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Original poster

Children freezing in buggies

306 replies

goody2shooz · 27/12/2017 15:31

Would you sit outside on a chair for an hour in the current weather, wearing leggings and a mid thigh-length jacket, no hat, gloves or blanket? No? Thought not - so why do so many people keep putting children in buggies without enough proper warm clothes/blanket etc!!?? Just been for a walk today in 1degree cold weather, wind chill makes it feel like -4. Came across a granmother standing chatting to two friends. All dressed in gloves, hats and parka types COATS cos of the cold weather. Little tot in pushchair facing into the cold wind wearing leggings and a jacket. Her little hands looked frozen- like the rest of her. I said (nicely)to the woman that the lo looked v chilly. Was ignored. tried again and was ignored. Wibu to mention anything? I am amazed that so many people seem unaware that a small person sitting still in a buggy needs more layers under and over them than the person keeping warm pushing the buggy. I feel so bad for these tots i keep seeing with pinched faces and blue hands. :(

OP posts:
BlurryFace · 27/12/2017 16:05

cantusethatname, that is different. You can pin a child and slather them in sunscreen and it is done, they can't take it off. Gloves and hats and shoes get taken off and thrown and cried about every single time you try and put them back on.

Aragog · 27/12/2017 16:05

I'd have rolled my eyes at you and politely told you that Dd was fine. If you'd continued I would have ignored you.

Dd was never one to feel the cold, even when small. I bought no end of warm gloves, hats, blankets, you name it. To no avail. She just wasn't interested. I wasn't going to force her into it; it wasn't a battle I needed to win. If she was cold she'd have let me know.

As a teen she is much the same. But then so is my dad. They just don't really feel the extremes of heat. They both like really warm weather too.

RupertsMum2 · 27/12/2017 16:06

We are a cold blooded lot. My boys need loads of layers and still complain. My niece and nephews, on the other hand, will wander about in next to nothing and just don't feel the cold at all. I could last more than an hour in their house or I'd freeze. They have always been the same.

reallyanotherone · 27/12/2017 16:06

I have a “hot” child. When she was born i layered her up to take her out, like you’re supposed to. She’d cry and cry and cry until i eventually tried stripping a layer, because it was the only thing i hadn’t tried. They crying got less, so i took off another layer, then another. Until i was walking round a shopping centre in december, with a baby in nothing but a vest blissfully asleep like she was sunbathing.

She’s a teenager now and very rarely wears a coat. Her choice, she does own one. I still get comments from nosey arses like yourself though who tell me i should buy the poor kid a coat.

RicottaPancakes · 27/12/2017 16:07

I agree also think it's odd to put babies in snowsuits and cosytoes and no hat! But perhaps they've taken it off themselves...

Sarahh2014 · 27/12/2017 16:10

Luckily my ds will wear hat/gloves but if he didn't and it was commented on by stranger I wouldn't be happy.my dh grandmother had a dig once as my son had no shoes on in his buggy.It was summer! 🤔

StrawBasket · 27/12/2017 16:12

I would never comment, but yes I judge. Even if kids refuse to put on appropriate clothing, you are the parent, your job is to take care of them. The grown-up is supposed to be in charged, not the child!
2 of my kids did not like the rain cover, well too bad. They ended up getting used to it.

People don't comprehend that they are active, but the child is completely still and needs more layer. Just sit down outside on a bench for 1 hour, and see how warm you feel. On the other hand, you see parents with a child in a winter onesie that they keep on in a hot shop or GP waiting room...

It's very good for children to be outside, but in the right clothing or cover!

It's as bad as seeing parents on sunny day, wearing big sunglasses whilst the babies are squinting because they have the sun in their eyes.

What are people thinking?

Weezol · 27/12/2017 16:12

BlurryFace I would pay cash money to see you do that.
I tend not to comment on the parenting threads as I'm not one, but surely everyone knows trying to get a refusing toddler into gloves, hat etc. is like trying to put an octopus in a string bag?

Marcine · 27/12/2017 16:17

I hate seeing this too.

Mostly seems to be little girls in thin leggings, cardigans and jackets, while boys are dressed in joggers, hoodies and parkas. I assume people think their daughters look more appropriately feminine wearing thin leggings in winter?

IHaveBrilloHair · 27/12/2017 16:17

My Dd would take everything off and scream blue murder if I went near her with the rain cover.
She'd sit grinning in the buggy, soaking wet with bare feet in December.
I'd keep trips out as short as possible as it bothered me too, but it was just her weird way.

brizzledrizzle · 27/12/2017 16:18

Parents can't win. Mine would have screaming fit if I dared put the cosy toes on and I'd get criticism for not stopping their 'bad' behaviour, if I left off the cosy toes and people saw that they had kicked off their shoes and socks (a common occurrence) then I'd be criticised for that as well.

I once resorted to tying a length of ribbon to their shoes and threading it up their trousers and down the otherwise in a bitterly cold, snowy winter. They couldn't take off their shoes and the resulting tantrum was world record breaking Grin

Witchend · 27/12/2017 16:19

You'd have loved to see dd2. She'd have had her socks and shoes off too. Barring super glue or staples, neither of which I believe to be an approved method, nothing kept those on.
She's 14yo and still will wander round outside in this weather with bare feet.

