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You cannot step outside without noticing the recent drop in temperature, so chances are you’ve been dressing your family in lots of warm clothes and layers before heading out the front door. However, if your little ones are anything like mine, getting them to understand the importance of bundling up before leaving the house might be a daily battle. Young children are simply too little to understand that even though it’s nice and warm inside, they need to prepare themselves for the frigid air outside by squeezing into jackets, hats, mittens and boots. Winter clothes and small children simply do not mix well together. Unfortunately for them, we as parents need to try to dress them as appropriately as possible for the harsh winter weather. Fortunately for us, there are a few techniques to limit the resistance in your house when struggling to suit up your young ones before heading outside.
Model the behavior yourself - If you make sure to bundle yourself up in your own hat, boots, gloves and warm jacket, your children will better understand that you are not asking them to do something unnecessary that you yourself aren’t doing.
Allow them to become part of the process - You can get them excited about dressing for the cold when you give them the autonomy to choose their clothing themselves. Whether shopping for boots or choosing which hat to wear before leaving home, always let their voices be heard so that they feel like they have some power in the wardrobe decisions.
Make bundling up fun - Increase the “feel good” words for bundling up in your daily vocabulary, by saying things like cozy, snuggly, warm, and fuzzy when getting ready to pick out their clothes and get dressed, instead of “you have to put a jacket on.” You can also make up silly songs and goofy dressing routines for donning all of their winter garb, and by doing so make the process more fun and interactive.
Just let them be - This last technique might be considered risky, but sometimes the best idea is to simply let your little ones learn the importance of dressing warmly on their own. Are they refusing to put on their gloves? Then let them go outside without them, but carry the gloves in your pocket. Chances are, once their fingers get cold, they will happily allow you to then get those gloves on them. Children can appreciate getting warm and cozy much easier if you can just step back and let them experience the cold temperatures for a few minutes. Then the next time they start to put up a fight before leaving the house, you can quickly remind them of how cold they were the last time they went outside without bundling up!
