Lets think back to our childhood…
I have many beautiful memories from when I was a young child growing up in Minnesota. One memory that has always stuck with me is my mother constantly telling me to put on a coat. While she tried to force her children to wear coats, my defiant self often told her no, which caused conflict. I simply wanted to oversee my own autonomy, and I expressed myself through my clothing.
Having children in today’s world
Fast forward to 2014 when I had a daughter of my own. From a very early age, I could tell she had similar characteristics to me. She has a bold personality, and telling her what to wear caused so much anxiety and frustration that I quickly changed my tune and allowed her to wear whatever she wanted. One morning, I even allowed her to go to school dressed like a reindeer in kindergarten.
Children self-expression and choice-making
Self-expression is important to her, and I understood and respected that. I never told her she had to wear bows, or that her clothing didn’t match. I didn’t try to talk her out of the glitter shoes that I knew were a size too small. Allowing her to make her own decisions and deal with the consequences has been a big life lesson in our household. It made mornings much less stressful and started our day on a positive note.
Morning battles over coats and clothing
The same sentiment goes with bundling up and wearing a coat everyday. We used to battle each morning when she would head off to school and only wanted to wear sweatshirts and lighter jackets. I discussed the concern with her pediatrician and was surprised at their response. They explained that illness comes from germs, not the air temperature outside. So why are we taught at a young age that if we don’t bundle up, we will get sick? They explained that if a child happens to be exposed to germs while their body temperature is lowered, the body could be less likely to activate a full immune response to fight off infection. However the correlation between a child not bundling up and a illness is has not been proven.
What does science tell us?
In short, there is no specific scientific data that supports the claim that sending a child outside in cold weather without a coat will increase their chances of illness. This myth has been told for many decades, and it is still unclear where it originated. While we do our best to take precautions and bring a coat in the event of an emergency, our children get to choose what goes on their body when we step outside.
How to make decisions based on your children’s needs
When the temperatures are chilly I tell my children that it is cold and advise them that to be comfortable, I would suggest wearing a coat. However, ultimately I leave the decision up to them and allow them to make the choice on their own.
Do you make your children wear coats? Share with us why or why not!
