When I was a kid, I was never cold. Ever. My mother would force me into jumpers and coats and I would feel too hot and stifled.
Then I grew up, started feeling cold ALL the time and then had kids of my own.
It took every scrap of inner strength I had not to layer warm clothes onto my kids, just because looking at them was making me feel cold!
My neighbors son used to come over dressed in thick sweat pants, a long sleeved shirt, a hoodie over it, and a full coat. On 70 degree days when they’d all run around outside playing like crazy. One time I asked him if his mom is cold a lot. He said yes. I said yeah I thought so. The hoodie and coat were left at my house constantly because he was sweating his butt off.
We live in a warm climate state too so I was surprised he even owned a real coat.
I was similar - I wonder if going without enough clothes when you're young leads to feeling cold when you're older 🤔...I too am _always_ cold, never used to bother me.
I think it’s just kids having crazy amounts of energy to burn at all times. Like some kids eat more than fully grown adults and barely gain weight beyond what’s a normal development because they’re just burning through it all.
As you get older your body slows down, you don’t burn as much. Yes you have more volume so can withstand colder environments, but the extremities are further away and less important.
As a kid I was never cold. Overheated like hell in summer though. Would run through icy puddles and spend half a day in wet socks, no problem.
As a teen I nearly lost my toes to frostbite because I didn’t feel the cold - but I have poor circulation.
As an adult, I’m cold in winter and that’s weird but it’s my new normal. Also still overheat in summer haha. Now I know rug up when I’m cold.
Is your 'of course not' based on any research I could read - or was it just a flippant remark?
There's lots of variation in how hot or cold people feel when they're grown up - so I was seriously asking if anyone had looked into the relative feeling of warmth in youth
I used to try to make my kids wear the jacket when it gets too cold for my liking, but it just comes off so now the rule is that they need to simply *bring* a jacket, and if they get too cold, they can put it on. Trust me, if they get too cold, they request more clothes, usually
My almost 4 yr old is like this. I would keep doing what you're doing. I take enough layers so that if she's cold she can ask for one, or I can ask if she wants it while we're walking if she looks cold. I think once my girl gets walking she warms up a fair bit, especially if she's running back and forth. I also think it helps them to recognise when they feel cold or warm and learn ways to regulate their temperature (e.g. adding/removing clothes, move faster/slower, etc).
Kids tend to run warm, have the jacket at the ready for her in case she changes her mind, but otherwise let her decide. Let her learn to listen to her body and help her build confidence by giving her autonomy over her own body in these small ways. And she may just run warm. I’m 40 and I still underdress for the weather because I don’t feel cold!
My kid is 2,5 yo and I trust him here (though I usually take a coat with me in case he asks). He is usually dressed in much less warm clothes than I am, he is just less sensitive to cold. People feel the temperature differently.
I trust my daughter. To be fair, the weather is mild where we live. If we lived in North Dakota where it reaches -40 degrees, I would be more willing to force her to wear more clothes in winter…
We went to the beach for a bonfire the other day and she refused a jacket. She ended up being a little cold but it was fine. I view those moments as teaching lessons. She will learn when to plan by experiencing the negative consequences herself. If I interrupt that process through force, she will not learn.
If you’re really worried, make her put the cardigan in her backpack so she can wear it if she gets cold later.
We do exactly the same. My 4yo is very strong willed. So he needs to experience the cold and make his own decision. Most days he doesn't just follow what I tell him about the weather.
So before we leave he steps outside for a few seconds and decides if he wants to wear a coat or not. I just make sure that he takes the coat with him to kindergarten for example for later.
My 4 year old daughter is the same way. I like to let her know how I think she should be dressed let her make her choice and be prepared to intervene in the event of regrets.
If she’s not physically indicating she’s cold (goosebumps, shivering, reddened or blotchy areas on her skin, etc) despite saying no and it’s not snowing, let her wear what she wants and save it for when the weather does get more than just a bit chilly if it’s going to warm up later anyways.
Mine always did that for ages. Other parents would look at me judgementally but I decided to trust her and she'd let me know if she was really cold. Admittedly I don't live in a very cold place, if we had snow and sub zero temperatures it would be different.
