Aren't You Cold?

It’s spring. That means it’s time for April showers and soon May flowers. It means sunshine, longer days and the promise that summer is right around the corner.

It also means allergies, the promise that the return of mosquitos is right around the corner and the ongoing battle of clothing choices with my kids. Yay, spring.

That last one is what I am battling once again with my kids. The moment spring hits and the sun comes out, my kids immediately believe it is warm outside. Despite the fact it could snow, if the sun is out, that must mean it is perfectly acceptable to wear short sleeves and even shorts. It might be 30 degrees out, but the sun is shining brightly and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I might be wearing jeans and a light sweater, but clearly that is because I am crazy, not because it is cold out!

There are days when I?will relent to wearing the t-shirt with jeans, provided they wear a zip-up hoodie with them. And invitably, when we get somewhere, they take off their coat and take off the hoodie, because, “it’s a coat.” Sigh. There are also days when I just don’t feel like having the fight and wonder, why not just let them wear the T-shirt and shorts to school??Maybe THEN they will learn that Mommy isn’t trying to be mean and ruin their sense of style, she’s trying to keep them from freezing. But then I think that could lead to phone calls home and I?don’t want that.

I’m just glad to know I’m not the only parent who has this battle. Parent Magazine columnist Michael Erb told me about getting his son to wear a heavy coat that apparently wasn’t “cool.” And then there was the time at a restaurant where I spotted a girl a little older than my daughter wearing a tank top, shorts, boots and a sheer cardigan. And it was once again, 30 degrees out. I nudged my daughter in the direction of that girl and asked, “Aren’t any of you cold?”

Apparently if it is warm in your mind, your extremities will be too.