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 must admit I judge too. Not about puddle suits I’ve never bought one of those for either of my kids and they are fine! But I hate hate hate seeing parents in coats and kids not when it’s freezing! I don’t care if they refused, when it’s that cold they shouldn’t have a choice. Another one is babies with no shoes or socks on when it’s freezing! If my feet are cold in trainers and socks your poor stationary baby is even colder. Poor children!

I try not to judge other people’s parenting decisions but I have a deep hatred of people not putting socks or shoes on their babies. I just feel so sorry for them having their poor little feet bare- they must be frozen. There was a baby today at the train station in his pram and he had no blankets or cover on it and his feet were all mottled with the cold. I now feel guilty for not saying anything at the time especially since his mother was bundled up like she was in Siberia

2girlsandagap I put my 9 month old baby’s socks back on 6 times on the school run yesterday. 6 times he pulled them off and threw them on the floor. I then put 2 pairs on together to see if that helped and he pulled both pairs off. In fact I often find socks on the school run that he’s thrown on the floor the previous day!

But what would you have said 2girls?

She’s hardly going to say you are right and whip out a pair of socks is she?

When someone commented on DS’s lack of socks I said (with a pleasant smile) ‘you’re more than welcome to follow me around putting them back on his feet for me if you’d like to’

@soydora That’s understandable- my kids both were buggers for ditching their socks and sometimes shoes as well but to have your baby strapped in a stationary pram with no raincover in the rain at a very windy station with no visible blankets/ footmuff and not to even make an effort to cover them is a bit too much.

I hate seeing kids bundled up as if for the Arctic when it’s 12 degrees. They get hot running about and if stuff gets muddy it can be washed. In rural Lincolnshire (where I am) at the moment it’s really not cold. Parents might get cold standing around watching 8 year olds bombing around top speed, but my daughter and her friends are ripping off layers having a whale of a time.

I can’t stand seeing poor little babies and toddlers with their bright red little faces as they overheat, zipped into ‘polar expedition’ suits to go around the shops.

We all judge, don’t we, OP?

In my experience, kids whinge excessively when they are cold, wet or uncomfortable. If the kids are paying happily the they are probably fine!

We didn't have thermal clothing or waterproof suits when I was small so I suspect kids are more robust than you are giving them credit for.

@MrsGrindah I honestly don’t know, probably just would have said oh he’s lost his socks, his feet must be freezing.
Maybe he’d took them off and she didn’t notice but he looked really cold.

Surely it’s common sense that if your baby pulls their socks off in winter you put on a onesie? Some people are just thick

This reminds me of the older man who thought it appropriate to scream at me in the middle of the street about why DS (who was nearly 3 at the time) only had a hoody on and no hat and I had a coat on with my hood up. He was so aggressive.

It was only the middle of September and bloody warm! I only had my hood up because I'd just done my hair and didn't want it to be blown around. I pointed out to him that DS had a full head of hair to kept his head warm and that HE should be wearing a hat to keep his bald head warm.

We were on our way to the park where DS promptly removed said hoody and shoes, to join all of the other T-shirt clad, shoeless children in the sand pit

My 11 year old left the house today in just a t-shirt on his top half (coat under his arm).

He refuses to wear a jumper and only wears a coat if it's raining or really cold. He also hates hot summer days (as do I, so I get it) so I think he's just wired differently.

I'm sure people must think we don't look after him properly as it makes you feel cold just looking at him sometimes! But I figure at his age, It's his decision. As long as he has a coat with him, just in case.

My 5 year old daughter wears shorts all year round. She has sensory issues and simply will not wear trousers. I get people judge me all the time but it's not as simple as make her wear trousers! It's got nothing to do with me not being able to afford winter clothes, she won't wear jumpers either!!! Only certain coats, it's a nightmare.

My baby runs hot! I always worry people are judging me for not wrapping him up more but he just gets really pink and sweaty! If the baby is not crying then I think you're being a bit daft! There's so many things new mums worry about, do you really think we should be worrying about our babies looking warm rather than actually being comfortable?

Both of mine won't wear anything but pants to bed (boy, girl, 12 ,7), son refuses a coat. And I've watched my daughter walk into her class, take off her coat, then cardigan, where it stays all day until home time, when it gets stuffed in her bag, she wears it for about 30 mins a day. And leggings and joggers are really comfy and practical, have you tried them? My kids are always moving too so don't feel the cold, unlike some people who are obviously standing still watching what everyone else is up to.
Sorry but you do sound very judgy and perfect parenty (!) . You look after your own and we'll look after ours 👍

Yeah I’m just thick.

Unless it's below double figures and blowing a Gail or chucking it down, I do not judge.

It's none of your business how other children are dressed, OP, unless there are obvious signs of neglect. Get a life!

gale not Gail, obviously!

It's rare that I think posters are being overly judgmental but you really are

Ha! The word judgemental seems to sum up most of mumsnet posts which often consist of 'my 'friend' has made a decision that I wouldn't, come massacre her personality with me.'

It’s still mild in the south east. I get more concerned when I see children out with too many clothes on, bundled up like the Michelin man, probably sweating away.

Of course in the Winter snow suits and the like are a good idea - my 11 month old has never worn one as even though we were gifted a few, it was never cold enough. They are in heated houses, heated cars etc. When we go out in the pram, DC has a footmuff which is more than enough.

All of his peers take their socks off routinely, so you may start with good intentions, but after repeating the on off rigmarole a few times and then reasoning it’s still double figures, you relax a bit I find.

I plan to make sure we are waterproof though when DC is older and toddling outside of course. Common sense.

My DD wears leggings year round, as do I, cos they’re perfectly warm? We live in the NE and it’s hardly the Arctic at the moment- vest, leggings, jumper, trainers and jacket seems perfectly reasonable. No idea what a puddle suit is.

My son is 10 and has sensory issues, when he was a baby he hated socks, shoes and big coats.
He would wear a padded Gilet with jumper or hoody. He has never worn gloves, hat or scarf.

The amount of old biddies that would say "ooh he'll catch his death" "why hasn't he got socks on" " he must be freezing"
I once handed him to a woman in M&S in the chiller aisle because she said "you poor thing, no socks on and only a t-shirt"
I got him out the trolley, held him up to her and said "Good Luck, love.. if you can make him wear them you're a better woman than me" lol.. she didn't know what to say!! Her face was a picture.

When my eldest was 1-2 I used to put tights on underneath leggings, you'd never know that from looking at her though, she hated coats of all kinds and still does, trying to put hats and gloves on her was like wrestling an eel. She would soon let me know if she was cold. We do have a puddlesuit that we only ever use if it's snowing (rare for where we are in the UK) or if we decide to go to the park in the rain. I think unless a child is visibly freezing cold and crying with discomfort, we have to trust that the parent knows their child best.

Where are you that it's so cold?
At my school in London at least half the boys are still in shorts and the girls in socks not tights. It's really not cold enough for proper winter clothing yet, still well into double figures.
I have never heard of a puddle suit btw, although I have 3 boys. Was a battle to get them to wear anything warmer than a hoody. Am off to Google puddle suits now!

I see, looks like they're quite a thing now, marketed by Joules, Boden etc.