Children freezing in buggies

[goody2shooz]

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. :(

You don’t know the child had tights and long socks under the leggings and a vest, long sleeve and then the cotton top.

This thread has really hit a nerve with me. Busybodies commenting on my child “looking cold” is something that would actually ruin my day. Sometimes getting the kid in the buggy is battle enough.

When it was windy and my son still in his buggy i would always put the rain cover on him aswell as him being in his cosytoes just to keep the cold off his face.. always got funny looks but he was never cold

When’s we leave the houses my youngest has her snow suit inn gloves/attached mitts and a hat. By the time we get to School the hat/mits and often shoes have been taken off and Put back on by me a good 20times. I always make sure any warm clothing take notice off it hung off the the pushchair for the judge pants to see I at least tried and that she does have warm clothes.

Just to add though, as he got to about 15 months he wouldn't keep hats gloves or entertain the idea of having the raincover on but was happy in his cozytoes.. now as an 8 year old he will happily go and build a snowman in just his pants...

I am sorry, but I don't buy it. Everybody seems to manage putting some clothes on theirs kids. I have never seen a toddler naked in winter, or with just a nappy. If you can put some clothes on them, you can put the rest!

Of course, sometimes it means having to buy different outfits depending on the child, because they have preferences. I didn't give my kids a choice about wearing wellies, or a coat and scarf or whatever was appropriate. They might have tried to start a tantrum once or twice, but ultimately, they end up doing as they are told. Same principle would apply about standing on a window, or crossing a busy road. Some things are simply not open to negotiations with the kids, for the own safety!

Bahaha I used to get this from DP and MIL

They have both since taken out DC on their own in cold wet weather and have returned that they had ever commented on my apparent neglect in not dressing them properly.

The child would be happy dancing naked in the snow given half a chance.

My 2 refuse to wear hats scarves and gloves too. They do have long padded coats and they compromise by putting their hoods up. We have a cosy toes but DD2 kicks off if I try to put it on the buggy. I feel very judged, but what can I do?

When ds1 was about 1, an old lady tutted and commented that he had no socks on (in a shopping centre). I was polite of course but really wanted to tell her to bugger off that I had been putting his socks back on constantly and he kept taking them back off within about 30 seconds and it was a total waste of time. He still doesn't like socks now at 7.

Weezol if anyone tried to tell me, I might just do it. I was raised in a family of gobshites.

TheLegendofBeans, I know that feeling. A 3yo and a 2yo to get out the damn house to pay the rent, playschool runs etc.

A couple of mine were hat, glove and shoe refusers so they were firmly zipped into padded hooded all in ones and tucked into cosy toes. We were out in all weathers and the rain cover was non negotiable.

I do agree you need to check on the individual child's temperature though. My sister's sturdy kids were always warm to the ouch and generally impervious to cold. My best friend's skinny little things were always icy to the touch in thin little cardigans while their parents were comprehensively layered up. They were always ill too. I know you can't catch a cold but they were always in hospital with bronchitis or pneumonia or similar.

And what Bishop said: I went to an outside evening event in my wheelchair and I thought I was going to die of cold.

You're making me feel all nostalgic for when my twins were little and used to decide between themselves that today was a no socks day. They'd push down the cositoes.till they could get their feet out, take the shoes and socks off and then sit there all pleased with themselves with their wee feet flapping in the freezing cold. DD2 has only just at nearly 6 started to grow out of the sensory issues that were behind it - a sensitivity to certain fabrics and tight clothing combined with an insensitivity to changes in temperature. When we take her to the outdoor pool we all have to watch her lips in case they turn blue because she has no idea she's getting cold. Similarly she took a fancy to a winter coat the summer she was 2 and I thought I would let her wear it and discover for herself that it was too hot - eventually had to take it off her when her temperature reached 38 degrees!

Not read the whole thread but all 3 of my kids seem to think they live in Hawaii. Getting them to wear hats and gloves and even jumpers is a bit of an Everest climb.
My solution? I just don't really take them out in the cold. It's not worth it. They end up stripping off along the walk, then they moan about being freezing cold (after intentionally leaving hat and gloves by the front door on the way out). It's such a hassle taking little kids out in the cold.

