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

DS is 7 and chose to wear a vest this year - even before it got really cold. He is a skinnie-minnie and i had to adjust the waist of his trousers and he said the adjustable bits were uncomfortable so he chose to wear vests tucked in so he doesn't feel it as much. He has worn vests every winter though. It gets cold in Hungary!

I remember my Dad always nagging about vests and hats. Esp once I got to wearing a bra and I gave up on vests - if it was really cold I wore a white t-shirt under my school shirt. Dad feels the cold a lot now and over Xmas it was a constant battle of him turning the heating on and us melting and I ended up telling him he should wear a vest!

Also did the nagging to DS this morning about wearing a hat as you lose 70% of your bodyheat through your head which is what my Dad always told me. Was trying to make DS promise to wear his hat today as it was -9 this morning!

F & Z - do we have the same mother? Did your maternal great great grandmother die of pneumonia as a direct result of walking on a stone floor in bare feet as well? Apparently mine did....

I cannot remember when was the last time my Dcs wore a vest.

DD is now 10 and would never wear a vest, not since she found the words (ie NO!)

DS is 3.5 and is like a little old man!! He won't get dressed without a vest and he won't walk around the house without his slippers!! Am wondering how soon he will be wanting a flat cap, a pipe and leatherette elbow patches!!!! (Clearly he spends too much time with my also vest obsessed mother!)

Thanks for that link, whinebeforepearls - I might have to save up for a bit to buy more than one, but they are just what I'm looking for - warm but pretty too!

Do you not get extra Mummy Points for making your child wear a vest? Gosh, I must have read the leaflet wrong...

I make my dd wear a vest - she'll probably segue from a vest into a crop top then a bra. I see no reason to take them off her as she likes wearing them. She even wears it under her ballet leotard.

I love vests!! I wear one all the time from about September to April. Infact my Mum and I were discussing the benefits of some new ones we've found in M&S which are very snuggly and only £2.50 each!!
DS is always in a vest at the moment but he's only 5.5 months, and I put him in a long sleeved one at night.

My Mum does makes me laugh though, yesterday DS was feeding pretty much all day and I rang her for a chat to relieve the boredom of being stuck on the sofa. First thing she said 'has he got a vest and a cardi on - I expect he's eating more because he's cold!'. She has knitted a steady stream of cardis and tank tops since he was born in order to make sure I have no excuse to be neglectful

My kids all insist on wearing vests, but then as far as I'm concerned, they're a bunch of old women.

Revjustabout - the joy of mumsnet - now it saves lives!

No vests Don't yee all know that you NEVER CAST A CLOUT UNTIL THE END OF MAY IS OUT. Vests for all although DS 10 ( always hot) is rebelling..

They are optional in our house, and have only been opted for so far this winter by me. Which is odd, as I have more insulating fat than all of the others put together!

Yes ellie but we aren't talking about clouts!

Winebefore pearls, I am square too.

I am truly shocked at how many people and their children do not wear vests! I cannot believe it.

I know it's a thing my Mum drummed into me from early age. Dc never complined about vests so far, so they are turning into me vest wise and I AM MY MUM....ARGH..

Ha this has made me laugh. For the first time I felt I had my mothers endorsement for my parenting skills when she said recently 'I'm pleased to see you've got DD in a vest' although the next day she questioned why DD wasn't wearing it. (too warm in her house.

See my house is freezing cold and I walk about in t shirt and jumper. DD usually has a vest and long sleeve t shirt on so even with a vest is probably under dressed but I think a vest is better than a jumper as jumpers for her age are always thick fleecey things with hoods, very few thin top layers in the shops that aren't those stupid cropped cardi things.

Elliphant you have misquoted

It should be "Never cast a clout until the May is out"

May being the May/Hawthorn tree being in blossom

No vests here. I live in a very cold house (ice on inside of some of windows this am) and wood floors yet I have a daily struggle to get ds to wear any socks and to persuade dd (4) that sleeveless summer dresses are not a good choice. I don't think I have the energy to take on the vest argument.

LOL well i would say "Ne'er cast a cloot, 'til May is oot" never is a bit morningside.eat up yer at yer aunties

oh and clout is to hit someone.i clouted her o'er her biscuit arsed ways

Scottish, Clout can mean cloth or a thump. When I was little I only knew the second meaning ( often used around dinner time here too !!) so was very confused when my granny used to mutter this..

as in clootie dumpling.the fruitcake in muslin bag thingy?yes have heard that

Cloutie dumpling is v nice. With cream. Never made that connection before.

It should be the law that babies and toddlers wear vests IMO.

After that its up to the parent. As a child I suffered from excema so wearing a vest would have been hell - way too hot!

my 16 yr old ds refuses to wear a coat most days so i insist on a vest and t shirt under his jumper and hoody and will chase him, in my dressing gown down the street, with a scarf if he tries to sneak out the house without