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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
CheshireChat · 27/12/2017 23:20

I just remembered I used to tie DS's shoes to his feet using longer laces Grin. We always bought shoes with laces until fairly recently for that very reason and use to triple knot the bloody things, sometimes we wrapped them round his ankle if they were boots for an extra challenge!

No real choice as he has cold feet anyway even now, despite being otherwise warm.

TabbyMumz · 28/12/2017 10:06

Reallyanotherone....."got any stats" ..no..have you? How ridiculous. I'm guessing there will be more children die of illnesses which may have started because of cold weather, or made worse because of cold weather, than die of being wrapped up warmly though?! Pneumonia for example? Bad chests? Bronchitis etc?! On your other points, I've never seen how warm your child is, so wouldn't dream of lecturing you. What a strange thing to say? My post was not directed personally at you? Never met you or seen your child?! However, if you were pushing him/her along in a buggy today with no coat on or blanket or something...in this freezing cold weather, I certainly would judge you.

Wineasaurous · 28/12/2017 11:00

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?*

Oooo could have been me!
DS will take off his fluffy boots and socks no matter what the weather. He'll pull a blanket off and if we're just walking from the car to the supermarket, I don't use the footmuff as he'll be way too hot inside.
It would only be child cruelty if the parent was refusing to allow their child to be warm or purposely putting them out in the cold without layers.
Most of us have good intentions, take coats, hats etc out with us and repeatedly put the clothes on only for them to be removed regularly. Then for judgemental bitches to swan over thinking they're billy big balls and act all patronising. Gee, thanks for your insight Sheila Hmm

Saladtongs · 28/12/2017 11:01

Mibe wouldn't wear layers but I compensated by putti the rain hood on to protect them against the wind chill.

BatShite · 28/12/2017 15:29

My mother still comments on how I MUST be cold and tries to get me to wear more layers. I'm not! I remember sweltering as a child in snow suits

My mother does this too My grandma (RIP) was the worst for it. Even if I was totally wrapped up she would try to get me to put on another layer. I have vivid memories of being out with her as a child and being so fucking hot. Taking my hat and gloves and scarf off and getting a bollocking even though I felt like I could not breathe!

BatShite · 28/12/2017 15:31

I live in the Middle East and Arab mums are always telling me my son is too cold/he needs a blanket etc. It's 30+ degrees! The poor wee sod is wearing shorts and a t shirt, if I put a blanket on him he'll bake like a little potato!

We got this on holiday in Benidorm actually. Was maybe 20 degrees on our first day but we had gone in the beginning of November so obviously it felt extremely hot to us so we were all in shorts and such. Some random Spanish woman came over to inform us that my son looked cold, then she started rubbing his feet and refused to let go!

BatShite · 28/12/2017 15:43

I realise that makes it look like we took him out with no shoes and socks, we didn't. She took them off to rub his feet Hmm

Mind it was so odd the amount of attention my son got there anyway. DH says it is because he is very blonde with piercing blue eyes..apparently he would get a load of attention in most countries except for here, Ireland and Sweden..

ValentinaCat · 28/12/2017 15:47

BatShite

Yeah, my uncles got a lot of attention for their blonde hair and blue eyes when they lived in Hong Kong as children . Definitely a thing.

Want2bSupermum · 28/12/2017 16:52

It's -8C today where I live. Baby refused to keep gloves on so the rain cover went on. It's like a greenhouse for uncooperative toddlers and quite toasty in there.

It's funny how so many people are saying their DC won't keep gloves or hats on. I've got 3DC and two have ASD with sensory issues which means I went to hell and back to get them wearing hats and gloves. Yes I was the lunatic mother but my elder two are 6 and 4 know that they are not going anywhere nice or doing anything fun until they are dressed properly for the weather.

Sirzy · 28/12/2017 16:54

If I told ds he wasn’t doing anything nice until he has hat on he would simply sit down and not leave the house!

crunchymint · 28/12/2017 16:56

I remember seeing footage of a toddler playing naked in an igloo. You could see his breath it was so cold, but the toddler was laughing and playing happily.

TheLegendOfBeans · 28/12/2017 16:58

[Wonders if my toddler’s been near any igloos of late] Hmm

soursugar · 28/12/2017 16:59

It's the parent/ carers responsibility to dress the babies according. My dc always refuse to wear their gloves and hat but I'm their mother so tell them they must wear them else we don't go out! Why would you let your young children decide to wear them or not? If they take them off, put them back on! I find it very upsetting seeing cold children/ babies!

glasgowdan · 28/12/2017 17:15

It's good for a child to have a bit of cold exposure each day. Some countries send them out to play in the snow at primary for five mins in their underwear as an immunity-boosting regime.

bestthings · 28/12/2017 17:15

Letting babies/toddlers dictate whether they wear warm clothes in freezing weather, where would you draw the line, what if they just wanted to wear a vest and nappy? Confused

MiaowTheCat · 28/12/2017 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheLegendOfBeans · 28/12/2017 17:17

THe moment you see your daughter chuck her trousers onto the ducking North Circular is one of the occasions that yeah, sometimes they do “dictate”.

RavenLG · 28/12/2017 17:48

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

I went for a walk yesterday in a dress, leggings and a denim jacket. No blanket, scarf, hat or gloves. I’m just hot all the time. Get over yourself OP.

RavenLG · 28/12/2017 17:50

soursugar I’m very impressed with your thermal vision abilities. It certainly comes in handy as part of the perfect parent brigade I’m sure.

soursugar · 28/12/2017 18:24

Thermal vision abilities? Not sure what is meant by that. It's not about being a perfect parent, more about seeing to your child's basic needs.

Spikeyball · 28/12/2017 18:30

"If they take them off, put them back on!"

I wonder how many times you have had to do this on one outing.

gluteustothemaximus · 28/12/2017 18:35

My toddler cannot be reasoned with. Hat goes on. He takes it off. Foot mutt goes on. He screams to get his legs out.

Soon as I’m walking, he takes his shoes off, and throws them. Then he takes his socks off, and laughs.

Then up pops a lady telling me he’ll get frostbite on his bare feet! Hmm

I’d never judge another parent or think it’s deliberate on their part to let their kid freeze. I’d just assume the little monkey took hat/gloves/layers off themselves.

Yesterday though, DS2 held his hands up to me with a pained look. So I whacked his gloves on, and they stayed on! Plus with his hands now mittened up, he couldn’t take off his shoes or hat Grin

Sirzy · 28/12/2017 18:37

I wonder how many times you have had to do this on one outing.

I wouldn’t even get out the door!

Tottyandmarchpane1 · 28/12/2017 18:47

My DD was splashing about in the sea today in little more than a thin dress. Had a whale of a time and is now tucked up happily in bed. With us we had hat, scarf, gloves: would she wear them? Would she heck... in my view it is only people who need to judge themselves superior parents who worry about this kind of thing. The rest of us are just getting on as best we can.

Spikeyball · 28/12/2017 18:52

Us too Sirzy with hats and gloves.
I also abandoned trying to keep his shoes on today after he had levered them off using the footplate of his buggy about 20 times in 10 minutes and had got to the point of removing them the second they were put back on. He must have been too anxious for shoes today.