Parents, It’s Cold Out — Dress Your Kids Appropriately

Being a parent is far from an easy job. And there is no such thing as a perfect parent. I make my fair share of mistakes too. But I saw something yesterday that really bothered me and I feel the need to discuss it further. I was out running errands yesterday when I saw a woman with three kids with her. Was this a mom? It could have been. It also may have been a sitter or daycare provider too. But the kids, all over the age of say 9, were not dressed for the weather. None of them had coats on. One had a fleece jacket at least. But the others had no coats and one boy was even wearing shorts. I got out my phone and checked the temperature in Cedar Rapids. 35 degrees.

I tried for a moment to put myself in that parents shoes. She was probably rushed, running short on time. I get it. It happens frequently in the life of a parent. There just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes to get everything done. But then I began to hear the children cough and hack. Wow, they're getting sick. I wonder why? Listen, no matter how much of a hurry you're in, you have to make sure you're kids are at least dressed for the elements when leaving the house. I'm not saying that they needed to be wearing snow suits and stocking hats, but perhaps NOT allowing them to wear shorts and making them throw on a jacket might help them stay warm. If you want to brave the weather and dress down that's your choice, but you can't let kids make those choices. Especially at that age. My son Chase is 11. If he had his way, he'd probably wear shorts to school in the winter too! But do I let him walk out of the house like that? Heck no!

I know that this shouldn't have to be said. I know that most parents already do a great job of making sure their kids are dressed right. But then I see what I saw yesterday and my heart sinks. Nothing should come before the well being of your children. Nothing. It should be the first thought of your day, and the last thought of your night. No parent is perfect, but that's ONE thing we should all agree on.