BatShite · 27/12/2017 16:22

My kids point blank refuse to wear gloves, hats and scarfs most of the time. Occasionally they will. If I try to 'make them' then they just keep taking them off and saying they are too hot, even when the temperature is minus 8!

I would probably be a bit pissed off if someone came over to me to tell me my child looked cold. Especially twice.

IHaveBrilloHair · 27/12/2017 16:22

Mine too Witchend
I'm aware there are parenting manuals, I read them, unfortunately Dd as a baby/toddler wasn't able.
(Although this is MN so I'm probably shit for not teaching her to read the second she exited my womb)

BishopBrennansArse · 27/12/2017 16:25

I do get how hard it is to get kids to wear stuff - I've had 3 toddlers and DS2 still refuses to wear warm stuff now at 12.

I just know I'm feckin' freezing!

RiceButt · 27/12/2017 16:27

Whilst in this situation I agree it does sound like the child is inadequately dressed, I'd try not to judge too much. You don't know the personal circumstances regarding the child. As an example my DS is only 7 months and gets hot and sweats a lot, even in the colder weather. I often take him out and about in just a vest and baby grow, anythi h else and he will quickly get hot.

I probably get judged all the time especially as hes only a baby, but imo he's dressed appropriately.

StorminaBcup · 27/12/2017 16:29

I’ll bet 75% of the time the person is well aware that their dc look freezing in their buggy and I also expect they’ve spent a good amount of time trying to persuade their little cherubs to wrap up too. Perhaps you should go over and see if you can work your magic? I’ll bet you can talk them round Grin

(My dc both point blank refuse to wear hats / gloves / buggy blankets / foot muffs, and ds1 even pulled off shoes and socks repeatedly through Jan 15. I can only imagine what lovely comments were muttered about us as we walked past).

TabbyMumz · 27/12/2017 16:32

I don't get it...all these people saying their toddlers take gloves off....so buy an all in one coat where they can't? It's not hard. My kids were always in an all in one suit and tucked into a blanket or fleece aswell. If they didn't like it, hard luck. I was out and about the other day in very cold weather to see a baby with nothing on his feet. Nothing. Not even socks. Just can't understand it. Isn't it child cruelty?

Spikeyball · 27/12/2017 16:32

Ds is another one for no socks and shoes. He never wears them in the house or garden. We do insist when we are out for safety because he is in and out of the buggy but the shoes are pulled off frequently especially when he is anxious.

PineappleScrunchie · 27/12/2017 16:32

I’ve lived in countries where the cold can be dangerous. Hats, gloves, snow boots absolutely not optional.

A mild UK Winter? If my kid doesn’t want to wear a hat it’s their lookout.

BatShite · 27/12/2017 16:33

This is just like saying oh he won't wear suncream what can I do?

Of course it isn't. Once suncream is on thats it. They cannot pull it off. They may have a screaming fit when putting it on (luckily my 2 don't mind suncream and DD actually asks for it on when there is no sun Hmm )but its for their own good and once its on, its on. Gloves, hat and such..they can keep taking them off. yes you can keep putting them back on but they come off again and again.

That said I always have mine in big thick coats when out. Only have DS in buggy now. His hands are cold a lot, but it doesn't seem to bother him. When I say that gloves will make his hands warmer he just looks at me like I have grown another head, and takes them off again!

Marcine · 27/12/2017 16:35

OK, it can be hard to keep gloves on but what is the excuse for leggings and a little jacket? "My toddler insists on looking pretty"?

Eltonjohnssyrup · 27/12/2017 16:36

*This is just like saying oh he won't wear suncream what can I do?

As a parent you have to make the decision to protect your child properly from sun/wind/rain/cold because a little child is unlikely to make the right decision themselves. You can put tights on a baby boy under his trousers so he doesn't rip his socks off and you can buy a big padded suit with attached mittens and zip them in it quick.*

And I agree with you OP I hate to see it too.

I have padded suits which stay on them. I have tights on them so they can't pull their socks off. I still get 'helpful' strangers asking where their shoes/hat/scarf/gloves are.

I can't fucking staple them into them. Apparently that is rather frowned upon. What do you suggest I do?

Naty1 · 27/12/2017 16:37

Straw as a parent your job is to do lots of things, get food and other things. Collect older siblings from school etc. You cannot spend every second puting clothes/gpoves back on.

The solution is probably thermal under clothes if the child actually gets cold.
A lot of kids also wont keep hair bands/clips in. Socks and shoes on. Glasses/sun glasses before people start judging about those too. Some things you can force kids to do like get in a pushchair, others you cant. You can keep trying and some kids will give up others wont.
Im interested in how the worriers would physically keep 3 things on a child that has 2 hands to remove them whilst you are likely using both yours to push the pushchair?
Older kids you can reason/threaten/reward. Say they cant go out/play in the snow etc.

DrSeuss · 27/12/2017 16:37

I spent every summer when my two were little being told that they should be wearing hats. Yes, they should have been but nothing short of supergluing them on would make them keep them on, especially DS. I bought one with strings that tied tight under his chin, he would all but strangle himself to get it off!

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