I've had people approach me. It doesn't offend me. I just always end up telling them in an animated way about the saga we've been through just trying to get out the door in winter gear. It's tough. Some kids really are not that easy to dress. Have you tried wrestling an alligator, OP? It's no picnic.

I envy my friend whose little boy is always dressed in such lovely, smart, thick corduroy trousers, desert boots, a navy, wool pea coat, wool hat, gloves, and scarf. He's so dapper and warm.
Mine run around in knackered, hand-me-down t-shirts and jogging bottoms. Scarf? off in 3 minutes. Hat and gloves? Even less! The coat stays but the rest just goes.

Mine hate too many layers. Used to stress me out till DH said they don’t need it. I disagreed for ages then realised actually they are always pretty warm - he’s the same, it’s just the way they’re made! I can agree some people do have cold looking babbies in buggies. However I think there are just as many totally overheated kids in tights/leggings/blankets/one million layers who are stuffy and probs getting fungal rashes etc. Each to their own. I think commenting to the grandma you saw was totally U!

Oh yeah, and I'm skintish and live in C.I., no way I'm paying ££ for a snowsuit to be worn twice.

"Some things are simply not open to negotiations with the kids, for the own safety!"

Except that possibly being a bit cold is very different from being run over.

On another note: Now you might understand why you stumble upon all of those single shoes, single socks, and single mittens abandoned on various paving stones and brick walls, hanging mournfully on iron fence spikes, hoping to be reclaimed. They never are. Evidence of the toddler Winter Striptease!

I remember the days of dressing DS in hats and gloves and cosy toes, and putting the rain cover on top, in Durham in the snow.

He removed his hat, gloves, blanket, kicked the cosy toes till it ripped, removed shoes and socks, then kicked the rain cover till it ripped as well.
Kept trying to keep him warm. He wasn't having any of it.

He's 12 now. Rarely wears anything other than shorts and tee-shirts. I've given up.

Meh my child is severly autistic and has learning disabilities ,good luck in getting a hat gloves and scarf on him he often comes home from.his special school sock less too he will wear a thick coat so hr alwayz wears one of those some kids won't , if you came to my house he would be named 9 times out if 10 too

Naked *

People are always commenting on my DS (now 8) and his lack of hat/coat/gloves. It always amazes me, especially when I've got two younger than him. If someone has 3 kids - 2 wrapped up in coats/hats/gloves/scarves/blankets for the pram one and 1 in a long sleeve t-shirt and maybe a hoodie at most you'd think that would be a fucking clue that they weren't a neglectful mother who had no interest in keeping their kids warm.

I also refuse to force my child to be too hot because other people think he should have a coat on. Even his school don't make him put his coat on now after he got too hot and vomited everywhere when they did.

You don't see every adult out in the same level of attire. It's accepted that some adults don't like hats or don't wear gloves. Why can't people just accept that parents know their kids best and if they don't have a hat on it's because they don't need (or want) a bloody hat on?!

You are completely right, and not wanting to wear extra layers shouldn't even come into it.
Mine wore theirs, full stop.
I tried relentlessly until the most stubborn child you could imagine finally wore the extra layers.
I'd rather do this than fail and make them ill, it's a parents job.

Im not sure how people can't understand that dc are different. I have 2, 1 wasnt toobad about gloves and wore hats but the other is the opposite. Young kids struggle to get coats/jumper/trousersoff especially sat down. Newborns can get off scratchmittens/hats/socks etc as it's not like there is anything holding them on.
Just be grateful you kids are more easy going.
My 2yo has survived her hat-glove hate with so far no ear infections, chest infections etc.
She did succumb to croup/vomitting bug straight after going out in the snow a week or so ago.

I'm more concerned about too many layers. Having had my child had febrile convulsions from becoming too hot ( not through being ill or hot weather) I would never push hard on unwanted extra layers.

You can certainly tell which parents here have children who have no sensory issues or other needs which make these battles impossible!

Oh god I had forgotten about my daughter and her bloody socks and shoes as a toddler. We’d go out for a walk and find her socks from the day before on the pavement. We tried the tights under leggings but she’d just pull and pull at them and get really upset they won’t come off. Same with gloves and hat, they were not staying on. She’s now 3 and will wrap up warm but she doesn’t sleep with a blanket on her, if I cover her over she’ll kick them off straight away.