Anyone else's child still wearing shorts?

[BooksAreSaferThanPeople]

It's currently -2 where I am and DS10 has gone to school in his usual shorts. I tried to convince him otherwise but he was having none of it. He did admit on the way to school that his legs were a "bit chilly". He also refused to do up his coat or school fleece so only his polo shirt was protecting his chest from the cold.

Anyone else got a little oddball who is immune to the cold?

You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

DS2 age 5 - I successfully got him in a jacket yesterday and he wanted gloves today. But not up for swapping into trousers.

DS1 age 11 - feels the cold only parts with trousers and winter coat at 20deg plus.

I've given up fighting pointless fights over too hot or too cold clothing. They both have access to clothes to suit all seasons.

I don't know why people have an issue with allowing DC to wear shirts if that's what they want to wear. At the DC's school, the boys have to wear shorts all year until year 6 and it doesn't cause any issues.

@Holis
I actually think its a woman thing. Generally speaking women feel colder than men, women look at kids and think, they must be cold!

I also think there is an element of women feel it reflects on them as a mum - has that kid not got suitable clothing - either through neglect, fashion or financial circumstances.

My LO hates being bundled up.
When he was 2/3 he'd wear a hand me down jacket that had been kept as a spare for playing in. It was completely wrecked meanwhile his new jacket hung pristine in the cupboard.

First parents night in October last year over the phone cause of covid, teacher asked very awkwardly 'Is there a jacket he could have?' The answer was yes its in his bag because he won't put it on.

I can provide suitable clothes for both kids, I cannot make them wear them.

You and your child perceive cold differently. It is fairly well-established: www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/parenting/kids-babies-cold.html. Children tend to be more active than adults, and they also have higher levels of brown fat which plays an important role in keeping them warm. Your comfortable ‘well-wrapped-up’ is likely to be stiflingly uncomfortable for an active child.

Besides, much of the UK is really not that cold. It is rare to have daytime temperatures below freezing, especially in most of England and Wales.

You can’t just… make science up..

My ds10 is the same. In his shorts and polo shirt. I have insisted he takes his jumper in his bag but I doubt he’ll wear it. He walks to school with a friend and he did do his coat up at least. It’s -3 here and snow. He’s always been the same. I used to insist on him wearing trousers but gave up in about year 4. He’s year 6
now, if he wants cold legs it’s up to him. The little weirdo. I meanwhile am in about ten layers and still cold!

Wearing school shorts in winter is pretty common in primary schools in the uk.

My eldest wore shorts until yr7 secondary insisted on trousers. The school did change this by the time he got to yr10.

My youngest wears shorts in the snow 🤣 but they are allowed to wear under armour under their shorts. Which is handy on icy days they have to do PE on frozen grass in a t shirt!

Beyond a certain age, you can’t make them wear what they don’t want to.
I was much the same as a teen/early 20s. I remember going out on freezing snowy nights as a student, very short thin dress, no layers underneath, sheer tights, heels, short, unlined leather coat. Didn’t feel it, wasn’t bothered.

Any Geordies here? On visits to a dd at Newcastle uni we were 😱to see the local yoof out on bitter winter nights in just skimpy little dresses, boys in short sleeved shirts - no coats or jackets - because apparently it was too much faff to leave them at club cloakrooms.
Hardy Viking stock!

As someone once said, you know you’re properly grown up when you wrap up warm without your mother telling you to.

No problem getting ds to wear trousers it's wearing a hat in minus temperatures or a cap in the height of summer that he refuses.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER the certain age in this house was about 2!

I'd have his jacket on him and in the seconds to took to get mine on his would be off again. He mastered the art of dropping shoulders and letting the jacket slide down, then stepping out of it.

I don't see those things as different, and wearing shorts in this weather does invite illness, which, as someone pointed out, is about the body wasting energy. When you're cold, you're more easily sick, cos you're weaker, it's not that the cold makes you sick. It's a moderating factor. Why would you want the risk to increase for your child. But sure hon, whatever makes you feel better. I don't think you wrote here to actually ask aibu, so no reason to talk any further.

Geordies?

"Forecast's minus 1 - better get out the thicker T-shirt"

Our PE teachers are still in shirts teamed with fleece jackets and woolly socks. I think they do it for a bet though.

I've been heavily into DIY lately and it's only this week I've swapped my shorts for leggings. This week's temperature drop has shivered my timbers!

*shorts!!!

Not shirts! 🤦‍♀️

There are probably subtle aspects in the brain/body connection that have an effect on immune system function.

But simply being cold has none

Winter virus season is down to optimal conditions for the microbes to live outside the body, plus tendency to congregate indoors rather than outdoors. Not because humans find the weather cold.

Lots at my daughter’s primary school…and also one teacher (who is not the PE teacher)

Hi @BooksAreSaferThanPeople yup, I have a child like that (and love the username!). He's had to have a term of trousers in Y7 this year and changes the minute he gets home. He's worn shorts all today, indoors and outdoors. At primary school he didn't own any trousers, and I gave up buying any as he'd grow out of them before he'd worn them. People did used to say 'oh, that poor boy, in his shorts!' in January or whenever, but I made it clear it was his choice. Some of the other parents at primary tried to tell me shorts were only allowed April / May to October at school but I rechecked the rules and there was nothing saying that. Some of his classmates then started wearing shorts all year round too, so I think really those parents were just annoyed that what they were telling their kids (you can't wear shorts, the school don't allow it!) wasn't true ;-)

Yep! I just let him get on with it I know he'll ask for his coat when he wants it!

Yes! My I can usually get school trousers on my 5 yr, think he's too sleepy to care, but every other outfit is shorts. Sometimes he'll wear leggings under the shorts for football.

My 7 year old no chance, he's in shorts for school and leisure and thinks a tracksuit zipper is a winter jacket. And once I get the extra layers on him he whines about how uncomfortable he is for the whole trip, wahhh!

Another one in shorts here. Ds11. It's snowing here and he went out the front in shorts to play football. Still got school shorts on. He doesn't own school trousers. But when he goes up to high school next year he will as shorts are for primary school.

I've got a ds19 though who is the polar (ha!) opposite. He has eleventy million layers on in mid summer and has asked for new long thermals. He wears a hat constantly.

There are lots of boys at DS's school who wear shorts all year. DS always comes out trailing his coat behind him - they just don't feel the cold the way adults do. I (fondly) remember being like that.