How to dress kids for winter cold?

[Goddess3_2005]

Ok this may sound like a dumb question. I just moved from AZ up to Idaho where supposably it gets down to -20 a times with the wind chill. I am so lost at what my kids need to keep them warm during the winter. Can any of you experienced moms tell me what I need and what brands are best to buy? I would hate to have popsicle kids this winter, LOL. :p

[lilyka]

HI ! Fun. temps are similar here in South Dakota.

first your kids will adapt faster than you and once you adapt it isn't that big of a deal. I had adapted pretty well by theend of my first winter.

layerl ayer layer.

how old your children are makes a difference.

layers one and two. no need for long underwear unless you will be playing outside in the snow for quite a while. Girls should wear cotton tights or leggings under dresses. these also double nicely as long underwear. otherwise jeans or sweats would be enough. My kids wore leggings most of the winter when they were smaller and did just fine but this wasn't suitable for any amount of outside play. long sleeve tops with an undershirt for winter. cotton or whatever. no need fo speical fabrics nessecary. fleece is fun but have a wearable shirt underneath or they will get too hot indoors.

outer wear:
we don't go for any specific brands (but we don't do a lot outside. just 30 minutes here and tehre in the snow) Usually whatever is cheap at the end of the season and whatever we can find for snow pants. One dd has a coat from REI that is fabulous. I also like Gymboree stuff. most people who spend more on childrens clothes buy Columbia. Hqave some snow pants but they really arn't nessecary for every day. just for playing outside for extended periods of time. I do not recommend one peice sets even for babies.
also if you are spending a lot of time outside I recommend a middle light fleece layer.

hats, gloves, scarves, etc. whatever you can do to sheild the hands dnd all parts of the head and face. i like stretchy cotton gloves. we usually buy about 10 pairs and change frequently while playingin the snow. mittens and warmer gloves are good but rarely get left on and still get wet quickly while playinging the snow. we do a good stocking cap and a scarf and then pull up the hoof of thier jacket.usually all that is sticking out is eyes and nose. the nose can be tucked away into the scarf.

Shoes:
wear socks. no need for super socks and don't double layer. this cuts of circualtion and makes your toescolder. if you really ned more than a regular pair of socks get some fleece or wool. just go to a sporting goods store and peruse thier sock selection. then boots. hiking boots or fashion boots for every day and snow boots for trapsing about in the snow. Tennies are also fine for every day but boots keep the feet a bit dryer and warmer.

Check with your childs school they may have requirements about what sort of gear they need. ours do.

my kidsoften wear hats inside as well as out to keep the warmth in.

oh- jammies. just any long sleeve long pants types. no need for blanket sleepers etc but they are nice if your child likes them and the house isn't too hot. Feet should be covered at night if it isn't too hot in the house.

[Lula's Mom]

Oh my! That is a big climate change. Well, I once moved from FL to Syracuse NY, and I was at a loss too. I was the only one wearing my loafers with no socks, walking through the snow, in high school...

I learned to layer. Start with long underwear. Then a long-sleeved shirt, and a fleecy or quilted vest. The vest will really help keep the heat in. Then a pullover, fleece is good for this one too. Then a winter coat. Hat and gloves are essential, as are nice thick socks, and waterproof boots. A scarf fills in the gap between your hat and your coat, which is especially necessary when it's windy.

Good luck! Winter weather is actually a lot of fun, as long as you dress appropriately. When the kids start running around in it, they will probably get so warm they'll want to take off their jackets and sometimes even their pullovers. As long as they keep their hats and vests and gloves on, they'll be fine!

[trinity6232000]

lilyka's response was great. I only have one more tip. I live in PA
our Winter's vary here. As a Mom I always want to bundle dd up
coat, scarf, gloves, etc. I get very cold in the Winter and I layer
up even when in my home. But my daughter is always warm. She
sweats all year long when she is sleeping and hates blankets. I
stopped buying her coats with hoods, and I buy her a warm hat
instead because she would get all sweaty in her neck with a hooded
coat. Making her very uncomfortable. I have to remember that she
doesn't need as much bundling up as I do. Resisting the urge to
bundle her up anyhow.
So if she is playing in the snow I put a hat on her and snowsuit. If
were just running out, or going to school I make sure all her skin is
covered, and I just put on her winter coat. She only wears gloves
if she is playing in the snow.
I hope you enjoy your relocation. :)

[OakBerry]

I live in New England. In the fall, he wears a midweight jacket, with sweatpants/sweatshirt or those lined nylon "gym" pants. They are great because the resist water in the damp chilly weather. I also get a pair of work boots for him. In winter, I get a heavier "winter" coat, and a pair of snowpants or bib overall snowpants. He wears those outside with his jeans or normal clothes underneath. I get a pair of winter boots for snow that are lined. And a hat and mittens (but he refuses the mittens, lol)
With toddlers, you can probably buy store brands for these items, as you probably aren't going to be out for too long when it's really cold.

Also, if it's cold and we are going out in the car, to shop for instance, I will just put a jacket, hat and boots on him. No need to bundle up heavy for car trips, as it gets hot in the car.

[julielenore]

I live in Ontario, and it can get very cold and windy. If you are going to shell out big bucks on anything, make it the boots. I prefer Sorels for my children or something that guarantees to -30 C. I like to dress the kids in layers, as even if it is cold, and they are running around, they can get sweaty, and then get chilled quickly. I would stay away from a cheap Walmart type snowsuit, as they tend to rip and not be so warm. I like to buy snowsuits second hand from consignment stores or yard sales, they are quality made, but cost less than department store suits.
Another good item to have is a neckwarmer. They take the place of scarves, which are a strangulation hazard. I made my own using fleece.

