There is nothing wrong with some clothing!

[llamafarm]

after school yesterday I had conferences. The conference went as expected. But.. difficult child had hung out at school at aftercare to play while he waited for me. When I went outside there he is with a t-shirt and shorts (it was maybe 45 degrees). He did go to school with pants on, and often just happens to wear what he had in bed underneath his school clothes. I found myself yelling across the school yard "difficult child put your pants on!" One of the after school care counselors came over to me and said, "it's okay, I had to ask him a little while ago to put his shirt back on." Thank goodness it made me laugh. What else can I do? This winter it has been rough for him to wear the correct clothing. I don't know if it is the strange weather, his thought that athletes get hot and need to take off clothes, or that he is really proud of his muscles... I think I will look at this in good humor instead of making myself crazy trying to fix clothing issues too!

 

[buddy]

Good way to look at it. He is likely bright enough (mine is so I bet yours is) to know if he is really cold. So it looks strange (though I have to say, in the middle school I actually see several kids in shorts with 40 something weather, very odd to me.....

I dont make a power struggle over jackets, boots, etc.... and will sometimes throw them in the car if we are going somewhere where I know he will change his mind. When little I could narrate my thoughts....wow I sure dont want to be cold, I think I will wear my warmest coat... and he would say, wait, I dont really want to be cold, do you think I should just wear a warm coat mom??? LOL. of my neurotypical nieces and nephews (I have five) two of them cant make that change from warm clothing to cold clothing and then once finally into it...can't go back easily.

yup, gotta just laugh sometimes. At least she didn't have to tell him to put his underwear back on!

 

[HaoZi]

Give up on the clothes. Educate him on frostbite (Google image search is great for that), then let it go. If he gets cold, he'll put more on. Many difficult children seem to run hot, and boys often run hotter than girls (more muscle mass).

 

[confuzzled]

well, he's 11.

and frankly, thats the style these days. all the boys wear shorts and t-shirt in sub below zero weather. i shiver just looking at them. but it's the cool thing to do.

kind of the equivalent of us old people insisting we didnt need a hat (because a:it was dorky and b: it messed up your hairdo).

i'd put it in the "let me dance for joy thats the most normal thing i've seen today" column....honest!

 

[TeDo]

I was going to say the same thing. difficult child 1 runs REALLY hot. Shorts are not unusual here too. I have the heat in our house set at 68 and he runs around in just his boxers sometimes because he's "HOT!!"

I LOVE HaoZi's idea of a frostbite lesson although at 45 degrees I don't know that's going to happen.... BUT .... might make him think twice at least???

 

[llamafarm]

I never really thought about him "running hot." But it does make sense. My dog looked at me funny as I laughed out loud reading about us and hats when we were younger. Good point. The pictures of frostbite are a great idea. That would get something rolling around in his head. He does like facts and info. With his explosive behavior I need to have it mysteriously open on the computer when he gets home on a day that the weather is very cold.

Oh yes, and even better in the poor clothes judgement, he loves wading in creeks regardless of the temperature. So he is off catching whatever water creatures and he comes home to tell me he slipped, or had to take off his shoes to wade in to save or observe or catch some creature. That is the day for the frostbite photos to show up.
Thanks all.

 

[HaoZi]

Frostbite can happen at 50 degrees (especially with wind), so it's a viable lesson in most states.

 

[AnnieO]

Jett does this, too.

Normally, I only say something if it's a real issue. Like it's sleeting and he has on shorts. Or we're going to dinner and he's got ratty stuff on.

This kid - gets hot ALL THE TIME - yet sleeps under a comforter, with his fan on cause he's hot - Uhhhhh - and won't take his coat off when we get somewhere, unless reminded.

When small, he came to us for a visit wearing heavy velour. It was 85 degrees. Poor thing was POURING sweat. A few months later, it was 22, and he came for a visit in short, t-shirt and no coat - and the next day I had him at the ER because he had stopped breathing.

So - as long as he isn't sick - and it's reasonable - don't worry too much. At 45, here, I don't wear a coat anymore.