I see you get out of your cars at morning drop-off with your legs all naked and free of warm winter attire. I shiver at the thought of doing the same, or possibly worse, my 10-year-old son asking me where his summer shorts are stored. So I have one quick question and then you can go back to your Minecraft playing and Taylor Swift following: What in the shorts is going on?
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Being the ever-observant mom I am, I noticed this breezy fashion trend during the first few weeks of our below-freezing temps. I assumed all of you had a growth spurt (or your pants were in the dirty clothes pile with your underwear still stuck in them like my grade-schooler). My son may have met the first few days of freezing temps wearing what looked more like capri pants than pants-pants, but his legs were covered and toasty. (What his pants didn’t insulate, the leg warmers took care of.) So I’m truthfully asking: Aren’t you cold?
My perimenopause forever-freezing self has seen the emails. Tucked in between the latest fundraising needs and the newest “wear your favorite puce hand-knitted snowman sweater to school day,” the email warns: “Please dress your child appropriately for the winter weather.” As I organize my 10-year-old’s fleece pants, long-sleeve shirts, puce snowman sweaters, and winter coat, dressing him like a mini Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, I wonder why this is a thing. So I did a little research to get your POV.
When it comes to boys wearing shorts sans jackets, moms and teachers alike report the most common response is: “I’m not cold.” One New England mom says that her “never cold” teenage son jumped into a snowbank while wearing shorts. (Don’t get any ideas, kids.) Still, it should be noted this teen has survived well into adulthood. “Testosterone definitely keeps them warmer, body hair keeps them warmer,” Dr. Deborah Gilboa told Today. But she also mentions boys may have other reasons for wearing shorts. Some include the it's “cool to be cold” vibe, the confining feel of pants, or the classic “everyone else is doing it.”
Now, I don’t want to forget about the girls in the chilly morning air sporting their skorts and crop tops without so much as a windbreaker. The most common response here is fashion. Duh, bulky coats are just not “in.” This might also explain the wearing of sweaters in the summer because it would seem tweens and teens are all about the attention-grabbing element of doing the opposite of what’s expected of them. (Who knew?) What grabs my attention, though, is whether there's ever been a case of frostbite for kids who wear summer clothes all winter long.
Maybe this isn’t such a big thing. Or maybe I’m just a middle-aged mom whose plummeting estrogen levels keep her from generating her own body heat. In any case, my overprotective mom-heart wants the best for all you kiddos. So if you’re cozy and comfortable in your shorts and tanks, then you do you. But what do I do if my son wants to be like you?
I’ve read the expert opinions that say children of all ages should wear pants when the weather is under 40 degrees. So, all of your input plus this knowledge goes into my decision-making process. When the temperatures fall, should I let my kid's pants rise? Possibly, as long as his thick winter coat covers his legs.
