Letting kids self-regulate clothing (in terms of temperature) - Page 3

[weliveintheforest]

I don't let my dd self regulate with her first layer of clothes, but sweaters are her choice. I have her put on an undershirt (tank) and a long sleeved cotton shirt, and either tights with a jumper or pants. This way I am confident she is warm, even if her shirt is lightweight. I offer her sweaters if it seems cold, and she decides.
If I let my dd decide what to wear she usually under-dresses and I find when she is chilled she is cranky, even if she wouldn't tell me she is cold.

[mysticmomma]

Originally Posted by laohaire

My DD is 3yo and she prefers to wear less clothing than I would like her to. We have our heat set to 62F and frankly I get chilly without a fair number of layers on. But DD will refuse to wear a sweater, or slippers/shoes over her socks (we have hardwood floors and no rugs downstairs, so the floor is pretty cold).

Mostly I let her decide. Sometimes she DOES want a sweater. Also if we're going outside and she refuses a jacket, I just bring it along and go out the door - and on the steps ask her if she wants the jacket again. Almost always, the answer is suddenly Yes. That works fine.

But when her little hands are cold and she still refuses a sweater, what then? Force the issue or let her self-regulate?

This is exactly what we do. I let her wear mostly what she wants, and bring what I think she will need/want later. It drives my parents crazy that she doesn't wear a coat or hat for most of winter. She has also been known to wear a snow suit in the summer. Cold hands don't always translate to body comfort temperature

[Cutie Patootie]

Even though I don't budge on the the long john/woolen thing in cold weather, my kids are free to choose whatever they want to wear on top of that. They always choose their own clothes, and I never make them wear sweaters, etc. So, I don't really see it as a battle or of pushing my choices onto them. It's just part of how they learned to dress themselves and they don't think anything of it.

[laohaire]

I'm the OP and I started this thread about a month ago, and see it popped back up again. While (as I said) I was never controlling about what DD wears, since starting this thread and reading responses I've also relaxed about it.

1) DD is more active than I am and thus stays warmer. I can't compare what I want to wear sitting on my butt all day versus what she wants to wear playing all day, even if we're in the same house.

2) I'm not in the best health. I think it's affected my circulation. My feet particularly have poor circulation. So while I'd be EXTREMELY uncomfortable if I went all day with only socks on those hardwood floors, I've checked DD's feet a few times, and unless they are wet (which sometimes happens; maybe she spills some water and walks through it for example) they seem perfectly warm. But in any event, I can't compare my poor circulation with her healthy circulation (and, of course, I need to work on my health!!).

3) I've noticed that often when I dress her the way I like, and her hands feel "suitably" warm to me, I see rosy spots on her cheeks. Well, they look cute, but I know for myself if my cheeks are rosy like that, I'm uncomfortably hot! So now I know to not just feel her hands but look at her face. I previously might have judged her temperature as "good" when it was really "hot." I've found that her hands are cool but not cold when she's comfortable.

4) She has a failsafe when she gets cold. If she gets chilled, she will ask to nurse! I can tell right away (yikes!!) when she's chilled when she nurses. She'll snuggle up to my warm body and (yikes!!) stick her freezing hands under my breasts. After we nurse (and she's all warmed up again) I'll put another layer on her (or change her socks if they are wet). She does sometimes protest that, but I've noticed she protests less than usual.

So that's pretty much it. I still monitor her, but with less urgency. I also now recognize that her hands should not feel "warm" to my touch (nor should they feel cold), but "cool" is the right temperature for her.

[ann_of_loxley]

I always let my son self regulate.

1). We all have different weather temperments (I guess thats the correct term). I can see this clearly between both DH and I. I get cold easily, he doesnt! I will be all bundled up and he will be fine with nothing but a t-shirt on for example. We just feel the weather differently!
2). How a person feels on the outside (like when you touch their skin) - tells you only that. It does not tell you how they feel on the inside within themselves. My feet are a great example of this! - They feel fine to me...trust me! But if you feel them, they are like ice blocks!!! But, I am not cold - regardless...they will feel like ice blocks even in warm weather! lol

I always let my son self regulate because it is his body and his choice! He is a human being. He has no desire to let himself freeze to death or injury (we all have the basic instict for the desire to live I am sure) - I trust him. I know this sometimes requires him to go outside to feel what the weather is like. I will also bring a jacket/gloves along - that does not bother me (hes 3 - they are not big items! lol) I will ask him frequently if he would like to wear such items. I always trust his answer. I also believe that this keeps him in touch with his own body. (such as I do when I let him eat when he is hungry, and sleep when he is tired)

[Drummer's Wife]

for the most part I let my kids decide what they want to wear. If it's cold I might suggest they bring a sweater but I'd never force them to put more clothes on or anything. If we are going on an outing I tend to throw some jackets in the back of the car anyhow and they are always grateful to have them if it gets chilly.

We don't live where it gets very cold or snows so that's part of it. Around the house the kids are usually close to naked (the baby is always in a diaper unless we are going somewhere) they never ever like to wear socks but I keep the heat at a comfortable level.

Oh, for school, I send a jacket in their backpack even if it's warm in the morning because if it's below a certain temp the teachers will not let the kids outside on recess if they don't have a coat which I get but at the same time my kids take them off to go play anyway.

[eloise24]

My dd isn't old enough for this to be an issue yet (10 months) but I just wanted to laugh when I read about people running around in t's at 62 degrees . . . here in Florida if it gets below about 71 in the house, I'm freezing, wearing sweaters, pants, socks and under a blanket!!! HAHAHA! Funny how SO much of temperature is "relative" to what is normal or common around you . . . I'll be absolutely freezing for the two weeks we're in NY, since it won't get above 70 in the house!