(Theo at age 4 weeks with makeshift sock-mittens on his hands)After preschool on Monday the co-oping mom said to me--very tactfully but with a very concerned look on her face--"I hope Theo wasn't too cold today when we went to the playground; we couldn't find his hat and mittens in his bag." I replied lamely (as I replay the memory I am imagining a bad-lie monotone), "Oh no, I don't know where they could be, maybe they're in the car." She assured me, "Well, we weren't outside for too long anyway because big piles of snow kept dropping off of a tree. But he did say his hands were cold."
Hat and mittens hadn't even crossed my mind that morning, despite the fact that snow was on the ground and also apparently falling from trees in piles. I'm idiotic, but it's true. My only defense is that I can never convince Theo to wear either of these things even in the coldest of weather--even once we're outside--and he never admits to me if he gets cold. (40 degrees outside and he asks me to take off his coat. "Sorry, Theo, it's too cold. Aren't you cold?" "NO!") I'm assuming he picked up snow and realized how cold it was. The closest I can ever get is a baseball cap on him, and actually that would have been worse if he'd shown up in a baseball cap and no mittens. Then I couldn't even have lied about it.
I hadn't even put his snow jacket on him; he was wearing a peacoat. I am so embarrassed and annoyed that my first instinct was to lie to this mom. Lying makes me feel bad, and I'm so bad at it. Couldn't I have just admitted that I had completely forgotten to bring him a hat and mittens, that I was impressed with myself for getting him to preschool in the first place after the morning ruckus, that I'm from California and when it snows I just don't go outside? Perhaps I could have also mentioned that his only pair of mittens are knitted and are of no use when handling snow. No, instead I told a completely unconvincing lie and now this mom knows that (a) I am a liar and (b) I don't dress my kids warmly. No, I'm basically asking for my kid to get frostbite on his hands and/or get hit on the head with a big pile of snow.
I don't know what's gotten into me, I guess it is confession week on my blog! I hate lying and I am terrible at it...I guess this is just a reminder why not to do it. Bleah.
Also, you'd better believe I'm putting a warm hat and a pair of (knitted) mittens in Theo's preschool bag Right. Now. and they're staying in there until May. Unless Theo remembers how cold snow is and actually agrees to wear them one of these days.
13 comments:
Getting kids to dress warmly the way we think they should dress warmly is a daunting task.
One I gave up on years ago!
The only way I could ever get Kathleen to keep mittens on was to knit ones and then weave a braided or twisted string around the wristband. Then I would tie them on. She never did figure out how to get out of them, but she's only a girl.
whatever. i wouldn't worry about it. it's not her kid and i doubt she thinks you're a bad mom, plus he's still alive. huzzah.
My kids have grown up in the cold, and I still can't get them to dress warmly sometimes. My boys (ages 7 &9) kept wearing sweatshirts to school when it was in the teens. It is easy to feel like a bad mom, even though you have all the things to keep them warm, they just don't want to wear them.
I see kids at the bus stops in just t-shirts or sweatshirts all the time, even today when it is 5 degrees out.
I agree with Barbara that it is a daunting task to get kids to dress warmly! (and I do give up on it when kids get a certain age.)
"I see kids at the bus stops in just t-shirts or sweatshirts all the time, even today when it is 5 degrees out."
Ok, they wear pants also. And sometimes shoes, but also flip flops.
Thanks guys.
I'm mostly just mad that I lied. Because you're right, it is my kid and he apparently is cold-blooded.
remember how noah always insisted on wearing shorts even when it was freezing cold outside??
I can't get enough of that picture of Theo.
All I will say is that I totally relate to this post.
And now he wears long sleeves even when it's hot out!
My experience has been that teachers,/parents/ strangers always comment on kids (any kids) wearing warm clothes. Now I make my kids take them all the time, but they have the option to wear them, which I am sure they never do.
My kids would be better California kids than Indiana kids. They feel the cold. I have to provide thermals, hats, mittens, scarves and heavy jackets to go over the layers they put on - oh, and snow pants. But once bundled up, they love being out in the cold.
Brenden is my closest to not caring about the cold. He will forget his jacket, but not his hat or gloves. Anna is our snow bunny. She never has enough - which is odd because she feels the cold more than anybody.
This is a late comment, I know, but I catch myself lying at times and I'm like "what? am i in high school again?" You just felt stupid so you had to make an excuse. Understandable. I too am amazed by just getting my kids dressed, fed, and out the door. I would have done the same thing. BTW don't tell her you lied or you'll feel even lamer (ya, that's a work 'cause I said so)
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