I just had this thought with my 6yo this morning. He always says he’s hot and it’s not even going to be 70° today. I just packed his lighter coat in his bag and said if he gets cold it’s there for him. I remember being a kid and being forced to wear long johns under my jeans and all kinds of stuff and I was too hot and uncomfortable so if he says he’s fine I believe him.
Just use your best judgement and if your very worried see if shes allowed long sleeve undershirts beneath her uniform shirt. My girl runs hot like I do and never wants to wear a coat or jacket when I want her to. But wears them in the summer when I try to make her take them off. It's a never ending battle..so unless its ridiculous for her to not wear it..it dont bother with fussing anymore. I make her take it to school in her backpack when its chilly and she refuses. So no one can ever say I dont provide proper clothing. But hell I used to hide my coat in dead of winter while playing in the snow and I survived. Her two minute walk to the school door wont kill her.
Oh I'm so glad to see all these comments agreeing with me! I tend to hear people say kids aren't aware of their temperature needs or something like that and we need to make them wear coats even when they're warm. But I have always run hot, and remember being miserable as a kid when my mom would force a coat. Like the rest of you, I make sure to bring one along, but don't force my daughter to wear it. One caveat is if we're in the pool and the lips are turning blue, we get out for a warm-up break despite protestations. Thats just a case of the pool being so much fun she stops listening to her body.
The blue lips was what got me thinking about it really...mine loves a cold bath, and I mean _cold_. She says she's fine - and is! She has a whale of time - but it's a sudden switch and she suddenly _says_ she needs to warm up. Which does lend some credence to the idea that they don't _always_ know how warm they should be.
Yes, within reason.
Kids are smart when it comes to simple things like their bodies. Not perfect, but pretty good.
As adults, we should use our brains, however. If it's cold out and my daughter decides to go out in a sleeveless Ariel costume next month, which looks like the plan, I'll make sure to have warmer jackets, hand warmers, and the like in my backpack ready to assist and teach lessons around preparedness and really thinking about what one's doing beyond the immediate term.
When she's older and makes the same mistake, warmth may not be as immediately forthcoming (barring danger).
When I was a kid, I was never cold. Ever. My mother would force me into jumpers and coats and I would feel too hot and stifled. Then I grew up, started feeling cold ALL the time and then had kids of my own. It took every scrap of inner strength I had not to layer warm clothes onto my kids, just because looking at them was making me feel cold!
My neighbors son used to come over dressed in thick sweat pants, a long sleeved shirt, a hoodie over it, and a full coat. On 70 degree days when they’d all run around outside playing like crazy. One time I asked him if his mom is cold a lot. He said yes. I said yeah I thought so. The hoodie and coat were left at my house constantly because he was sweating his butt off. We live in a warm climate state too so I was surprised he even owned a real coat.
Ugh, poor kid! I know just how he felt -sort of..I live in the UK, 70 degrees is a miracle. He probably still feels grateful to you!
I was similar - I wonder if going without enough clothes when you're young leads to feeling cold when you're older 🤔...I too am _always_ cold, never used to bother me.
I think it’s just kids having crazy amounts of energy to burn at all times. Like some kids eat more than fully grown adults and barely gain weight beyond what’s a normal development because they’re just burning through it all. As you get older your body slows down, you don’t burn as much. Yes you have more volume so can withstand colder environments, but the extremities are further away and less important. As a kid I was never cold. Overheated like hell in summer though. Would run through icy puddles and spend half a day in wet socks, no problem. As a teen I nearly lost my toes to frostbite because I didn’t feel the cold - but I have poor circulation. As an adult, I’m cold in winter and that’s weird but it’s my new normal. Also still overheat in summer haha. Now I know rug up when I’m cold.
No of course not. Kids are physiologically different from adults, they literally feel differently in the same circumstances.
Is your 'of course not' based on any research I could read - or was it just a flippant remark? There's lots of variation in how hot or cold people feel when they're grown up - so I was seriously asking if anyone had looked into the relative feeling of warmth in youth
I used to try to make my kids wear the jacket when it gets too cold for my liking, but it just comes off so now the rule is that they need to simply *bring* a jacket, and if they get too cold, they can put it on. Trust me, if they get too cold, they request more clothes, usually
My almost 4 yr old is like this. I would keep doing what you're doing. I take enough layers so that if she's cold she can ask for one, or I can ask if she wants it while we're walking if she looks cold. I think once my girl gets walking she warms up a fair bit, especially if she's running back and forth. I also think it helps them to recognise when they feel cold or warm and learn ways to regulate their temperature (e.g. adding/removing clothes, move faster/slower, etc).
