How to Dress for Extreme Weather

I’m excited to share that I’ve written another post for The Allstate Blog on how to dress for extreme weather.

Link is at the bottom of the post.

And here are few extra ideas on how to dress kids in mild to harsh weather to make sure they’re taken care of, too!

Tips to help kids dress warm in milder winters:

While dressing in the summer seems to be fairly easy for most, for those of us who live in milder climates, those spikes of winter weather can really throw us off our game. We don’t own winter parkas and ski pants, but a string of days in the 20’s and 30’s, and even single digits at night, when we’re used to 40’s throws us for a loop because we just aren’t prepared with a wardrobe for the weather. Layers become even more important to help keep us warm!

I wanted to add a tip about dressing your kids. We taught our guys, when they were little, to dress like an onion (though our youngest may have taken that a little far and dresses in clothes that probably should have seen the washing machine 2 or 3 days ago like so many little boys do). Layers, layers, layers.

BUY ONE SIZE UP

We don’t buy ski pants or winter pants because we have so few days of extreme winter weather in our area. We make sure that the kids have at least one pair of pants that is a size too large so that they can be layered over another layer of warmth. It really helps smaller ones in dressing themselves, and allows us to create a pseudo winter wardrobe without investing in clothing that we’ll never wear* in our climate.

*However, a properly PREPared family will have winter clothing available for emergency situations. This is where shopping at thrift stores or garage sales can really help with keeping emergency clothing on hand for our growing weeds. In extended power outages, even in milder climates, having an emergency wardrobe is important!

BUY A FLEECE VEST OR HOODIE

Another way of keeping the kids warm during your short bouts of winter weather is with a hoodie or fleece vest to layer under their coats. Most of us in warmer winter climates already rely on the hoodie for warmth for our kids during the year because it’s a staple. But if you don’t have one, they’re inexpensive and can be a valuable way to keep a child warm. Fleece vests are inexpensive, can be purchased a size or two big without adding a huge amount of bulk, and really help keep the core warm.

KEEP EXTRA GLOVES AND SOCKS ON HAND

Not only in your house, but in your car during the winter. We stock up on those inexpensive stretchy gloves to put on under our winter gloves as an added layer or protection when we are out in the extreme winter. We keep them in our car, just in case we’re caught outside when we weren’t expecting it – due to a wreck, a project with a friend, or even an adventure that turned much colder than we expected.

Great tip from AboutKidsHealth: Remove a layer of clothing just before starting an activity. You will be cold for a moment but as you start to move you will warm up. This will help you to avoid overheating and dampening the clothing with sweat. Put layers back on when you are feeling colder or have finished your activity.

WARNING!

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR FROSTBITE

Even when we do our best to dress them warmly and keep an eye on them, children, when having fun, don’t notice how cold they are getting. (But, if they’re bored, they are sure to tell you, pretty quickly, how cold they are, though!!!) Tips of noses and cheeks and even fingers and toes in wet gloves and shoes can be damaged from frostbite.
Signs of frostbite are pale, grey or blistered skin on the fingers, ears, nose, and toes. If you think your child has frostbite bring the child indoors and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs of hypothermia are shivering, slurred speech, and unusual clumsiness. If you think your child has hypothermia call 9-1-1 immediately.
Alternatively, keep an eye out for heatstroke during the warmer times of the year. It’s an extreme weather issue, too, even if you live in the north where it doesn’t get so hot!