DS4 doesn’t want to wear summer clothes. Is is a complete nonissue?

[RainIsCool]

DS4, NT, if it makes any difference refusing to wear any summer clothes - T-shirts, shorts in a heat for a second year in a row. When I changed his pyjama, which is also long sleeved and long legged, refused to put on a T-shirt despite the fact that it’s hot. We have a back door open, we’ve been out, playing with cars, enjoying the sun and he refuses to take of the long sleeved top and sweatpants. Last year I had the same battle. Even in the middle of summer when nights are almost unbearable, he prefers to sleep in a long sleeved pyjama and even socks. I always take them off after he’s asleep.
Only time he would wear t shirt is nursery, he comes into t shirt and hoodie on top and later someone takes it off I guess because 9/10 when times I pick him up he is without it. Or if I somehow put a T-shirt on him, he needs a jacket of some sort on top. And then if we are out and it gets very hot sometimes it’s possible to take the jacket off and leave him with just shirt.
Forget the shorts tho - impossible to put then on. He lives in his sweatpants. He always says his arms and legs are cold which I respect but somehow refuse to believe that he’s cold nonstop in the middle of summer in 30 degrees.
I don’t force him to wear something if he doesn’t like, but at the same time, it’s hot, everyone is in shirts and shorts and he’s the only one fully dressed like it’s freezing.
i also understand that fundamentally it’s not the end of the world if that’s what he prefers but somehow it just drives me crazy!

Probably just not used to having his arms and legs exposed

buy light cotton/linen long sleeve tops/trousers from next

my boy was like this

Mine two! I bought elasticed linen trousers.

I'm with PP; it doesn't appear he's sweating excessively or getting overheated, so leave him be or buy him breathable lightweight long sleeved stuff.

My DS is much older at 14 but he's like this. Currently sitting in joggers and hoodie.

Not an issue just try to choose light, thin, natural fibres where you can. I actually find long sleeves and legs more comfortable on hot nights too, I hate the feel of sticky hot skin against sticky hot skin, even my own arm on my stomach or side feels horrible, it feels much cooler and more comfortable with a thin cotton fabric layer.

This would really annoy me too but I would let him wear what he wants. I would have shorts and t-shirt in my bag if we go out. If he gets hot he will tell you.

Unless he's becoming unwell due to heat - let him choose.

Like many preferences in young kids, the more you try to push this the more he'll resist.

DS will wear anything but hates suncream, total full on meltdown. So the last couple of years I've dressed him in long sleeved tops and lightweight linen or cargo trousers.

have you talked to nursery about how 9 times out of 10 they manage to have him end up in just a tshirt?

And have you tried sweatpants shorts? Ds won’t wear denim/ cargo shorts that are rough and have pockets but will where shorts made out of leggings or sweatpants material.

I don’t think this is an issue I would drop, he might be saying he’s not hot now but in certain weather he will be and that could make him ill. There needs to be a compromise/alternative found.

Lol my brother was like this growing up.

He's 58 now and hasn't really changed.

I don't think I've seen his actual legs since I was 7.

My son is a bit like this, he is ND though.
What's the temperature where you are? As sometimes I find people putting their kids in shorts far before they would wear shorts themselves.
It's 21 here today in the south east and I'm in long sleeves and jeans, absolutely would refuse shorts! But then I did grow up in Australia where this is a winters day...

I don't like having skin exposed no matter how warm, I do it for practical reasons but would feel more comfortable in flowy light clothes rather than shorter sleeves or legs. It's probably a little sensory issue but nothing to worry about. Lots of kids have the opposite issue, they want shorts and T shirts in winter which is much trickier to navigate as it's not good for them in cold weather.

My boy was like this, he would only wear what he was used to. For example, he would wear shorts when it was snowing.

I ignored it and he grew out of it.

Shirt pyjamas didn’t exist when I was a child, we managed just fine in full length year round (just kick off the duvet, which was the same weight year round too) I wear jeans in summer, full length, and rarely is it too warm if you are in the U.K. certainly not at the moment

My 14 year old DS only wears shorts for swimming. We have trousers for all seasons, and long sleeve tops too. Its just a preference but we respect it.

You could also put him in T-shirts and a light zip up cardigan or hoodie, so it’s easy to shrug it off if he gets hot without the fuss of pulling something over his head.

Also, as someone who comes from a hot country, I have a different threshold for how hot it needs to be before I’d consider it warm enough to wear shorts. Absolutely minimum 24 degrees. Am always astonished at British people dressing kids (and themselves) in shorts and t shirts or short dresses with no tights when it’s 17 degrees!

Thank you everyone for your answers and experiences!
Also thankyou for suggestion to buy linen blend lightweight trousers, they have some lovely options on Next!

The nursery one - I guess it’s just peer pressure or something I don’t know. Maybe they just say to him - let’s take the hoodie off shall we,because it’s a bit warm today and he’s not protesting.

I also tried different material shorts before, denim and sweatpants material and light cotton ones and he doesn’t like any of them, says his legs are cold.

He was ok 2 years ago, I mean, at that age I guess he didn’t have much preference, it’s just last year and this year when he’s voicing his preferences.

We are in in NW, these 2 days the back door thermometer reads 27 in the sun, so I definitely wouldn’t say it’s too cold.

We live in the Caribbean - 11 year old spent last two years in jeans and long sleeve jumpers.
We were back visiting UK when it was the hottest weather on record (3 years ago?!) and I remember him running around Horsham park in jeans and sweater when It was 40oc.
He eventually decided shorts and t-shirts were the way to go in the last year…

My just turned 8 year old is like this well sort of , he will wear short sleeve T shirts. Shorts are a no no & it is really warm here in Ireland at the moment but he's happy & says he's not too warm. I managed to get him to wear shorts yesterday for non uniform day in school but I gave him a choice & that's what he picked. He would never wear short pyjamas, he likes his legs covered at night but in fairness I'm the same. My younger son went through a phase of only wearing long sleeve tops but he has been living his best life in shorts for the last 2 weeks with t-shirts but he is adamant about putting a jacket on when we are walking to school. I will say my oldest has a medical condition that can make his feel cold also so he is valid in his feelings, he's happy & if he's comfortable I'm happy

He just doesn't like it. It's often far cooler to cover up than expose maximum skin to the sun's heat in any case - and being forcefully told to wear less clothing than he wants to wear or stripping him whilst he is asleep and vulnerable isn't going to be pleasant for him, anymore than somebody being forced to wear too much is.

I hate being told that I'm not hot/cold/hungry/whatever. I know how I feel - and anybody trying to make me wear more or less clothing than I want to would always get short shrift.

Does he feel cold often? It can be a sign of anaemia.

Temperature in the sun is meaningless. Put your thermometer in the shade. It’s only 19 in Merseyside today and there’s a bit of a breeze. Not really warm.

Just leave him to it. We should trust kids to know when they're hot or cold a bit more, not everyone experiences temperature the same.

My DS was like this all through primary - always kept his jumper on, even in the summer, unless a teacher made him take it off (rare). At 18 now he's the complete opposite and wanders round in t-shirts all through the winter.

No, he never says it or doesn’t have any signs. Only when he’s arms and legs are exposed he says they are cold.

I work in a secondary school and a number of kids wore coats during the heatwave, and we are in a hotter part of the UK, where it got to about 28°. Many others in leggings and white socks under their skirts plus a jumper over their shirts.

Some kids just aren't as bothered by the temperature as others I think. Just buy some very light, looser fitting things. I love linen clothes I summer and would wear full length linen trousers and a longer sleeved linen top on hot days, no problem.