Simple Tips

January 24, 2008 | Print

Keeping Kids Warm

Winter is the season for coaxing kids into their jackets.

Young children lack our sense of body temperature. They notice they’re cold when they’re really cold. (Cold hands often mean a child is fighting the chill.)

As four year olds run across a frosty lawn, they may tell us they feel fine when their bodies are working overtime to generate heat. The extra effort depletes their energy as well as their immune systems. Also, for children to be present in their play with all the powers of imagination, their bodies need to be warm.

We’re familiar with the answer, “It’s sunny Mom, I don’t need a jacket,” so we’ve developed a few approaches for keeping our kids warm.

Give them a sense of warmth. We play around with being warm–roll on a lambswool blanket, wash hands in warm water or a bowl of warm water, find a sunny spot in the house and read books there while we cuddle, or make them cozy by covering them with blankets.

Layering is key. Especially when mornings are cold and afternoons warmer.

We start out with two T-shirts (short and long sleeve), with an extra sweatshirt and/or fleece vest in the morning under their jackets. Later at school, they’ll have options depending on the weather.

Jackets are not a choice. When they go outside, they wear a jacket, hat and/or mittens–our decision.

Warming up is fun. We get warm after playing outside in the cold, put on slippers and a sweatshirt and make Chamomile tea with honey, a great alternative to hot chocolate.

Find outerwear that works. It’s important kids like their warm clothes, and can move around in them. Often it takes a few tries (purchases and returns) to find the right jackets, hats and gloves.

Our favorite resources for warm clothes:

Patagonia is made for layering. The clothes can be an investment, but we find their zippers are the easiest for preschoolers to master, and the clothes last forever.

We like the zip up fleece jackets (good over a sweatshirt and/or under a rain coat), fleece vests, and outerwear jackets.

L.L. Bean for rain boots, rain coats and pants, fleece mittens, Comfort Mocs, and reasonably priced snow gear.

Acorn Booties are great slippers for toddlers and preschoolers. Almost two year old Oliver likes to sleep in his Acorns.

SmartWool Socks come in different thicknesses, sizes and colors for babies and kids. Good for little ones sleeping in cribs on cold nights. The kids wear them on wet days with their rain boots.

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