[lilyka]

my kids by the way have just informed me that snow pants are preferable to snopw bibs. i think that would be a snow on your belly hazard but they say they are much better.

[Willowrose]

We have some very cold winters here in Michigan and I've tried all different brands of outerwear. I will only buy the Hanna Andersson snowsuits and coats. They keep the kids super warm, but yet they still allow for movement. The kids can actually run in their snowsuits. I really like their hats/mittens/boots. However, I got some really good deals on some Lands End boots for my younger son this year and some LL Bean hats/mittens. I really like both of their outerwear as well, but it tends to be a bit bulkier.

***The snowsuits we get from Hanna are one piece which the boys seem to be much more comfortable in rather than the seperates. The first Hanna snowsuit I got for my older son he got 2 full seasons out of it at ages 2 and 3. This year, little brother is 2, so I'm counting on 2 full seasons for him again.

[onlyzombiecat]

I found this site informative on good layering-
http://www.onestepahead.com/custserv/shopsmartertemplate3main.jsp?iCategoryID=8&iContentID=1991955

If your child is just going from heated house to heated car to other heated building you probably do not need to do as much layering. We take a blanket in the car in winter to cover up legs or for emergency.

Mittens are warmer than gloves. Have a couple of pairs so they have a pair to wear when one gets wet.

I agree with the pp who said to invest in good boots. That is where we probably spend the most money.

I don't think brand matters so much in coats and snowpants.
We like to get a coat with a hood and elastic on sleeves to cut down on snow getting in. Dd can still wear a hat underneath on super cold days. We also do layers. Snow pants as opposed to full snowsuit for easier bathroom access.

I think another tip is to check on your kids playing outside to see if they are getting cold (or if they are too warm). They do not always notice when they are busy playing.

For winter safety in the car-
http://www.accem.org/pointers/eppdec03.html

[lilyka]

Oh, I almost forgot. Snow cuffs. you an get these at your arms and legs and are a huge big deal if your kids are going to play outside alot in the snow or do snow sports. it is hard to explain but there is a liner about six inches up form teh cuff of the sleeve. it has elastic but the actual sleve does not. so you tuck the snow cuff into your glove so that snow does not go in your gloves, and then your sleeve comes down over you wrist/hand as usual. does that make any sense.

[huggerwocky]

well, I know you're asking about kids, but I! have to wear fleece or wool inside the house if I want to stay warm and the heat is running all day ( and off during night cause I can't stand the dry air)

I don't know if that's just our crappy insulation or if this is normal...

My daughter either wears long underwear or tights under her pants, everything else is too cold ( she goes to school, at home she wears comfy stuff)

I also find a monkey cap or soemthing partially covering your face very very helpful if you want to be outside for more than 20 min and maybe even do sports.Breathing can actually hurt without :innocent

Oh, and don't those cheap crappy hats,gloves and scarfs they sell at places like target, it feels like you're wearing none at all IMO.

If you buy snowboots make sure thay have removable liners...we learnt the hard way :shy
Again, here it pays off to pay for quality......my daughter got cold feet in hers that didn't have proper insulation.

[huggerwocky]

my kids by the way have just informed me that snow pants are preferable to snopw bibs. i think that would be a snow on your belly hazard but they say they are much better.

he he he, my daughter refused bibs,too!

[krisnic]

I am also in Michigan. I prefer a tshirt with a sweatshirt over it. Then it is warm when you are in the cold, and when you are indoors and get hot, you have the tshirt.

Also, another item that is great when you are outdoors is a neck warmer. We call them turtle fur (don't know why) but it's fleece material (probably very easy to make) that goes around your neck. You can cover part of your face too. Makes a world of difference.

[Goddess3_2005]

Wow ! thanks for all the great info! Now to go buy all this stuff in multipules of 5, LOL

[Sir Top-um Hatt]

i am new here......i live in wisconsin and it gets pretty cold here too. what we have found is that if you heare a t-shirt with a sweater over it works great. we can then keep the children at a comfotable temp without having to pack extra clothes. also if you are shelling out money it should be for the outerwear. for us its the boots and the coat. we get ok snow pants but we use the coat a whole lot more.

[Starr]

I second the Sorel boots, they are very good. I look for the kind where the liner can come out in case I need to dry it.

I also have the neck turtle thing also. I love it. Its kinda like a scarf, but I use them both anyway.

One thing I might be splurging on this year is a nice Columbia coat. Its got the two layers that you zip together to create one big warm coat, and you also have a summer, spring, and fall jacket too. They retail for about $225, but right now I found one I liked for $170, not sure if I'm going to get it but am very tempted

I'm also trying to find some mittens I wish I would have bought last year. They were womens Columbia and were mittens but they had a seperate compartment for each finger. They were on sale for $40 and I'm kicking myself for not getting them.

In the winter we do a lot of ice fishing, blowing open driveway, snowmobiling. That it really makes sense to get the heavy duty stuff to stay warm. Also look for material that repels water.

[Goddess3_2005]

Oh yeah I know what mittens your talking about...

http://www.garnethill.com/jump.jsp?itemID=5908&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C2425%2C6671%2C7423&iProductID=5908

Or these?

http://www.shopping.com/xGS-convertible_mittens~NS-1~linkin_id-3062261
:D

I am so getting these!

[mommyofshmoo]

It's not super cold here, but I wanted to sing the praises of fleece buntings. Up to age three, and maybe even four a fleece bunting is really useful for the mid-range cold weather- like fall and spring. My daughter refuses to layer. She'll wear one bottom layer and a coat, but she'll put a fleece bunting over long undies- which is the only way we can go camping, cuz it's cold here at night and mornings in the spring and fall.

Granted that's advice from the land of drizzling and 45 degrees.