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Original poster

Kids not wrapped up in this cold weather!

206 replies

bluesteakandcheese · 14/12/2019 15:06

I know it is nothing to do with me how others see fit to dress their children. But it really gets to me when I'm walking round town and see young kids and babies with no gloves or hat on.
Why do parents not think it is appropriate to wrap their children up against the cold? I just don't understand it!

OP posts:
TipseyTorvey · 14/12/2019 15:18

My youngest will not wear a hat or gloves no matter what we try. He frequently walks the 100m to school with just a jumper on. We pick our battles, of which there are many and have learnt he'll say when he's cold. It's annoying as I have to carry all his layers just in case but hopefully he'll learn in time. Didn't realise I was being judged but am so past caring given all the issues he has.

MrsBricks · 14/12/2019 15:20

@ThanksForAllTheFish I hate seeing little ones in buggies without gloves on too, but what can you do? I often put gloves on first and the coat over the top so it's harder for them to get gloves off, but then you just end up with a screaming distressed child until they do manage to get them off!

LeslieYep · 14/12/2019 15:20

My DD is 3 and seems to be impervious to cold.
She will happily turn on the cold water tap in the bath and spray it on herself for fun.
Hats and gloves don't stand a chance.

If they're wrapped up, covering the head isn't that important, it's a myth about losing all heat from there.

I used to judge people for not wrapping up their children but now I actually have them, meh, whatever works.

Amanduh · 14/12/2019 15:21

Lol good luck trying to get gloves to stay on my child or any that I know 😂

LolaSmiles · 14/12/2019 15:21

It's not that good outside and if they won't keep them on then who's to judge?

It's a different story if kids are visibly cold and there's no sign of costs etc.

SimonJT · 14/12/2019 15:21

We had a twenty minute walk to the tube today, MiniSJT refused to wear a coat, gloves or hat, so walked in his jeans and t-shirt.

There were two choices

  1. Him screaming his head off and crying as I manhandle him into his coat
  2. Whatever if he’s cold for twenty minutes he’ll survive

2 is the better option for everyone!

AnAngryElf · 14/12/2019 15:21

My 1yo will not keep his hat on so I've given up. Mittens are easier, I've done the wool trick through his coat and I put them over his coat sleeves so they stay on. He never feels cold though. I put his hood up on his coat but I can't imagine it has much of an impact but he just hates his hat. He also takes his socks off as soon as we're in the car and I don't even bother putting them on if we're not leaving the house🤷‍♀️👍

CantspellWontspell · 14/12/2019 15:22

Mine are naturally warm, as am I and actively find additional layers uncomfortable and annoying. They'll wear them once they need them. Plus, it's generally not that cold in the UK yet.

You only know how cold YOU feel. You dont know how anybody else feels including children. Don't assume because you need extra layers that everybody else does because many of us don't. Wind ya neck in.

Greyhound22 · 14/12/2019 15:25

YANBU OP but you'll get slain on here because little Tarquin and Penelope can do what they like and if that means not wearing a coat or shoes or a hat when it's - 15 then that's just them expressing themselves.

I saw a baby the other day with a pair of nearly see- through leggings, a t-shirt and bare feet. It was sleeting and she was screaming. Surely you would put an all in one on?

I saw a post the other day where the poster couldn't go to the park in the winter because it was too coldConfused we go to the stables on a night. You just have to wrap up and wear layers or you can't do it.

FairyOnTheTree · 14/12/2019 15:25

One of my children has sensory issues (and also doesn't seem to feel the cold, easily overheats etc) and often refuses to wear anything but a t-shirt. I learnt a long time ago that it is just not worth the argument- I ensure that I have warmer layers for him with me, and eventually he asks to put them on. Saves unnecessary meltdowns and upset.

I often carry his thick coat over my arm in full view just to try and ward off tuts and glares from judgmental well meaning people just like you OP!

It has to be sub zero for him to go anywhere near a hat or gloves.

Elbeagle · 14/12/2019 15:27

Greyhound22 genuine question in case I’m missing a trick... how would you keep a hat and gloves on an 11 month old?

myself2020 · 14/12/2019 15:28

its not really cold in the uk...
however, of course children keep their hat/gloves one if they have to. i come from -20 degrees winter, not keeping clothes on would be dangerous, so parents ensure kids do that :)

Medianoche · 14/12/2019 15:29

My youngest very rarely feels the cold. He sleeps without covers most nights. His choice.
Once they’re old enough to communicate when they’re uncomfortable (which most children can do effectively long before they can speak), then surely it’s kinder to just pay attention to what they prefer.

