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Winter clothing

77 replies

Anuta77 · 02/02/2019 16:17

We live in a northern country where it's cold pretty much for a about 6 months. Typically in winter, children wear their winter jacket, snow pants, a neck warmer, warm gloves, warm socks, etc. And typically, they just live the house dressed up wherever they go.

So it's the third winter at least that I see SD (who's now 12) coming to our house underdressed. Her parents come from Cuba, but it's not an excuse, the've been here for 8 years. She comes EOW.

She wears thin low socks, thin pants, no leggings, often doesn't bring snowpants, no scarf, thin gloves, not very warm jacket.... And obviously, she freezes. I often lend her my son's or my things, but this year, I don't have snow pants her size. She has warm things at home apparently, but her mother never checks if she's well dressed. I sometimes remind my DP to check if she takes snow pants, but I can't start enumerating all the winter items she needs and sometimes, he picks her up from mother's friend's house or the mother brings her, so he can't check how she's dressed.

Now, I'm thinking, is the mother supposed to check if her daughter is dressed appropriately? My mother always did and I do it with my son. I even do it with SD, but when I have to dress my 1 y old and fight with my 10 y old, I miss some items and last time we went to have an activity outside, she just wanted to go home because she was cold.

DP used to justify the ex by telling me that his daughter is like him, never cold, but SD is afraid of him, so she doesn't complain to him. And he doesn't say anything to his ex. We try to tell SD to take winter things, but she's still a child and she forgets.

OP posts:
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lunar1 · 02/02/2019 22:07

Yes she should make sure she is dressed properly, but she doesn't. So your husband buys everything she needs and takes it with her each time he is collecting his daughter.

Don't make it a competition about who should do what, the only result of that game is the dd being neglected out of spite on both parts.

mayathebeealldaylong · 03/02/2019 08:39

@Anuta77 can you read? Or do you just get worked up by any response that's not fitting to your!
Comes every other weekend - that's 4 days, I'm the only one who cares - so the dad doesn't either.
Dsd wearing your sons or your stuck - how embarrassing.
Parent in your home in your time and work on your own solution with the dad.
Making you feel bad about your little one? Nope, just stating that his behaviour will be the same and you won't like it or make as many excuses.

Does your ds dad dress him properly?

FrancisCrawford · 03/02/2019 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Patchworkpatty · 03/02/2019 09:33

OP, she is 12. It's winter in Scandinavia (or similar 'northern' country) . This is not a small child and it is not a 'little chilly' - it's life threatening cold so why haven't you asked your step daughter where the hell her snow pants are. ?!
She wouldn't go to school, to the shops, to see friends , without them.. so why is she not dressing herself appropriately- sod what mum and dad are up to. That's the first question.
At her age she needs to be taking responsibility for dressing appropriately.

Then - if as I suspect there is some kind of bat-shit passive aggressive nonsense going on with mum and clothing . (Which is beyond shitty because it uses your SD as a pawn ) You simply remove the ability to cause upset by not rising to the issue by buying your SD her own snowpants, warm socks, and other basic kit. Make it a present from you. Not her dad, just you because you notice she's cold. For her to wear when she comes to you. Problem solved and power to cause anger and resentment removed.

swingofthings · 03/02/2019 11:19

but her mother never checks if she's well dressed
Neither did I at 12yo. Or more accurately, I would raise query at their lack of appropriate dressing for the season to be told that it was fine and they were not cold, so I let them find out for themselves. Sometimes I was right and they were cold, but it didn't kill them, and others they somehow were warm enough even though I would have been freezing with that level of dressing.

That's how many secondary kids are though, I see them walking in the mornings with hardly nothing on, girls with skirts and just socks in - 5 temperatures.

Surely if she underdressed to the point of such discomfort because she didn't take the appropriate clothes, she'll remember after a few times. Unless she has learning difficulties, at 12 she should be able to think that much.

Sounds like her mum wants her to grow up whilst you still see her a young child.

CanILeavenowplease · 03/02/2019 11:30

it's exactly my point, because she does bring indoor clothing and panties

She is expected to bring her underwear? Are you serious? Her father basically provides sod all for her when she is in his care and it’s the mother you’re complaining about?

Patchworkpatty · 03/02/2019 12:06

She is expected to bring her underwear? Are you serious?

What a weird response . CanILeavenowplease
Of course children bring their underwear when they come to stay !! Do you not bring YOUR underwear when you go to visit someone's home ?
Please don't start with the 'it's their home too' nonsense. It's their SECOND home if they only visit 4 days a month and pretending otherwise is ridiculous.
Two of my step children (his oldest two live with us and take THEIR underwear to their mothers when they visit) have visited EOW for a decade and can't imagine why they would arrive without underwear!

Chucklecheeks1 · 03/02/2019 12:39

Its their second HOME. There, fixed it for you.

I don't expext my DC or SDC to pack basic necessities when staying at their HOME.

CanILeavenowplease · 03/02/2019 12:48

Yes, it’s their home. Not nonsense. I really don’t understand why any parent wouldn’t want to provide even the bare minimum of necessities for their child whilst in their care. The OP is trying to paint the ex as negelectful whilst her partner is actually neglecting his daughter’s most basic needs. Pot, kettle, black, isn’t it?

Giesabreak · 03/02/2019 13:35

@Patchworkpatty what a shame for those kids feeling like a visitor. Is it such a hardship to have some essentials for them at the "second home"?

If I had a second home somewhere, I WOULD have, at the very least, some basics there, yes!

lunar1 · 03/02/2019 14:11

Do you know what, it's fucking fowl that children have to trudge around for their childhood with a bloody suitcase. Whoever said that she should always have these things with her even visiting someone home should sod off. You really don't think she should have a space with her dad to keep anything?

