Dressing 1 year old in winter

[tiredmama2020]

Well aware that this is probably a ridiculous question 🙈

Have just started some A/W shopping for my DS who will be 1 at the start of the winter. What are your “must haves”? He’s almost walking at 9m so I’m assuming he’ll be toddling around by then. I want him to be comfy and free to move around but obviously want him to be cosy!

Snowsuit, puddlesuit, cosy jacket? Long vests under jumpers or just short vests? Furry liner for the pram?
At that age do you stick with the “one more layer than you” rule or are we past that stage now? 🙈

We’re on the west coast of Scotland so it gets pretty cold here if that makes any difference 😊

Definitely lined puddle suit for winter and a liner for the pram. We got one that was furry on the inside and water resistant on the outside for the cold drizzle as ours hated the rain cover on. I go for mittens (again waterproof on outside) when they’re that little as I found it so hard getting their fingers into gloves.
I started off with one more layer than me but all my children are happiest in at least one layer less than me! Its a lot colder when stationary so I used to have many blankets and a liner for the pram. Snowboots as well. My husband put toddler in wellies once and wondered why he grizzled…his feet were icicles!!

Although it's contrary to popular opinion - tights!

My ds is 2 years younger than dd1 and tights kept his legs cosy in the backpack and any other time he was outside.

When he was 4 he told his childminder "don't worry if it snows, I'll just wear [dd1] tights.

Look at brands like muddy puddles and spotty otter for puddle suits. Ideally a fleece lined strongly waterproof suit? Or a very cute waterproof dungarees and jacket.
I don’t like the fleece lined wellies as they take too long to dry out. I do like the sheepskin insoles as you can take them out to dry. And they should work across a couple of sizes.
Lidl do great waterproofs look out for their week and buy whatever size above u can get. They sell out quickly!
Thermals for under the waterproofs.
Kit lists from outdoor nurseries will give u a very good steer.

@UpHillandDownAle

Definitely lined puddle suit for winter and a liner for the pram. We got one that was furry on the inside and water resistant on the outside for the cold drizzle as ours hated the rain cover on. I go for mittens (again waterproof on outside) when they’re that little as I found it so hard getting their fingers into gloves. I started off with one more layer than me but all my children are happiest in at least one layer less than me! Its a lot colder when stationary so I used to have many blankets and a liner for the pram. Snowboots as well. My husband put toddler in wellies once and wondered why he grizzled…his feet were icicles!!

@UpHillandDownAle Great tips, thanks 😊 DH thought I was being ridiculous when I suggested snow boots the other day but nice to know I’m not 😊

No different to older children- warm trousers or leggings with legwarmers, long sleeved top with a vest underneath, jumper if needed, puddlesuit if it's wet

@weegiemum

Although it's contrary to popular opinion - tights!

My ds is 2 years younger than dd1 and tights kept his legs cosy in the backpack and any other time he was outside.

When he was 4 he told his childminder "don't worry if it snows, I'll just wear [dd1] tights.

@weegiemum Tights is a great shout! He’s usually in leggings or joggers so a pair of tights underneath should keep him cosy 😊

If you can get lined waterproof dungarees and a warm jacket I think they are easier than snowsuit to get on and off a wriggly toddler, especially for nappy changes when out and about.

@Toolateplanting

Look at brands like muddy puddles and spotty otter for puddle suits. Ideally a fleece lined strongly waterproof suit? Or a very cute waterproof dungarees and jacket. I don’t like the fleece lined wellies as they take too long to dry out. I do like the sheepskin insoles as you can take them out to dry. And they should work across a couple of sizes. Lidl do great waterproofs look out for their week and buy whatever size above u can get. They sell out quickly! Thermals for under the waterproofs. Kit lists from outdoor nurseries will give u a very good steer.

@Toolateplanting Great suggestions! Thank you 😊 never thought of looking at kit lists 👍🏻

@mrsrichardsglasses Thanks 😊 he’s my first DC and the last child in the family is now 16 so I have pretty limited experience when it comes to kids 😅🤣 fully winging it everyday!

@ChannelJackieWeaver

If you can get lined waterproof dungarees and a warm jacket I think they are easier than snowsuit to get on and off a wriggly toddler, especially for nappy changes when out and about.

@ChannelJackieWeaver Yeah that definitely sounds like it would be easier! And I’m all for anything that makes a nappy change easier 😊

We lived in a cold climate when DS2 was that age. He was dressed in a vest with a bonds zip-through onesie as a basic layer (the suits have feet that fold over so socks can be worn). Then, various layers of fleece jumpers or trousers and a full waterproof lined suit for outdoors.

Some kind of waterproof suit! Not a cheap one from Asda but a decent Karrimore one (next are good too) anything to keep him dry and lined if possible!

Snow boots or fleece lined wellies for him to throw on.

Lots of layers. Vests! Not just baby grows it’s all in layers.

I absolutely second tights! Ours hated socks so anything to keep little toes warm!

Also slippers if he isn’t averse to shoes! Mittens on a string. Cannot count how many gloves we lost. A hate with ear flaps. A nice warm scarf - not scratchy!

