Cold teenage boys

[Franpie]

AIBU to expect my DS14 to wear a coat?

I don’t think I am, it’s bloody freezing but he simply refuses. He says coats are not cool and no one wears one.

Every day he goes out in just a hoodie with his friends and comes home cold to the bone.

He sometimes calls me to pick him up after he’s left his friends because he’s too cold to walk home.

I’ve begged him to choose any coat from any shop that he’d be willing to wear (after him deciding that his Uniqlo puffer from last year is soooo uncool) but he is refusing.

Does anyone else have this with their teenage DS? What do I do? Any suggestions of coats that your teenage DS likes? We are going away for Christmas and it will be cold! Not to mention skiing in February which I’m now dreading if he refuses to wear anything other than a hoodie!

I know people will just say let him crack on and he’ll learn, but I don’t want him moaning whilst we’re away that he doesn’t want to walk around and site seeing because he’s cold. It’s also hard to watch your child turning blue!

My DS who is 15 has a north face puffer that he will wear. We also have compromised on days he doesn't want to wear it with a north face gilet over a hoody. It is surprisingly warm

Kids can be so stupid!!! Clear evidence that the brain is still developing. I remember going out at night aged 16/17 in skimpy dresses and no coat. There’s no way I was going to listen to my mum. I did just need to learn for myself. I’m interested in the motivation for him though - are jackets not cool? Do his friends wear them? Did he show any reflection after you had to pick him up for being cold? That seems a good place to influence him a bit more.

One of my DC refused to wear a coat to school. She would wear thermals though.

Three DCs, only one wears a coat…. 😭
this too shall pass!!

If he doesn't want to wear a coat/jacket, would he wear base layers or under armour? Ask him to look at North Face jackets - prices vary but they're often on sale so shop around.

If it's only when out with friends he should be fine wearing a coat on the holiday site. I think for skiing it won't be an issue either as everyone will be wearing ski jackets.

All of mine as teens refused coats mostly, 2 girls and one boy, unless it was a thick frost. At school it’s a practical issue with nowhere to put them and not wanting to carry them when their bags are full.
Weekends they thought they looked better without them.
i didn’t wear a coat until I was about 30
really, again unless it was utterly Baltic outside. I did own them but didn’t really feel the cold enough to bother wearing one. I was a hardened smoker used to being outdoors I think! I don’t smoke now and do feel the cold 😂
it’s quite common in teens but I wouldn’t be driving to pick up any of them if they called to say they were cold walking home when they had coats they chose not to wear, decisions have consequences!

If he refuses to dress for the weather, let him have the consequences of his decision. That means don't pick him up. When you do, you're just enabling bad decisions.

Teenagers are weird always have been always will be. Its best not to let it bother you.

My teen son refuses to wear a coat. Tbf he doesn't moan about being cold so I let him crack on.

And then there was that recent fashion where the young women were wearing in winter very short skirts, ankle or calf length boots, and no tights at all, just the naked legs. Or rather the yards of naked and blue with cold legs . . . I kept wanting to magic a pair of 80's leg warmers out of thin air for them!

I have a 14 year old teenage boy who also refuses to wear his warmer coat. Goes to school in a light rain jacket that has zero warmth or just a jumper. I hate it and worry people will feel sorry him and think he doesnt have suitable clothes for winter. He does just wont wear them. Practically begged him to pick one and when he wouldnt i bought him one from a brand i know he likes. It was more expensive than anyone else in the family coat and it never woren. Drives me mad but i have given up tbh.
Dont think you can make them. Well i cant anyway.

He's 14 - if he refuses to wear a coat, he can walk home in the cold. Stop picking him up and enabling him!

The teens round here appear to waer coats, although I do smile at the lad with his 80s mullet, puffer jacket and grey school shorts, he is a big lad, 15 or 16. I pass him on my way to work as he's off to school.

Yep, and cut off any complaints, he has a solution.

It is honestly wild. If you seen the bus stop in our village on a freezing morning with all the teens with no coats, you would think of starting a go fund me to get them coats. Poor children whose parents can’t afford coats. Not one of them are unable to afford a coat, but it is just not cool to wear one. 🙈

I've learnt over the raising of many children that they will not wear a coat if they don't want to. It'll be lost/stuffed in a bag/left behind... Whatever coat you buy will be like buying a nice cat bed for my cats, ie. Never ever ever used 😂 Because it will be WRONG in some unidentifiable way.

Some of my kids will acquiesce and wear thin merino base layers (long sleeve top or vest, plus merino leggings under their trousers). Perhaps a beanie in truly dire straits ( -30°, penguins and mountain goats coming down to flat land for some relief etc) but 100% never a beanie chosen by me...

That's the best compromise we could come up with! They grow out of it. My eldest now asks for a coat as an Xmas gift, so it does pass.

The two teenagers next door leave for school in hoodies, whatever the weather. I don't think it's a cool look being picked up by Mummy either! Consequences for stupidity and pig-headedness should be felt wherever possible.

My DS is 19. He's bought his first coat this winter since primary school.

I feel your pain.

I would not be taking him skiing without a coat. He can choose to stay home or in the hotel.

Luckily where we are it is ok to wear coats. Mountain equipment being the cool brand. Teen DS has recently got a Mountain Equipment coat and so is very proud to wear it- I am hoping it lasts!

I have 4 son's and they all went through the teenage years refusing to wear coats!
I'm not sure why it is, but I let them get on with it. If they wanted to be cold it was their choice, they knew they could always wear a coat.

Thankfully they grew out of it, but will probably go through it with their own children at some point 🙂

My teen wears hoodies and shorts through the winter. I've stopped bothering with even buying jackets and trousers. Silver lining to climate change - atleast the winters in the south are relatively mild!

You’re all completely right, I need to stop picking him up!

Good tips on the base layers, I’ll get some of those for his stocking in the hope that he puts them on under his hoodies.

Also relived to hear that it’s not just my teen playing with hypothermia and that hopefully he will live to grow out of this!

Mine wears layers including thermals and then a gilet over his hoodie (still think a warm waterproof coat would be sensible but what do I know?!)

My 17yr old DD hasn’t worn a coat for years. I have given up even mentioning it now. Most of the other kids at the school wear a coat.