In the past, I've written before about Ella's aversion to wearing long pants in cold weather (here), and there have been incidents I haven't written about because they were just so awful - like the morning I put her out on the porch in 29 degree weather wearing shorts just prove to her that it was cold out (which didn't work at all). Now that we've entered Texas's other season, called "Not Summer," I'm gearing up for more fights.
Yesterday morning it was in the high 30s when the kids got up, so B and I made Ella put on pants, which she didn't like at all. She got even with us by wearing a short-sleeved shirt and carrying her sweater instead of wearing it.
This morning, it was in the 40s, so I let her wear shorts, but I insisted she wear her sweater. Ella grumbled all the way to the car and refused to talk during the ride to school. I resisted the urge to point out that every other kid in our car pool was wearing long pants, long sleeves, AND a sweater or coat. I knew that would just make her angrier.
In Ella's defense, the weather here can be tricky. We can start the day with temperatures in 30s and have things warm up to the 70s in the afternoon. But it never gets so warm that she's going to roast of heat exhaustion like she claims.
I think to survive the winter I'm going to have to come up with some sort of temperature/clothing chart - if it's below 35, you have to wear x, y, and z; if it's below 40, you have to wear x and y - just to avoid the fights.
At any rate, I'm glad we don't live where it get truly cold. Ella would sooner succumb to frost bite than to admit she needed warm clothes.
7 comments:
So, I'm kinda on Team Ella. I would much rather be a bit chilly than too warm. Also, my wee one has been completely long-pant averse until about a week ago and now all he wants to wear are skinny jeans.
She'll grow out of it. And I doubt she'll freeze in the process. She may just be warm-blooded.
And I have no actual clue what I'm talking about. ; )
I have an electronic thermomenter, one of those ones where you put a probe outside and the receiver inside and it not only tells you them temp, it has a little man who wears "appropriate" clothing depending on the temp. Maybe one of those would help if she agrees she has ot wear what the man tells her to wear.
My parents did exactly that - if it was below 70 degrees we had to wear shoes. Otherwise - barefoot was fine.
Because in rural SC, barefoot is acceptable. All year round.
I'll admit I'm of the "live with the consequences" camp. If she won't wear long pants, or her sweater, fine, but if she's cold, that's her problem. And no, she can't borrow your coat or gloves or whatever because she's cold. If you can remove the battle of wills from the picture, she might start choosing more appropriatly on her own - or not. Some kids are "warm blooded" and are truly not cold, others are always cold. I have one of each.
This is a fight not worth fighting. Ella will not die from cold legs. May I point out that many "grown up" women go out into much colder weather wearing skirts and stockings. Let her wear what she wants and suffer the consequences on her own.
She left this morning in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. The only comment I made was to make sure that she had a sweater in her backpack, "just in case."
If she freezes, she'll figure it out. And I'm sure her teachers have seen other kids like her.
so funny! i hear you--Ethan hates wearing shoes and socks--he'd wear crocs in freezing temps no problem. CO is the same--really cold in the morning but can get up to 70 in the afternoon
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