Leggings leggings and more leggings

Maybe a few of those neckerchief bibs? Ours dribbled like nobody’s business from around 1-18 months - so many teeth! It kept their clothes dry whilst also saving having to shove bibs on them.

A proper pair of Velcro shoes as well. A nice sturdy pair that are comfy and won’t leak - doesn’t have to be Clark’s but a nice reliable pair of shoes.

I must be a hard mother, DS has joggers, vest and long sleeve t shirt with a hand knitted cardigan and a coat. Normal wellies and two pairs of socks. I always had a spare of everything so when he got soaked or lay down in a cow pat I could change him.
Normal wellies dry out much quicker than lined ones and muck doesn't wash out of the linings

@mayblossominapril. I guess it depends on lifestyle. My kids would be fine with out for an hour’s play in the park… and in fact we do have toddler photos with nothing but vest and wellies on outside in the snow. But we also popped them in backpacks and went on walks in the Cumbrian mountains so need different things. The op is from Scotland so it’s going to be noticeably colder for longer than most of England, for example. We’re in cold Cumbria but even we were surprised when we went up to Glasgow for the day how much colder and icier it was just just half an hours drive over the border.

UpHilland DownAle I am in the cold north of England and they are out for many hours on the hills but find all in one suits a pain to constantly wash and reproof. We keep livestock so they are constantly getting flithy

I was pretty impressed by the quality of the puddle suits and jacket/waterproof dungarees from Waterproof World when I got some recently (same thing, preparing for a rainy winter with a very active little one!) www.waterproofworld.co.uk/

They stock all kinds of Scandinavian gear designed for wet, cold weather and forest schools where the kids are outside for hours at a time enjoying themselves in nature. Hopefully fits the bill for Scotland too?

@mayblossominapril oh well… we only have chicken poo to deal with… cow poo is another ball game. The day I got covered head to toe in the contents of a slurry pit… I just throw everything including my underwear into the bin!

Untill potty training for trips with a lot of time outside we used puddle suits for wet but slightly warmer days and snow suits for cold days. It means it's ok to sit on the floor or go down a wet slide. We had normal coats too for less outdoorsy trips out. Cosy toes on the buggy but not used if wearing snow suit. Mix of tops really; short or long sleeved under jumpers. Sometimes with a poppered sleeveless vest under a normal T-shirt but I preferred just a poppered T-shirt as they don't ride up. Booties if not walking, warm boots if walking. They usually let you know if they're cold. Leggings fit best under snow suits, you can get woolly ones.

H&M do some really nice lined cord trousers - I have bought DS a couple of pairs every year, and they kept him cosy even in Canadian winters (obviously with a snow suit over the top).

For tops, I layered a vest, long sleeve tshirt and jumper/hoody on the coldest days. Peeled off layers as we came inside. Toddlers seem to run warm, so DS used to just wear a vest and long sleeve top indoors.

Definitely snow boots - Baby Bogs are lovely and cosy, properly waterproof, and super cute. Often in the sales or on Amazon. I wouldn’t pay full price, they are like £50 over here.

Snow suit/fleece lined puddle suit. H&M do pretty good ones, as do John Lewis.

Waterproof mitts - again, H&M ones are cheap and work well. DS was wearing his out to play in -10C snow, and his hands stayed warm and dry.

Lined hat that covers his ears and stays on. We have had lined waterproof trapper hats, and fleece lined beanies, and both worked well.

At this age I wouldn’t bother with snow pants, just a snow/puddle suit, but for two year olds I found separates worked better. DS wore his warm coat from end of October into spring, but swapped between snow pants and lined rain pants depending on how cold it was.

And yes a liner for the push chair is essential - they get really cold really quickly when they are sitting around not moving much.

Merino wool leggings/onesies/vests. They're pricey so I keep an eye out in summer when they're cheaper but they are great as an underlayer for keeping warm on the cold. Babu, Buck&Baa are brands I've found to be good.

If your DC is anything like mine, just make sure you buy it in a variety of sizes. Because you know they will be too big for everything by the time winter comes.

I was a bit of a hard mum too. We still stuck to an extra layer to us. We had a waterproof puddle suit if we were going somewhere muddy and used a cosy toes with loads of brackets for the buggy if out all day.

Do people really go out hill walking for 8 hours a day with a one year old in Scotland the middle of winter? I'm all for the outdoors lifestyle, but even that's a bit extreme for me.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and tips everyone 😊 I’ve saved them all and will get shopping soon!
We’re a pretty outdoorsy family too! Very lucky to live a 2 minute walk from the beach and have a lovely glen to walk through where we live so we spend as much time as we can outdoors 😊 I also don’t drive and will be returning to work soon so will be out in all weathers for childcare drop offs early and late in the day etc so just want to make sure we’re prepared 😊

Do people really go out hill walking for 8 hours a day with a one year old in Scotland the middle of winter? confused I'm all for the outdoors lifestyle, but even that's a bit extreme for me

It does depend a bit on where you live, but if OP is in Scotland she’ll get snow, and for snow you need waterproofs.

And some kids like being outdoors more than others. DS will spend hours in the playground if you let him, so he does need wrapping up warm even when it is above zero - fingers and feet get disproportionately cold.