I hope to god you don't have stepchildren, I feel bloody sorry for them if you do.

lunar1 · 03/02/2019 14:12

Please excuse the hideous spelling in that last post, that comment about stepchildren visiting had me typing in a temper!

ralphfromlordoftheflies · 03/02/2019 14:26

Her dad should have clothes for her in your house. Why doesn't he?

Rubusfruticosus · 03/02/2019 14:40

Do you have her for longer in school holidays? Does she have to pack a bag then too?

ILoveMaxiBondi · 03/02/2019 14:49

12 year olds dress themselves. If you say she is afraid to tell her father she is cold then clearly she notices she is cold so should know to dress herself properly before she leaves the house.

SD1978 · 03/02/2019 14:52

Does she not have any clothing at your house? Her father provides her with nothing, in a location she spends 4 nights a month? She's expected (by both parents) to pack a bag- and makes sure she's dressed appropriately? Does she have a bedroom at her dads? Does it have anything in it? Sorry- I k ow it's not what you want to hear but you are both unreasonable and a little cruel sounding. It would t take much to provide some basics and cheap clothing at your house, so maybe she actually feels that someone wants her there?!

Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 15:06

I know that at 12, she might be old enough to dress herself, but it's been like that for the past 3 years if not more. It never occurred to me that someone had to feel pity for her because she was wearing my son's thick socks or my leggings. She feels like at home here, takes whatever she wants without asking, so I don't see why these particular items should be a problem. I just don't understand why a child leaves a house clearly underdressed. A couple of weeks ago, I saw her with a woman's fall scarf, must be her mother's, otherwise she just doesn't wear any....

About her bringing her backpack, it's been like that when I started going out with her dad, he lived in a tiny apartment and at that time, his older sons were coming too, everyone with their clothes. Like I said it's from Fri evening to Sun afternoon. My son visits his grandmother a lot (used to be the only grandchild) and while he has some random things, he brings whatever he needs. I never saw this as a problem.

SD doesn't like shopping and grows really fast. Now that she has her piano classes on Sun, she has to leave at noon, that leaves just one full day with us, that's TWO full days with us per month (DP visits her at home too), so I really don't see the point in spending it on shopping when she doesn't care about her looks. I bought her some items and she always wants to bring them home, so that's how it is. She just brings her stuff.

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 15:08

SD1978,
Believe it or not, she does have a bedroom and she had it before my son who lives here full time and doesn't have a father. So don't start please....

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 15:09

mayathebeealldaylong
Does your ds dad dress him properly?

My son have a "dad" who lives in another country and doesn't care, but I do dress him properly.

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 15:13

So she should be encouraged to use her common sense and bring her outdoor clothing.
Say to her every time
Where are your snow pants?
It should be habit for her, but as it isn’t, you are going to have to help her take responsibility for herself

That's what we are trying. She did start bringing warm socks after she came here with frozen feet and that just after being in a car (they might have gone out to a restaurant, but that's short time spent outside).

OP posts:
Anuta77 · 03/02/2019 15:17

Then - if as I suspect there is some kind of bat-shit passive aggressive nonsense going on with mum and clothing . (Which is beyond shitty because it uses your SD as a pawn ) You simply remove the ability to cause upset by not rising to the issue by buying your SD her own snowpants, warm socks, and other basic kit. Make it a present from you. Not her dad, just you because you notice she's cold. For her to wear when she comes to you. Problem solved and power to cause anger and resentment removed.

That's what I'm thinking, I'm going to buy some used clothing and give it to her to bring home. They will get the message.

Her mother cares about her looks a lot, so why not about her feeling warm?

4 years ago, my DP was the one who bought her a snow suit that she used 2 years and which was at her mom's. She was using it, but still didn't have all the necessary accessories and I had to dress her anyway.

OP posts:
Patchworkpatty · 03/02/2019 15:22

Why can't step children visit ? Why this pretence that it's their home ? My children have a home with us and visit their dad. Two of my step children have a home with us and visit their mum. Two of my step children have a home with their mum and visit their dad.
This nonsense about 'it's their home' is just politically correct speech that doesn't bare out the reality for most children (including myself when I was a child) . A home is where your stuff is. Where you live day to day. Where your friends hang out with you, where you go to school from. A place where you conduct your everyday life from. Not somewhere that you visit Friday night to Sunday evening every fortnight for the specific purpose of spending time with your non resident parent.
Of course step children bring friends to ours sometimes when they visit, and of course it should be 'homely' and welcoming but it isn't their home . They don't do chores, like resident children, they aren't registered at doctors /schools for administrative purposes like their resident siblings and step siblings. They are very welcome and much loved regular visitors .
As for clothes, their mother is paid a very generous payment for the two who live with her (yet pays nothing for the two that live with us because she has never worked since giving birth 22yrs ago preferring instead to marry well - her choice) DH also provides his 4 with an allowance. So no. I don't feel that we should also buy a wardrobe of yet more clothes for 4 days a month !

ILoveMaxiBondi · 03/02/2019 15:25

I just don't understand why a child leaves a house clearly underdressed.

Ask her! Ask her why she doesn’t wear warmer clothes!

HerRoyalNotness · 03/02/2019 15:30

She’s 12, she’s lived in a cold place for 8 years. She’s old enough to open the door and see how cold it is and dress appropriately. I’d be getting a bit tired of telling a 12yo how to dress for the cold.

Ask her if she has the clothes and why she doesn’t bring them with her.

CanILeavenowplease · 03/02/2019 15:57

A home is where your stuff is

So children don’t have stuff in both homes? A few clothes, pjs, toothbrush, hairbrush, change of shoes, some toys? You really make children pack up all their stuff and remove it till the next time?