Now that winter is upon us, it’s important to ensure our children are well wrapped up. The winter woollies and winter boots may be coming out and you might well need to buy new items if your child has grown a lot since last year. Once children reach a certain age they may also become interested in fashion so what is the best way to ensure they wear their warm clothes, keep warm, and don’t catch cold during the winter, while also choosing items that they will be willing to wear?

You have probably heard this before, but it’s true and very important, so I’ll say it here: layers! Layers help keep the child warm because warm air is trapped between the layers of clothing. If it’s very cold the most important layer is a thermal two piece – thermal long johns and a thermal vest or top, which goes on first. The next layer will then work with the thermal item to keep warm air between them, and this insulates the child against the extreme cold weather. For the fashion conscious child, they don’t really have a complaint because nobody will be able to tell they’re wearing thermals! In this country it’s not always essential to wear thermals but some winter days can be extremely cold so it’s a good idea to be prepared.

A t-shirt will provide a second layer – then you should make sure to dress your child in a warm jumper or sweater and thick trousers – and thick socks followed by properly insulated boots with non-slip tracks. Of course, if you have an older child, you can let them choose their own jumpers and trousers, but make sure they’re going to be warm enough. Remind them nothing is less fashionable than blue skin in winter and catching a cold! Jeans are not a great idea if it’s snowy
as when they get wet they can become very heavy. The solution is to tuck them into the child’s boots.

Finally a waterproof coat will keep out any snow or rain – make sure it has a hood and zips up high. If the coat has elasticised sleeves this also helps to keep out snow and wind. There are lots of great
coats available for children so they can be involved in choosing what they like and as long as you ensure its waterproof and will keep them well protected you can be sure it’s going to work. A hat, scarf and gloves will help further in keeping heat in and by now your child should be ready to face even the coldest winter days.