is there some intrinsic reason that children need to wear vests even if they do not wish to, claim not to be cold, and are healthy in every way I can see?

[FrannyandZooey]

row with my mother
please adjudicate

DD wears vests but when I think about it, it's because I think she ought to ...... and I'm not sure why I think that! How weird. I think it's a judgement from your mum thing for me too.

And SoMuchToBits is right - men don't wear vests any more, do they? My Dad does but he's 84.

lol @ DEanychip

You will be pleased to hear that Vests ARe Not Vital. I have never liked them.

Your mum is italian

I put them on my children when it is cold. But I wear one myself then...and not in the summer for any of us. I hadn't realised it was a matter of morals.

Hasn't got the energy to argue?

Huh! Now if she wasn't wearing a vest she's find the energy, to keep herself warm.

I always think I'm going to get judged by the teachers if she changes for PE and hasn't got one on too.

Its winter course you have to wear a little vestie.

I have this exact same arguemnt with my mother.

She is paranid about chldren and cold. To her your main role as a carer is to ensure they are overheated well wrapped at all times.

Slippers are her other obsession, only slightly behind vests.

TBH I relish my role as crap mother and housewife in her eyes and allow her to come over frequnetly and fuss over the children and do my ironing whilst I mumsnet work, it makes me feel nurtured.

I must grow up one day.

my dd wears vests but then she is a funny bunny
duckyfuzz my dd would love them

LOL I'm afraid I put vests on mine at night in the winter for an extra layer.(I switch CH off at night though)

I don't think it is compulsory but think my mum's generation do have a bit of a "thing" about vests.Possibly because they grew up in houses that did not have central heating

My Dad drives me mad about this. DD, (8) needs a vest under her padded coat, school sweatshirt and polo shirt when she's running around the playground for a half-hour maximum.

I could understand if only one room in the house was heated but ours is toasty throughout and my Dad's house is boiling hot.

I feel for you OP, the nagging is constant.
Toddler DS won't keep hats on, (has a loose fleecy hood on his coat instead) which in their eyes is the equivalent to sending him out barefoot in the snow.

YANBU

Franny - I'd tell your mum that your ds is learning independence skills and the fact that actions have consequences - ie, he can choose not to wear a vest, but if he then feels cold, he doesn't get to whinge about it. We use this method with our ds's when they say they don't need to take coats out with them (in January, in Scotland, when there's frost on the ground, for heaven's sake). They don't have to take a coat - but -when- if they get cold, they can't moan.

ooh yes I was muttered about once by some elderly ladies saying "fancy bringing a baby out in this weather without a bonnet"

It honestly wouldn't cross my mind to buy a vest. I thought they went out with the ark?

I'm 43, and we never had vests as kids. They're like monogrammed hankies, aren't they?

Ds has slippers but hardly ever wears them. I must be a slovenly Mummy!

My parents used to get given vests whenever we went to Germany as the family we stayed with were traumatised that we didn't have any.

I see the opposite problem a lot - children that are sweating because they have a vest layer on on a really warm day (usually it's a merino one too). Then suddenly once they get a say (around 4) they wear shorts and t shirt (and gumboots!) all day everyday. So I would say children are perfectly capable of knowing when they are too warm.

she has had flu
"i haven't got the energy to argue" said in pitiful tones

you had the fricking energy to think up this crap, phone me and tell me i am a bad mother though

[livid]

We did have vests as kid (I'm 47), but the house we lived in until I was nearly 6 had no central heating. I think after that we wore them out of habit!

Similar to slippers I think. My mother kept buying me and my DC slippers. Even though they never saw the light of day.

Franny

You see how she manages to get flu, despite wearing a vest herself?

I have a boy who's always run very hot. A vest would absolutely stifle him.

I think the problem is that a certain generation have over-lapped the need to wear layers, with the onset of central heating; so they still insist on it, when there is no longer any need.