If you’d asked me a couple of months ago exactly how to dress your baby for cold weather, I think I would have had a much different answer compared to today. I would have been far more casual about the whole thing. “Just bundle them up”, I’d say. No big deal.
This all changed however when I took Georgia (then about 11 months) on a hike in freezing temperatures. It was just the two of us on “Green Friday” (the day after Thanksgiving), and I had visions of bonding and enjoying the outdoors with my youngest. I thought I’d done a great job preparing. I arrived to the trailhead early to beat the crowds, I brought plenty of snacks, and I packed what I thought was a sufficient amount of layers to dress her for the cold weather; base layers, a fleece jacket, wool pants, a fleece hat, wool socks, little leather shoes, and mittens were NOT enough.
She whimpered off and on for a while at the beginning of the hike, but I carried on thinking she’d settle in, and begin the enjoy herself. I also had high hopes of her falling asleep, which would have equaled me almost having some solo time on the trail to think, really take in the scenery, and snap photos without interruption.
None of those pleasant experiences happened though. My little girl complained (one way or another) for the duration of the hike. Friends and family asked why I didn’t just call it a day at the beginning. Call me STUBBORN, but I thought if I stuck it out, things would improve. Maybe after she nursed and had snack? Nope. Maybe after she got out of the carrier & moved around a bit? Nope. Maybe she would wear herself out and nap? That just never happened.
Once home safe and sound (and warm) with Georgia peacefully napping in her crib, I did some reflecting, and realized that yes, I’m painfully admitting, I had failed to keep her warm. She was COLD, and she was trying to let me know that she was NOT happy about it!
The good news is, I learned my lesson, and since implementing a more rigorous dressing routine, we haven’t heard a peep of discontent! Our outdoor time together has improved greatly because I thoughtfully considered the situation, and figured out how to dress the baby for cold weather so that she’s most comfortable. I’ve broken down our method into 6 steps, plus a few bonuses for various circumstances and scenarios, but the big takeaway is this: Figure out what works best for your baby.
We don’t recall Bergen (our 4-year old) being so sensitive to the cold, so everything here may not have been necessary for him. Hopefully though this will provide some guidelines and ideas for making your baby as comfortable as possible when it’s cold outside!
