Alternative for mitten refusing toddler?

[SquishSquashSqueeze]

I have a 2 year old with very likely ASD. He loves to be outside, needs to be outside (it totally transforms his mood when he's having a bad day) and a good run around is about the only way to get him to sleep. The problem is, he is absolutely terrified of his mittens. We went to the park today and he was only there 15 minutes (we're usually there for a minimum of an hour) before he was asking to go home and biting his fingers which were absolutely freezing.

Any bright ideas? A hand muff thing is about the only thing that I can come up with, fine when he's sat in the buggy, but no good for when he's actually playing and I'm not convinced I want him with his hands in something when he's walking/running around (he's pretty clumsy!)

My ds (also asd) wouldn't wear mittens but would wear gloves at that age. He liked ones that were elasticated and clung to his fingers (which is how he's always liked his clothes). Does he have sensory issues? Ds would only wear certain materials.

SIL sent us a set from Primark where the mittens are like dinosaurs with little "teeth" along the side of the thumb and finger part, so that they can open and close their hands to "rar" like a dinosaur. They are the only gloves DS2 (2) will gladly wear. He wears his normal ones at nursery, but I can hardly ever persuade him to wear them unless he's freezing.

I was wondering if it was the material inside. He's just starting to develop issues with fabrics/clothing (he can't stand a fleece blanket touching his feet, anywhere else is fine and will wear socks for hours then all of a sudden out of nowhere they have to come off immediately) and hates anything on his head or around his neck (not even going to bother battling with a hat!)

I've started playing a game with him and I've got him happily putting one finger in, but at this rate he might get a hand in by summer.

I did wonder about woollen gloves with fingers, and thought maybe the fingerless gloves with the things that go over the fingers as mittens.

I'm not sure how warm they are though? His mittens are expensive windproof, waterproof ones with straps to keep them on, and typically I've cut the tags off so can't even return them 🤦‍♀️

My suggestion would be socks, worth a go?
Bertie I love the picture you paint of the wee dino saying Rar, so sweet [heart eyes]

We also had a big fear of shoes and both his warm winter and thin waterproof coats (until he realised that shoes/coats = outside) but this is something else, he was totally hysterical

@FlibbertyGiblets

My suggestion would be socks, worth a go? Bertie I love the picture you paint of the wee dino saying Rar, so sweet [heart eyes]

That's the kind of out of the box thinking I came to MN for! This could work to get him used to the idea of gloves/mittens

Sock puppets

Inside out socks! My DD who has ASD has always had to wear her socks inside out, she can feel the seams on her toes apparently so maybe this will work on hands too?!

Good luck and yes inside out if seams are an issue!

Are normal socks warm enough as gloves?

Could you get a jumper in a size too big and fold the ends over his hands?

I should think anything will be warmer than nothing at all :)

IME they don't really need the super duper all waterproof ones unless they are actually playing in the snow or with water/mud. And even then, if it's snow, normal gloves will be ok for anything under half an hour or so, just not extended periods.

If you can find the socks to suit the sensory issues he might be willing when he's getting chilly to have a pair of mittens put over the top of them maybe?

Neither of my boys (ASD) would tolerate mittens or gloves but they would wear wrist warmers so I made them a pair each and made the hand part long enough so that it covered 90% of their fingers. Having their fingertips free seemed to help them tolerate having the rest of their hands covered.

I used to put socks up to the elbows on Dd2 underneath her coat so she couldn't take them off. She's 4 now and puts her own mittens on before going to school every day, so this was a bit of nostalgia for her sitting in her buggy crying with cold hands

flaps over the end of his sleeves. A bit like the flap on a pillow case, you turn it inside out and it covers the hands. they used to be on the kids all in one coats..
a bit late now, but tights for winter as well, when they are in the pushchair pulling off socks phase.

Ive just ordered these (won't take the tags off until I've tried them this time!) and will try socks in the meantime

www.monsoon.co.uk/jake-fox-stripe-chenille-capped-gloves-multi-91035829.html

@BlackeyedSusan

flaps over the end of his sleeves. A bit like the flap on a pillow case, you turn it inside out and it covers the hands. they used to be on the kids all in one coats.. a bit late now, but tights for winter as well, when they are in the pushchair pulling off socks phase.

I did wonder whether they still did them on snow suits, he's big though, just going into 3-4 year clothing (at just turned 2) so we're missing out on the "toddler" benefits of clothing!

I just have to but I live in the SE, if I was somewhere colder I may have thought differently!

I have the same issue with DD. It would be great if someone could make longer length gloves that went up to the elbow for kids.