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Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
Three year old refuses short sleeves
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Anonymous
| It's getting hotter outside and DS still refuses to wear short sleeves. He seems genuinelly distressed when I try to put one a T-shirt and insists on long sleeves. I don't want to torture the kid but as the temp hits the 80's he's going to have no choice. Anyone else deal with this, and if so how did you handle it? |
Anonymous
| We went through this same thing last week and what we finally had to do was put all the long sleeved clothes away so there was no other option except short sleeves. We had to do the same thing with his pants and the suede boots he had worn all winter. They just "disappeared". He was not happy, but reluctantly wore shorts and a t-shirt last Friday and Saturday. Needless to say, he was happy to put his long sleeves back on again Sunday! We also tried to really talk up the short sleeves and how Mommy, Daddy, baby brother and nanny were all wearing them. You are not alone! |
Anonymous
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So funny!! My 2yr old is the same about short sleeves. He whines and tries pulling them down and gets mad when it doesn't work.
It is amazing how they are such creatures of habit, they like everything the same every day. I've handled it by just making him wear the short sleeves, there simply is not an option. He's getting better at adjusting to the change now that we are wearing SS's more often. |
Anonymous
| My son was/is the same. Each time warm weather comes, he cries at the short sleeves and shorts, and pulls at them to try to make them longer. Gets used to it after a couple of weeks. |
Anonymous
| My son (now 7) was exactly the same starting around 3 yo - lasted until just recently - we just let him wear the long sleeves (and long pants) - only time he wore short was when he went to the pool or beach. Oh well....choose your battles, they say! |
Anonymous
| Not sure I get why so many PPs say that long sleeves are just "not an option" in the summer? Why not very light fabric long sleeve stuff if that's more comfortable for the kid? It's better protection from UV rays too. |
Anonymous
Because I'm the mom and I say so. Same goes with meals and other things. At 2yrs old, my child is not going to be leading me around by the nose. Establish authority early and it makes life much easier in the long run. |
Anonymous
Fair enough. It strikes me that your parenting style is probably a bit different than that of the OP asking for advice though. She seemed not so much worried about getting to be in control but more concerned about comfort and safety. |
Anonymous
| To the mom who said "b/c I am the mom and I said so" and "i wont' let my kid lead me around by the nose" -- beware, your kid may rebel when he/she is older (teenager) due to too much control exerted early and often over minor issues. |
Anonymous
This is a good point and I also 100% agree with the disciplinarian mom. Once a child hits the age where you can reason with them and they understand choices and consequences, then they should be able to have some say in how their lives go. Hopefully that will avert any rebelliousness down the road. |
Anonymous
I'm not sure I follow. Is it that a child younger than the age of reason should not have some say? And, some say over what? Here, the issue is what to wear for the day. Is blue shirt vs red shirt ok to leave up to the child? At what age? Why? I am confused. |
Anonymous
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okay so ignoring everyone else ...
I woul let your child wear long sleeves if he says he is hot then offer him the short sleeves and explain how you are cool in your hsort sleeved shirt.. but as long as it is light coloured and is breathable tis better protection from the sun anyway .... thats why they make the long sleeved sun wear swim shirts ... I wouldnt worry about it ... i would always offer the short sleeved shirt but if hes okay let him be |
Anonymous
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It is very understandable: a 3 yo cannot possibly remember last time he wore a short-sleeve shirt. So he's little freaked out.
I layered a t-shirt with a button-down shirt and when it got hot, he was happy to take it off. Also I think the button-down shirt was a bit uncomfortable. |
Anonymous
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This is not a battle I would choose to fight.
Yes, I am the mommy, and often that is reason enough for things. Wouldn't waste my time fighting this one, though. WAAAAY too much thought here about a shirt. If this is where a well behaved 3 yr old wants to assert himself, and there really is no down side to long sleeves, wouldn't this be a good place for allowing some autonomy? Save the fight for brushing his teeth, or putting on a clean shirt when appropriate. |
Anonymous
| OP here... thanks everyone for your input. My main concern with long sleeves is potential discomfort in the extreme heat/sun because we are outside a lot. DC gets so hot and humid in the summer. I checked out Gap/Children's Place/Target/Old Navy this week and found no long sleeve summer shirts. PP, do you know where I might find them? |