to not make my children wear coats

[0utForAWalkBitch]

They're 5 and 3.
I regularly meet up with another mum, she always insists her kids wear coats (hats scarves etc in October...). I ask my kids if they want their coats and if they say no I don't force it. Her kids constantly complain they don't want their coats and ask why they need theirs on if my kids don't have to wear their coats, which leads to her having to try and answer them without offfending me 😂
AIBU to not make them wear coats if they don't want?
You don't actually catch cold from being cold as far as I'm aware, so is there any reason to force it??

[reallyanotherone]

I have this with my friend who INSISTS her children wear slippers at all times indoors.

I think we have the same friend! They even bring the slippers on playdates and insist they wear them in my house.

Personally, i hate this. It makes me think the parent cares more about the child doing what they think is best, than listening to the child. Sounds dramatic but i had that parent who would force me to wear a coat (or not wear one), and to me it said I don’t care if you’re hot i want you to wear it so you will.

Mine never wear them unless it’s really cold. I used to take one with us, but ended up carrying the things round all day so now i don’t bother. My mum is highly disapproving and still thinks I should force them because i know best. No actually, i have no way of telling if me teenagers are cold unless they tell me, which they are more than capable of. I am not just going to override them on how their own body feels.

[3out]

@Raven - how do they lose a shoe?! 😂

DD was put out of school one afternoon, miraculously, she had her coat on. What the teacher had failed to notice though was that she had removed her dress and that she was only wearing a pair of tights and vest underneath. DD just said ‘oops?’ on questioning.

DH rarely wears a coat. I imagine Dubliners are similar to Scots, and don’t seem to feel the cold (except me). We have Swedish friends. One day her dad was out in the car and spotted a man walking up ahead. He said to his mate ‘look at that. What kind of f idiot wears shorts out in the snow?’ As he got closer he realised that the idiot was his Scottish son-in-law...

[isittheholidaysyet]

I gave up on this when I had child number 4. I accepted I had lost the wearing warm clothes argument and life was too short. I carried jumpers/coats/etc for them in case.

In the last couple of years I have realised that DS1(12) is always hot, like his father. He currently wears shorts and Tees all year round, and will wear a coat occasionally if it's very cold. But never a jumper.

My other two DS's are going the same way.

I am always freezing, and well wrapped up. I've been known to wear a fleece poolside, whilst watching swimming lessons!
I think DD is like me. Age 6 she recognises when she is cold and puts on jumpers and coats as needed.

[PumpkinSquash]

You can't force a child to wear a coat. You can take them with you when out, but if they're anything like my eldest he's ALWAYS thrown it off, given it to me to carry, and refuses to wear it! Even from the age of approx 7.
Even if it's nudging zero, he hates wearing a coat and gets warm really easily.
(Must take after me as I'm exactly the same and walk to the shops sometimes in a short sleeved top even if it's snowing.)
Youngest though age 10 always feels the cold and has hat, scarf, jumper, thick coat with hood and still says he's cold!
In other words,every one is different but you'll still get people tutting and telling you they should be wearing a coat! Take one with you in case they need one but then it doesn't matter if they don't want to wear it. As it'll be there if they do decide they need it.