, and jumper at the minimum.

Tourmalines · 03/11/2025 09:44

What other things that are worse ?

Ophy83 · 03/11/2025 09:43

Blanket and coat are very different options. If you had a blanket to hand then yes why wouldnt you wrap it round the baby? But putting a coat on a sleeping baby is such a faff and likely to wake them. When you describe the argument you only mention a coat as an option.

Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:42

Another example, yesterday in the house he had him in a short sleeve vest - just that…all morning.

my house is usually 20-22 degrees but I was annoyed so asked why he had no clothes on and his response was it’s fine in here.

now agree I probably need to pick my battles wisely but there’s been other things worse than this that I’ve had to intervene with. Do I just shut up?

OP posts:
Original poster
untitled1 · 03/11/2025 09:32

I want to clarify - we had a blanket right there and a hat that I bought right for this reason!! I didn’t expect him to put the coat on, in my OP I said coat/blanket meaning either or. As in drape the coat around him.

He also regularly doesn’t put a vest on DS, I have to enforce it and despite me asking him to he doesn’t see the point and just says it’s warm enough.

the bigger context is - yes I do micromanage but that’s because he often does things that I believe are not on DS best interest but he is a very strong, assertive type of character so it is VERY difficult parenting with him.

he would never googling things, go to classes etc just thinks because everyone manages to bring up kids he’s not daft so doesn’t need to learn.

Another example, DS is not even seven months yet but keeps feeding him solids doesn’t give bottle in the morning because wants him ok solids asap so he sleeps through the night. I try explaining milk is main source of nutrition until 1 because I have taken time to research but he won’t listen.

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 03/11/2025 09:27

EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:04

i would have thought he should be wearing a vest in all weathers at this age - why wasnt he - out of interest

The OP has answered this, the vest got dirty and they didn’t have a spare. If the OP was stressing about the baby being cold for 20m I think we can assume they were wrapped up warm enough for the rest of the day.

EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:25

i never forgot when dh bought in sleeping dc and plonked them on an upright toddler chair, Sad

Sahara123 · 03/11/2025 09:24

Ratafia · 03/11/2025 08:53

I don't see why your DH thought putting a blanket on your son would have woken him.

Edited

He thought faffing about putting a coat and hat on would wake him? Not a blanket.
Which I agree with, why wake a sleeping baby !

Edenmum2 · 03/11/2025 09:24

You’re being massively overprotective

HAPPILYMARRIEDSINCE2012 · 03/11/2025 09:16

TidyDancer · 02/11/2025 22:28

I think you need to turn this question on yourself. Why did you feel the need to turn it into an argument? Your last line is absolutely correct, it didn’t need to be combative but you made it so but trying to overrule DH when actually he was being very reasonable.

Show quote history

Exactly

EleanorReally · 03/11/2025 09:04

i would have thought he should be wearing a vest in all weathers at this age - why wasnt he - out of interest

ClaredeBear · 03/11/2025 08:59

I seem to be in the minority here but, whereas I can mentally prepare myself for a 20 second nip to the car, a baby doesn’t realise it’s quickly going from 20 - 7 degrees, so I would have popped a blanket over. Of course he won’t get poorly from not having the blanket.