Kids in unsuitable clothes

[buzzkills]

It's getting pretty cold now that we are getting into autumn and I keep noticing young kids (babies, toddlers) not dressed for the weather. The parents are usually dressed for the weather, but the kids are wearing leggings, joggers (the wind goes right through them), open Mary-Jane style shoes, unsuitable jackets (eg not warm or not waterproof), young toddlers with wet legs due to no puddle suit or waterproof trousers.

I can never understand this as the kids must be freezing 🥶. These families are well off so it isn't a money thing.

Anyone else notice this and feel really sorry for the kids?

I think you're overly cautious.

Unless it's pouring down, I'm not wearing my big coats yet and am still wearing leggings. I wouldn't judge kids who are comfy for not being wrapped up for winter in October.

A puddle suit for playing at the park is a bit OTT to me, but then I don't recall being made to wear waterproof trousers etc for playing when I was a child anyway. Waterproof trousers are for heavy days raining when hiking and even then they're a last resort: horrible things.

OP if leggings and joggers are unsuitable for being outdoors in this weather, what exactly should we be putting our dc in?

The joggers my boys live in are pretty warm - too warm sometimes. It depends on the fabric for coats and clothes.

I think it depends where you are. Here( in the South East) it has been about 14 degrees - not too cold for leggings surely?

My 4 year old hates wearing coats and hasn't even worn her school jumper yet this term just goes in a polo shirt! I don't feel like it's terrible parenting to agree to that if she is warm enough? I send her in with the coat and jumper in her bag.

She also won't wear jeans or thick trousers as she has some sensory difficulties so lives in leggings.

I think YABU

My younget is in shorts at the weekend, and walks to school in shirt sleeves.
Yes, he takes a jumper and coat with him, but I'm not about to force him to wear them. He can choose when he's too cold.

If I'd put DD in a snowsuit as a baby she'd have expired with heat. Even now she's a hot little thing, usually wakes up sweaty even in the dead of winter. So YABU. People react differently to heat and cold.

How do you know these people are well off?

My DS has the joggers with the fleecy lining in winter, I can't think those are too cold Children run around whilst parents are standing hence the difference in clothing needed. My DS never wears a jumper he hates them. He'll wear a vest, long sleeve and coat & coat if needed. Always says "I hot"

If it gets to 3 degrees or lower swears a snow suit. He does have waterproof trousers, but he only wears them if we walk in absolutely poring rain, as they make him hot over his existing clothes.

My 4 and 5 year olds are sent to school every morning appropriately dressed. They come out every afternoon in just their polo shirt and pinafore, having discarded every other layer. They walk home like that, and resist any attempt to get them to put their cardigans/coats on. 4 year old even takes her tights off most days!
Unless obviously negligent, why don’t you worry about what your children are wearing and let other people worry about theirs?

My 7 year old has pretty much refused to wear anything but leggings since well before she was 2.

What can I do?

Oh and I got a judges comment yesterday as my 9 month old has no socks on.
Seriously if she wants to put them back on every 30 seconds as he takes them off and throws them on the floor, she’s more than welcome.

Never owned a puddle suit. Part of the fun is getting wet and muddy. Also my girls wear tights pretty much all winter, they have survived so far. Stop being so judgy.

You haven't seen DD tantrum at putting a coat on.. her puddle suit is even worse I persevere but I'm not sure how long I can put up with the fight!

You can get thermal leggings and joggers can be surprisingly warm, OP.

One of my kids is like a puddle seeking missile. No, I don't put waterproof trousers/a puddle suit on him every time he steps out of the door. Puddle suits can restrict play plus can actually make kids cold when they sweat in them when playing.
The only time he wears waterproof trousers is when he is in the woods. And that's only to cut down on the amount of mud that goes through my washing machine. Nothings going to keep him dry when he stands on the banks of the stream and jumps in.

Would you want to be wrapped head to toe in restrictive clothing which stops you from getting busy?

Well I was sat on the beach yesterday in a coat and scarf drinking hot coffee while my boys swam in the nude!!

I’m on the fence. I have a hot child and I don’t force her to put her coat in etc although she has been wearing it for the last few days. Her non school uniform ward robe is a bit summery, and she’s mainly in dresses and tights occasionally sleeveless dresses with a cardigan.

She’s a year older than last year and needs everything new which is pricey (we are “well off” but I’m on mat leave so no money coming in)
We’ve obviously prioritised coats, wellies, scarf and hat etc.

We also have a baby. She has all her sisters cast offs, which aren’t quite sync’d as they weren’t born the same month. Sometimes I forget her blanket and worry she’s cold. But aside from that I think she’s generally dressed ok.

I can also see- within reason- how you can have bundled up parents and non bundled children. After all you can feel the cold yourself, you have to guess with a small baby and any amount of disorganisation can make that go wrong.

@SoyDora
I ended up putting my DS in tights under his trousers because he kept pulling his socks off in winter.
It kept his toes warm but I did get some judgy comments about putting tights on a boy. You just can’t win with some people.

Dont think I ever bought waterproof trousers for my 2 and they seemed to have survived! Ds wore shorts in his last 2 years of primary school even in the snow and that was his choice. Even now, if they have dress down days at secondary school, he puts on shorts

It’s still October. Many days are as warm here as we have in the middle of summer. It’s a bit early for snow suits just yet.

We live in Yorkshire and I would say it's not that cold yet. I haven't even worn my big winter coat yet. DS is 10 and insists on wearing shorts. He's old enough to make that decision and doesn't seem cold

Dd has ASD and so will only wear leggings, all year round. She won't wear waterproof trousers, puddle suits or the like. If she gets wet and muddy we change when we get home.

You sound ridiculously judgemental.

Perhaps I'm guilty of this in the supermarket.

Baby DD (1) was in a vest and leggings and a hat because I can't put her in her car seat in her snowsuit so she's in a hat and under a blanket in the car. So often a quick dash to get a few things in a long sleeved vest

A supermarket is not that cold is it?

I heard dh scraping our car earlier so must be chilly outside today.

I find it colder in the supermarket sometimes than it is outside, especially in the freezer aisle

I think you’ve got a point when it comes to babies and small toddlers OP.

But not so much with older children, sometimes they’re not wearing the warmer clothes because they aren’t feeling cold enough to need them.

And also I always thought that joggers were one of the warmer sort of trousers? I’ve always discouraged my DC from wearing joggers in the warmer weather because I thought they’d get overheated in them.

Ffs it's autumn, not the middle of winter. Leggings and socks are fine. I literally can't think of a single kid in my group that has rain trousers. In fact, the last time I came across rain trousers was when I was living in a country that used to reach -25 degrees and covered in snow from November till March.