So my plan worked…and back fired.

[Soubriquet]

Every morning my kids whine about having to take a coat. “It’s not cold” they complain when I send them off to school.

So this morning, I let them go without a coat in the hopes that they get cold and learn their lesson.

Well ds(7) did. He promises (hah!) not to argue about coats anymore.

Dd(9) on the other hand was perfectly fine. She’s a weirdo though and never seems to feel the cold.

We live in Scotland. We can have 4 seasons of weather in one day. Kids here always take their coats! If they dont, it's a mistake they only make once.

How hard is it to just put a coat through the straps of their backpack just in case.

Could the coat just live in her bag?

Ah not hard for me. I don’t walk them to school anymore cos of illness. A friend does it for me so I’m not gonna burden her with complaints about coats. Which dd would do if she was forced to carry it.

But like I said, half the battle won

And I bet your friend has to listen to her whinge if it starts pouring with rain and she doesn't have a coat. You really don't want to be that parent who sends their kid out with another parent without appropriate clothes.

See this thread;
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4235697-To-have-left-this-child-behind-because-of-their-inappropriate-for-the-weather-clothes

Pretty unanimous opinion about the parent allowing their kid to behave like that.

It’s a 15 minute walk…not the end of the world.

I know ds will now take a coat when I say. Dd will eventually learn

It wasn't cold today? I didn't take my coat.

wait until theyre teens. It's a battle I gave up a long time ago.

Yeah it’s why I’m “giving” up now. They will learn or won’t. If they know now I won’t argue with them about it and they will suffer the consequences, next time I say “take your coat it will be cold” they might actually listen

I saw a gentleman of retired appearance standing at the bus stop this morning. Woolly hat, jumper, kagoule... and shorts.

He did rather look as though he was already regretting his decision!

That could have described me as a teen though. As long as my top half was warm, I could wear skirts in winter!

Surely it depends where you are! It was cold and windy here today so I needed gloves

It's been outing down and windy here today! Pretty stormy - you'd def need a coat!

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's not like the whole of the UK is just one temperature.

OP, I'm down South and it's been very mild but rainy. If your child doesn't feel the cold, could you just roll up a rain mac and stick it in their bag?

I don't think my son ever wore his coat. Even in snow. Oh wait he was forced to once because it was a school trip. And I've never seen ANY secondary schoolchild wear one!

Sometimes I don’t wear a coat 🤫

That’s actually a good idea. Thank you

Body warmers are good for coat hating children.

I doubt your dcs are goi g to moan at your friend the way they do with you though.

My dcs we’re the same. I had a rule that I’d the temperature was below 12oC, then they had to have a coat. Many moans. I was to,d there was no point because no one was ever wearing one at break time. Well they still took it. And now as teens/younger adults take a cost when they go out…