Dressing your child for winter play
Dressing your kids properly for outdoor activities is a science - and can be expensive. Mommy blogger Knivlisa teaches you how to dress your kids layer by layer, without spending hundreds of dollars.
Playing in the snow is the most fun, but only if your kids stay warm and dry. A good starting point is the so-called three-layer principle. This means that the children have a base layer closest to their body, preferably made of polyester, which wicks moisture away from the body. Avoid cotton, as it absorbs moisture and makes children feel cold.
The second layer is one or more airy thermal garments, such as fleece, which releases moisture but insulates heat. On top of that, a shell layer, such as overalls, a hat and a scarf, is needed to resist wind, rain and snow.
Multiple layers keep your child warm because it is the air between the garments, not the garments themselves, that keeps them warm. It's also practical, as it's easy to remove clothes if your child gets too hot. The only downside, as all parents of young children know, is that it can be very expensive. Quality clothing is not cheap, especially as children outgrow their clothes quickly.
Mommy blogger Lisa "Knivlisa" Eriksson is an expert in keeping her children's clothing account to a minimum, without compromising on quality.
- "Initially, I thought that the principle of layering was a boring and cumbersome I-country trend. Then I started using it myself and got the point. You can dress for the cold and not have to buy a warm winter jacket, a half-warm winter jacket and a tiny warm winter jacket. I usually notice that my three-year-old is warm by taking off his hat. Then I know it's time to take off a sweater instead," says Knivlisa.
How do you keep the cost of children's clothing down?
- Inherit and sell at flea markets. Don't buy more than you need. You don't need three layers of high-tech fleece, you can use regular clothes and a thick sweater. Then you can skip every other size, it doesn't matter if the clothes are a bit too big.
What outerwear do you need to buy for the kids?
- Underwear and shell clothes are my absolute favorite items. You can wear them all year round. But as a parent, it sometimes needs to be quick, and the children also like it when it is quick to get dressed, then I must say that lined rain gear is fantastic in all forms of cold wet weather, that is, in Sweden. Overalls are also very flexible and the best thing they can wear, especially if you are only going to be out for a while.
Which garments are completely unnecessary?
- I've never managed to get them to wear hoods, but there are children who get the idea. I can never manage finger gloves, it takes a hundred years before they fit on the right fingers and then they come off the next day.
What is a common children's clothing mistake to make as a parent?
- One thing I often do is to put the mittens on the outside of the jacket sleeve. This ends up with the mitten coming off and disappearing forever in a snowdrift. You should put your mittens on before your jacket. Children's socks are often a bit wet because they pour things on the floor and wreak havoc. Then their feet start to freeze when they are outside. The sensible parent puts on a pair of wool terrycloth socks before going out, but I've probably only managed that once.
We have a wide range of jackets, gloves and scarves, among other things.
"Knivlisa" with children Harry and Sixten.
