How to Keep Your Kids Warm This Winter

When it comes to the winter weather setting in, you need to get your wardrobe ready. But it’s not just your wardrobe you need to think about. Often we think we need to buy something thicker or a more expensive material, and while it can sometimes solve the issue, it’s not always the case. When you have kids and you want to get outside in the snow, you need to keep them as warm as possible while being able to have fun.

Even if you have the warmest of clothes on, if snow gets into their boots and soaks their socks or a draft runs down their jacket, they’re going to be pretty uncomfortable. A kids snowsuit is really going to help to make a difference in the cold weather, but you must remember that if you put a snowsuit on a child you need to be careful of how many layers they’re wearing because even in cold weather they can overheat.

Here is how you can keep your kids warm in the winter, especially when you go outside to play.

1, Layer up properly.

The general rule is that children should have one more layer than you would wear as an adult. Your body knows how to regulate your temperature in a way that is comfortable, but children’s bodies don’t know how to do that just yet. It’s always better to layer one more than you, because you could always take a layer off if they get too hot. Three should be enough, so you need a base layer such as a vest or thermals, a mid layer such as a jumper, and an outer layer such as a snow suit or a coat. Depending on the temperature you may not need all three layers, but it is a good baseline because you can always take one off if they get too hot and overheat. Make sure that you are choosing materials that will keep them warm and dry. So, wool, polyester and bamboo are great materials. Cotton isn’t actually great in the winter because it holds on to all of the moisture and it can make your child colder and even later hypothermia.

2, Pop the gloves in the microwave

Throwing socks and gloves into the car dashboard on the heater is a great way to get their accessories nice and toasty. You can also chuck them in the microwave as long as there’s no metal on them for at least 20 seconds to warm them up as well. Scarves, gloves, socks, and hats can all be thrown into a tumble dryer on a hot setting just for a few minutes to get them nice and warm. When hands and feet start off cold, it takes a lot longer for them to warm up. But if you start off with their hands and feet warm and toasty, your children will feel toastier for longer.

3, Put their snowsuit over the top of the boots.

There may be some amazingly cute snow boots on your child’s feet, but it’s best to keep their snow trousers and snowsuit over the tops of their boots because it keeps the snow from getting inside.This will help to keep your child’s feet warm and dry and that should be the goal. Wet, cold feet lead to illnesses and issues with shivering and that can help their body temperatures to plummet. We want to keep their body temperatures up in a good space so that they feel comfortable at all times.

4, Keep their neck covered

An exposed neck can make them much colder, especially if the wind is very cold and it won’t stop blowing. A neck warmer or a balaclava or even a really nice soft scarf can make a big difference between whether your child is chilly from the neck up or not. Don’t forget that a covered neck will also prevent any chill from going down the back of their jacket.

5, Encourage them to keep their gloves on

Kids gloves or even mittens can be tricky clothing items to get them to keep on their hands. Once those gloves come off it can lead to very cold fingers very quickly and that can be miserable. It’s especially important that they keep their hands covered in the snow. And if you can, buy waterproof mittens or gloves. 

Keeping the kids warm in the winter is vital for their comfort and for you as a parent because then you can feel confident that your children are comfortable.