01/30/2024
“Tell those girls to put their jackets back on” “It’s not warm enough for you to have your coats off”. “They are going to get sick without jackets on”. You can probably hear my eyes rolling 🙄 These statements are not only ridiculous and dismissive, they also are inaccurate and disrespectful. A child deserves just as much respect as we would expect to get from them. We are not in their bodies, we do not know how they feel in the wind, or if they have cold arms, or are so sweaty they are actually overheating. Just because we are cold, doesn’t mean they are. They are running, jumping, spinning, dancing, climbing doing all the things…. It’s literally physical exercise, would you want to wear a bulky winter jacket while exercising? Of course not. So, then why do adults keep putting these ridiculous “rules” about clothing onto children? Why do we need to control everything, even their clothes? This is what self awareness is. This is body autonomy and how to handle natural consequences. They will never know what it feels like to “get cold” if we keep them constantly bundled up. It’s ok for them to decide when they need to put their coats and hats back on. Is that really a battle you want to fight? Is that the hill you’re going to choose to die on? Not me! Let them take off their jackets, they will be more resilient and confident for it! #
