My Son Says He's Never Cold - When Do I Start Making Him Dress More Warmly?

Hehe...a lot of us here in Minnesota wear shorts when it's in the 60s or even the 50s if the sun is out. I would let him decide. It can feel just as uncomfortable to be too warm as too chilly. Some kids just are more warm-blooded. It is an old wive's tale that being cold gives us colds.

We live in Wisconsin so it get's pretty cold in October. I have jackets, gloves, hats, boots available to them. If they want to fight it, I take the love and logic approach. DS loves to bundle up and he starts wearing a scarf when others still have shorts on LOL. DD wants to wear short sleeves, a skirt and no jacket when it's 50 out. She tried it around 40 degrees and the jacket was on the next time - he he.

Unless they could get frostbite, nothing else will happen to them if they are cold, except feeling miserable. If it's cold enough for frostbite then they are forced to wear protective clothing.

If you're in Southern California, I wouldn't make it a battle, personally. It doesn't really get THAT cold there. Nor does it get that cold here.

I run hot & I hate wearing closed shoes, long sleeves, sweaters, jackets, hats, you get the picture. I would hate if someone forced me to wear these things when I was already sweating my butt off.

Let him learn by consequence. Say there's a cold spell & he insists on wearing summer gear. Let him freeze & then he'll see.

I usually don't push the issue but mine are a little older. I just keep a few assorted jackets in the back of my car in the winter in case someone decides they really are cold.

I have this problem too, but we live in New England. I think that if I were in your climate, my children wouldn't own anything but shorts and tee-shirts because that's what they're wearing here. My FIL and husband run hot as well. My rule here is that my teenagers can wear what they want (in terms of warm or cool) and if they choose to freeze or look like idiots, they're free to do so. Many teenage boys here wear shorts to school all winter and no child over the age of 11 will be caught dead wearing a jacket any warmer than a Northface fleece.

With my younger boys (5 & 7) I put away most of their shorts after Halloween. It was probably in the 40's or 50's most days by then (although it's been warmer since then). Even on mornings as low as 30 (when it's in the 40's by recess time) they wear only a hoodie, no jacket. I'm not worried about them getting sick - viruses and bacteria cause illness, not how warmly or cooly they're dressed. When it gets truly cold, they will wear jackets, hats and gloves without a fight.

I say let your son decide within reason. Don't turn it into a power struggle or he will let himself be cold and not admit it. If you make it not a big deal, he'll just listen to his body. Perhaps make him pack a light jacket but not wear it, and send him to school in pants if it's below a certain temperature (65 maybe?) if you feel like people will think you're a bad mother. My kids' teachers know that I have and offer appropriate clothing and they choose to not use it, and they have kids like this in their classes every year.

Well, my husband and his family are "hot" all the time, while I am mostly cold. When my kids were little, I used to try to dress them warmly, and force the issue. My husband made a huge deal about it, saying the kids would let us know if they were cold. So I told him, OK, you have to pay the doctor bills if they get sick. They are always hot, their normal temp is 97.3, both my kids, and it is in the low 30's today, and they are still wearing shorts, and long sleeved shirts but no coats. I say pick your battles and your kids will let you know if they are cold. Just always make sure you have one available for them, if they get cold later on.

Hahahahahaha...you said it's in the low 60's!!! That's shorts weather here in Washington!! My kids would be running around in shorts and short sleeves too! Right now it's about 37 degrees out and my kids are in their jammies. Shorts....nothing else. Granted, the house is 68..but that's what they wear to bed.
I think that you just need to let him wear what he wants. If you keep pestering him he is going to be stubborn. Just hang his sweatshirt somewhere that he can grab it on his own if he feels cold.
L.

My nephew, 10, and my little guy, 2 yrs and 7 mo, are the same way. We live in SoCal as well, and they want to live in their shorts and t-shirts. I will toss a hoodie on my guy if I feel it's cold, and half the time take it off of him when i realize he's sweating. I put footed pj's on him at night and he usually kicks off the blankets. My nephew is going to school in shorts and t-shirts at 7 in the morning, he has sweats, jackets and hoodies but doesn't want to use them, he is too warm. BTW, he sleeps in his underwear and if the heater on, no blankets.

Some people just run warmer than others so it's not a battle for us, they know when they need something warmer on. And as my sister reminds me from time to time Dr. Oz says it doesn't make a difference in whether a person will get a cold or not...

Let him tell you when he is cold. I have relatives in Phoenix and we would go to a midnight movie at Christmas and people would look at us like we were crazy. I get so claustrophobic when I am hot. I would rather layer things.

My ex could go out in the snow in a light jacket and shorts and never be cold at all. He would be amazed at me when we would sit out and look at the stars in the Fall because I would be shivering so much my teeth would be making noise. He would be laying there in shorts and a tee.

I think it is hard when they are at school, the school has heat for cooler weather so it may be too warm for him in pants in a heated classroom. Ask the teacher what her opinion is. She may keep the heat set on 75 degrees or may have it set on 68 degrees. That is a lot of difference to someone running around playing especially if they are hot all the time.