HopefullyAnonymous · 14/12/2019 15:29

Whilst in the school playground at pickup time yesterday I saw a baby of no more than 6m in nothing but a sleepsuit. Mum was wearing a thick coat so clearly knew it was cold. I’m not ashamed to say I felt a bit judgey.

user1471590586 · 14/12/2019 15:29

My son never wanted to wear gloves. I remember deliberately buying him a coat a size too big so it would cover his hands.

PepePig · 14/12/2019 15:30

For young kids I wouldn't care but babies... definitely. Even if babies don't keep gloves on, there's other things you can do. Pulling sleeves over hands, blankets, a really nice and warm pramsuit/coat, fleecy/woollen/knitted leggings, little jumpers and cardis etc. My baby pulls her hat off but she has a fleeced lined hood on her coat. So important they're kept warm.

Elbeagle · 14/12/2019 15:30

myself2020 I assume they do when it’s -20 as they’d soon realise it’s pretty uncomfortable without them on.
My baby doesn’t cry or express any discomfort when he takes his off, so I can only assume he’s not cold enough for it to be uncomfortable, and therefore no incentive to keep them on.

myself2020 · 14/12/2019 15:30

@Elbeagle you just put them on again. and again. and remove them from anything fun the moment they remove them. and buy proper, comfortable to wear stuff, not the ridiculous stuff the uk highstreet sells.

Expressedways · 14/12/2019 15:31

Meh most of the UK doesn’t get that cold. Where I lived it was -15 earlier this week and can get even colder than that so then I’m really strict with the gloves and hat. Had a great north face coat when DD was a baby where the sleeves folded over to make mittens so she couldn’t remove them and she couldn’t get a grip on her hat to remove that either. I was in the UK visiting last week and was actually concerned that some of the kids I saw at a Christmas market that were dressed in snow suits or huge coats were overheating as it was about 7 degrees.

CloudyVanilla · 14/12/2019 15:31

You will always be judged as a parent.

I remember last winter when I took my 3 year old DD out absolutely wrapped up to the nines and STILL and older gent needed to comment "it's a bit cold to be out!" Like I should keep her indoors the whole of winter Hmm

Equally when my dd is finished nursery if I take her to the park afterwards she often feels she is warm enough without her coat - but she has on 3 layers even without a coat. But I fully expect some people see her without the coat and still judge. I hate that aspect of being a parent honestly.

myself2020 · 14/12/2019 15:31

@Elbeagle in the uk, its not a major issue. but it took me about 2-3 days with my oldest to train him to keep stuff on, even at -20

7salmonswimming · 14/12/2019 15:32

Toddlers and children have minds of their own. But babies... Where I live temps haven’t risen above 1C in about 10 days, mostly hover around -2C or so. It’s a busy city, not unusual weather for this time of year. On Thursday I saw a woman wearing full winter gear (coat, hat, gloves, scarf etc) with a baby on a sling on her back. The child looked around 9-12mo. He was wearing track pants, a long sleeved t shirt - and nothing else. No shoes or socks. No sweater or jacket. No hat or gloves or scarf. The sling did cover the entire body, his arms were tucked in between his chest and his mum’s back. But his head and neck were exposed and his legs from knee to toe were exposed as his track pants has ridden up his legs in the sling. His ankles and toes were purple and immobile. I couldn’t help myself, I just had to say something and I think I probably was a bit rude: “your poor kid’s feet are frozen, they’re purple! Did you know that?” (In my mind I wondered if maybe she didn’t realise because she was wearing the child on her back). She looked at me like I was mad.

This was on the way to school drop off. I passed her again on my way home. The child was wearing a thick fleece, socks, boots, a hat

I can’t get that poor kid out of my head.

Elbeagle · 14/12/2019 15:33

He’s 11 months old sitting in a pushchair on the school run so removing anything fun would be difficult.
I dress him warmly... he has merino wool vests and leggings, plenty of layers, a wool blanket etc, but it seems from here I’d be judged at the lack of mittens and hat.

anon2000000000 · 14/12/2019 15:35

My dd will throw hats, shoes and socks out the pram before biting her gloves off and throwing them away too.

She screams as I'm putting them on her. She absolutely hates them x

MrsBricks · 14/12/2019 15:35

It very rarely gets below 0 where I am, so it's just not necessary to devote 3 days to training a toddler to keep gloves and hat on. I am a childminder with 3 little ones and school runs and classes to get too so just can't spend 3 days stopping every 30 seconds and leaving places when someone removes gloves. It's just not a battle worth having.