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Right now it's 48F, and past few days were in San Antonio not much warmer either. Cold and rainy. Nasty to the bones.
BTW: walking from the car to the store is not a (health) problem, but I see kids on streets and playgrounds wearing t-shirts and flip-flops when its cold, while moms or dads are cuddled in sweaters and parkas.
Kids don't feel cold and damp in their bones. That's for us old people. Right now it's "cold" in the evenings by Southern California standards (say, 50 degrees). I'm wearing jeans, a jacket, and socks. My son is 11, and he's out playing with the neighbor kids in T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. This happens every night. If he feels cold, he comes back in and gets his sweatshirt, but more often than not, he doesn't bother. Why? Because he is not cold.
You are confusing "appropriate wear" for social situations with "appropriate wear" for climatic conditions. Those are not the same thing. I do not allow my son to wear his T-shirt and shorts to church. I DO allow him to wear them when he is out playing with his friends, even if I think I would be cold if I were dressed similarly. It's just not something to stress out about, and it doesn't mean he will grow up thinking it is OK to wear swim trunks to a job interview.
A friend who lives in Maine told me that as pre-teens, his kids would run out and play in the snow barefoot. They didn't want to wear shoes even though their feet turned blue, and their cold tolerance was astonishing for my friend, who was raised in Brazil. By the way, this was 10 years ago, and the kids remained alive and well.
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You may need to remind your baby to pick out certain items that may be missing from his/her outfit. ...A baby in a car seat wearing PJ doesn't know he has "right" to choose his clothes. He certainly knows that he is cold, and wonder why his parents don't care...
No one will claim that babies should be picking out their own clothes. Parents dress babies, and yes, we all hope they choose clothes that suit the weather. Pajamas on a baby is NOT inappropriate wear for shopping or otherwise being in public. When my babies were tiny, they wore sleepers almost all the time. Sleepers kept their arms, legs and feet warm and were far more practical than something "cute" like a little dress or a little suit.
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A toddler in a car seat, in a PJ, and no cover is not dressed appropriately no matter what. Unless we want to raise another generation of Walmart people, and worst dressed nation in a developed world.
This takes the prize for the most ridiculous and judgiest statement ever. Did you ever have kids?
Up till the age of 5 I picked out my kids clothes for them. After that I advised them what to wear. Such as, it's cold wear long sleeves, it's hot wear shorts. They picked the rest. Even now my oldest is 10 and I'm not going to let her wear shorts when it's snowing outside! Nope! It's called being a parent and teaching kids what to do.
Up till the age of 5 I picked out my kids clothes for them. After that I advised them what to wear. Such as, it's cold wear long sleeves, it's hot wear shorts. They picked the rest. Even now my oldest is 10 and I'm not going to let her wear shorts when it's snowing outside! Nope! It's called being a parent and teaching kids what to do.
OK... but we're talking about long sleeves in the rain not shorts in the snow.
BTW kids don't tend to feel as cold as adults do. If its a short walk to the car...its nothing.
Today was 32 degrees and I wore a dress (to the knee) and sandals with a sweatshirt type coat. I was fine as long as I was walking to and from the car.
Good lord....with all the abuse kids suffer, someone even bothers to write about this?
When I lived in the south, I would have my baby/young child dressed for the weather. We would walk into the store. 30 minutes later we would walk out and the weather would be totally different.
I remember most my son was 6 months and it was 75 degrees out. He was dressed in a onesie type outfit and just some socks. We came out of the store and it was cold and hailing. It wasn't in the weather report, at least that I saw that morning. I got a couple nasty looks. But I am not psychic. My baby was cold for 30 seconds until we got to the car. Big deal?
And if I was dressed warm...so. I used t get cold when it was 75 degrees where my kid would be sweating bullets.
I dare to disagree. Small kids should not make choices in some instances. They need to be taught and guided. Guidance involves setting clear, consistent limits that have reasons and striving to foster independence. Guidance helps children make wise choices . Guidance is not, however, letting a child "go free", and do what they want. Children need to know that adults are watching out for them and ensuring their health and safety.
Parents should determine inappropriate clothing options. Clothing that does not protect your child against the weather or clothing that is inappropriate for the occasion should make the inappropriate list.
It rained all weekend here and it was cold for San Antonio, that's true. We went shopping yesterday and one of my kids wore flip flops while the other refused to bring a jacket because the jacket covers up her curves. I let them wear whatever. By the time we got to the store, the one in flip flops was complaining because her feet were freezing. The one in the thin shirt with no jacket (who is always cold even in the summer) was looking pretty chilly, but she insisted she wasn't cold at all. I was wearing my jacket, but I didn't offer it to her. She owns three leather jackets, two rain jackets, probably 10 hoodies, a trench coat, a heavy winter coat, and countless sweaters, so I know I've provided what she needs, even if she's a teenager who doesn't have the sense to wear a jacket in the cold.
I used to pick all of their clothes every day. Then I realized when they were 10 and 7 that they had no idea how to put together an outfit. I started letting them choose their own clothes and decide when to wear which clothes. It's a good thing to know how to do. I put a full-length mirror in their hallway so they can look at their outfits, and I'm always willing to offer advice when they ask for it, but only when they ask for it.
Up till the age of 5 I picked out my kids clothes for them. After that I advised them what to wear. Such as, it's cold wear long sleeves, it's hot wear shorts. They picked the rest. Even now my oldest is 10 and I'm not going to let her wear shorts when it's snowing outside! Nope! It's called being a parent and teaching kids what to do.
You know....part of parenting is also stepping back and letting them make some choices, suffer the consequences (and conversely reaping the rewards) of their own decisions. It's appropriate to do that starting with small things that aren't super important. Like deciding whether to wear coats in situations that while they may regret their decision, won't actually cause harm.
And here in Colorado it isn't unusual to see people in shorts while it's snowing, so coatless for a short walk in 50 degree rain I wouldn't blink at.
The problem with getting wet is that it can cause them to be cold until they get dry, which can be a long time. Going from car to store without a jacket is fine, as long as it's not raining.
Seeing children cold and wet grates on my nerves. I wouldn't blame the parents, because it's partly my fault for letting such things bother me. I get equally bothered by people getting hurt on America's Funniest Home Videos, and don't find them funny at all when they involve injuries, even minor injuries. I know I shouldn't let such things grate on my nerves. But what if it's what Trump meant by making America grate again?
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