I would drop it though unless the teacher says he needs to wear pants. He has it in his head and now it is a control issue. When he realizes he is cold he will learn his lesson and decide to wear pants.

BTW, I always switch out the Winter and Summer clothes. I do it gradually when the seasons start changing. For instance I start taking out the heavier Winter weight clothes and putting in a few short sleeve tops in along with a few skirts when it's march/April then by the end of April I have most of the Winter clothes sorted out. Clothes they can start Fall with go in a tub marked Fall and the others go in the give away tubs for my other grand-kids. Same in September/October. I start integrating the Fall stuff and Halloween wear. By November I almost all short sleeved stuff out along with the shorts, sandals, tanks, etc...nothing is accessible when it is off season. I will not argue 15 minutes with a child about how flip flops don't go to school in 60 degree weather. They are out of sight out of mind.

My 7 year old is like that. He's always hot and I'm always freezing. We joke that when I had him I gave him all my warmth. :)

I let him wear whatever he's comfortable in. It works for us.

LOL, I am just tickled because I always look at the under-dressed teenagers and wonder how their parents let the leave the house without proper attire, especially when it's cold outside. They never seem to shiver either. LOL!!!

While it may feel like it to you out there in southern Cal, low 60's is not all that cold (cool maybe, but not cold.) I would suggest letting him wear what he wants, but make him carry a jacket or a change of clothes, just in case he does get cold. Another idea would be to talk with him and come up with a compromise, such as if he wants to wear shorts, then he has to wear long sleeves. As it gets colder, I would insist on him wearing a hat and/or gloves. Also, does he have a favorite character? Maybe you could get a jacket with that character that he will want to wear? My son has a Captain America coat that he LOVES. He will wear all day long if we let him:)

p.s. Yes. It is an old wives tale that the cold will make you sick.

My daughter (5) is the same way. We live in Denver and it's cold! She has been this way since birth! Today it was 28 degrees and we went to the store. Just wore her sweatshirt! When we got home, seh said she was too warm and stripped down to be cool in the house! Not a battle I choose to pick.

My first thought when I saw this was "where does she live?" - don't worry about it. Even though it's December (which means nothing cause it's summer somewhere in the world-LOL!), and YOU are cold, your boy isn't. It's 60 - it really isn't cold. Now 40's, yes - I'd push, but my hubby runs hot, and my boy takes after him. Your son will tell you when he's cold, or you'll see signs and push the issue. Don't make a fuss about it cause you feel cold, or cause you think you should. You're doing fine.

lol thanks for posting this. i have the exact same problem with my 2 year old and i've been worrying about it! my hubby who is NEVER cold will actually break down and wear a sweatshirt and my son is still in a tshirt saying "i hot! i hot!" when i try to force a jacket on. =P

Put away his short sleeves and his shorts. He will get used to wearing the clothes he has. If he doesnt have anything summer like, all he can do is complain. His skin is cold. He needs long sleeves.

I am the same way! I really never get cold. I remember being in NYC and everyone was bundled up and I was carrying my coat around the whole time..

I sleep in a light night gown with a fan and with 1 foot out of the blankets.
I can even get over heated if I wear too many clothes. My husband calls me a furnace. I wear opened toed shoes most of the fall and winter.

I have found if I wear a warm hat, jeans socks tennis shoes and a tshirt with a velour top on.. I really do not need a coat or jacket.

It is an old wives tale that you catch a cold from the cold. I own coats I have never owned. I thought they were pretty, but every time I try to wear them I get light headed from being over heated.

I'd say let him figure it out. He may just be hot all the time or he may just be asserting his independence. Either way with no fight, you both win. He may learn his lesson if he's just being stubborn, and you don't have to worry about it anymore.

YOu're cold, he's not. Leave it be. Mine is 22 and has always been warm. He now lives in San Diego and hates it, it is way to hot for him.
My other one wore flip flops out today, it was 50*ish and lower this evening.
Cold will not ake them sick, it lowers your bodies ability to fight off germs. Still it is no reason to argue with him about what he wears.
He is old enough to let you know when he does get cold.

My son is 4 and is the exact same way. I think he owns one pair of jeans and will never wear long sleeve shirts either. And you are right at night lately it has been cold. I had to laugh when I read this. Last night we went out to a Xmas show and then after to the Spectrum, outdoor shopping, for dinner. He was bundled up with a jacket, hat, gloves and his shorts. He said Mommy Im cold and he wanted to go into Old Navy and buy a pair of pants. He was so proud of those pants and so warm. I guess they will tell us when they are really cold.

If it were me I would not worry about it at all - let him dress as he likes but maybe stick a sweat shirt in his backpack just in case. We used to live in Fairbanks, Alaska and you would see the high school students waiting for the bus with no jacket and a baseball hat at 20 below! It must have drove their mom's crazy! By the way - my son is 7 and he never wants to wear a jacket either. He says he is hot and so I will pack his jacket in his backpack when I send him off to school. I am like you - I get cold easily!

I know that how cold I feel isnt always how cold they feel! I touch my children, if they feel warm they're OK. If they feel cold, I say so and I insist they put on something warmer