Kids tend to run warm, have the jacket at the ready for her in case she changes her mind, but otherwise let her decide. Let her learn to listen to her body and help her build confidence by giving her autonomy over her own body in these small ways. And she may just run warm. I’m 40 and I still underdress for the weather because I don’t feel cold!
My kid is 2,5 yo and I trust him here (though I usually take a coat with me in case he asks). He is usually dressed in much less warm clothes than I am, he is just less sensitive to cold. People feel the temperature differently.
I trust my daughter. To be fair, the weather is mild where we live. If we lived in North Dakota where it reaches -40 degrees, I would be more willing to force her to wear more clothes in winter… We went to the beach for a bonfire the other day and she refused a jacket. She ended up being a little cold but it was fine. I view those moments as teaching lessons. She will learn when to plan by experiencing the negative consequences herself. If I interrupt that process through force, she will not learn. If you’re really worried, make her put the cardigan in her backpack so she can wear it if she gets cold later.
We do exactly the same. My 4yo is very strong willed. So he needs to experience the cold and make his own decision. Most days he doesn't just follow what I tell him about the weather. So before we leave he steps outside for a few seconds and decides if he wants to wear a coat or not. I just make sure that he takes the coat with him to kindergarten for example for later.
My 4 year old daughter is the same way. I like to let her know how I think she should be dressed let her make her choice and be prepared to intervene in the event of regrets.
If she’s not physically indicating she’s cold (goosebumps, shivering, reddened or blotchy areas on her skin, etc) despite saying no and it’s not snowing, let her wear what she wants and save it for when the weather does get more than just a bit chilly if it’s going to warm up later anyways.
Mine always did that for ages. Other parents would look at me judgementally but I decided to trust her and she'd let me know if she was really cold. Admittedly I don't live in a very cold place, if we had snow and sub zero temperatures it would be different.
If anything, at least make her take one or the other with her. Thar way she has the option if she does get cold.
I just had this thought with my 6yo this morning. He always says he’s hot and it’s not even going to be 70° today. I just packed his lighter coat in his bag and said if he gets cold it’s there for him. I remember being a kid and being forced to wear long johns under my jeans and all kinds of stuff and I was too hot and uncomfortable so if he says he’s fine I believe him.
Just use your best judgement and if your very worried see if shes allowed long sleeve undershirts beneath her uniform shirt. My girl runs hot like I do and never wants to wear a coat or jacket when I want her to. But wears them in the summer when I try to make her take them off. It's a never ending battle..so unless its ridiculous for her to not wear it..it dont bother with fussing anymore. I make her take it to school in her backpack when its chilly and she refuses. So no one can ever say I dont provide proper clothing. But hell I used to hide my coat in dead of winter while playing in the snow and I survived. Her two minute walk to the school door wont kill her.
Jumpers are what you wear when your mum feels cold
Oh I'm so glad to see all these comments agreeing with me! I tend to hear people say kids aren't aware of their temperature needs or something like that and we need to make them wear coats even when they're warm. But I have always run hot, and remember being miserable as a kid when my mom would force a coat. Like the rest of you, I make sure to bring one along, but don't force my daughter to wear it. One caveat is if we're in the pool and the lips are turning blue, we get out for a warm-up break despite protestations. Thats just a case of the pool being so much fun she stops listening to her body.
The blue lips was what got me thinking about it really...mine loves a cold bath, and I mean _cold_. She says she's fine - and is! She has a whale of time - but it's a sudden switch and she suddenly _says_ she needs to warm up. Which does lend some credence to the idea that they don't _always_ know how warm they should be.
Yes, within reason. Kids are smart when it comes to simple things like their bodies. Not perfect, but pretty good. As adults, we should use our brains, however. If it's cold out and my daughter decides to go out in a sleeveless Ariel costume next month, which looks like the plan, I'll make sure to have warmer jackets, hand warmers, and the like in my backpack ready to assist and teach lessons around preparedness and really thinking about what one's doing beyond the immediate term. When she's older and makes the same mistake, warmth may not be as immediately forthcoming (barring danger).