Undershirts (Full Version)

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SurpassingPeace -> Undershirts (9/21/2008 5:53:11 PM)

My mother insists I put my daughter (11 months old) in an undershirt/onesie under her clothes every single day in the fall/winter. There is a specific day in the fall and they are to wear them until a specific day in spring no matter what the weather. Don't get me wrong, I will put an extra layer on her if she is cold but she is a hot baby. If I layer her up she will usually end up a sweaty mess. It makes sense to me to dress her according to the weather and our activities of the day.

My question is, other than tradition does anyone know a solid reason behind this? Do you dress your children in undershirts every day? My mother claims it will keep a child from getting sick. The ironic part is I was one of the sickest kids you could have met. I had strep throat 6-8 times a year and pneumonia at least once if not multiple times a year.

This is really a thing for her. I just let it go for the most part but she is very persistent. I am just trying to understand her rationale a bit better. Thanks for your input.

Karen



Mrs.X -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 6:08:35 PM)

People used to believe that if you went out with a wet head or got chilly or didn't have your ears covered, that you would catch a cold, ear infection, etc. It's not true, but that's what people used to think back in the day.



pbaribeault -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 6:21:10 PM)

Being warm enough helps kids be comfortable... but being overwarm is not at all comfortable. Comfortable kids are generally healthier, maybe because they don't spend much energy regulating their internal temperature, so maybe they are less stressed, or they have better immune systems. Perhaps in older times, homes were cooler (or drafty) and clothing was more relied on for general body warmth.

So maybe that's where she's coming from.

However, 11 months is plenty of time for your mom to have clued in that you are the baby's mother -- and that God has entrusted her welfare to your judgment, not hers. She will be much more comfortable as a Grandmother once she settles in to a more appropriate (less directive) role.

So, this might be a battle you want to fight.

Use an undershirt when you want to, according to weather and activities. If she becomes 'persistent' you might have to make your opinion clear to her in a calm polite way that discourages further comments.

However, if your mom cares for your daughter either regularly or occasionally, you might want to consider allowing her to have jurisdiction over how she is dressed at those times. You could call and ask her how she would like you to dress her for a day of babysitting, or simply encourage her to have her own supply of undershirts on-hand.



csl7037 -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 6:38:37 PM)

I also second guessed myself this morning when I wore white pants and a pink top to church. Labor day was a few weeks ago, you know. I did wear brown shoes so I made myself feel a little less rebellious! [;)] But it's like 95+ degrees still here! I'm not exactly pulling out the fall sweaters any times soon, no! I think you're perfectly capable of judging according to the weather what your baby needs to wear. I'd be tempted to tell my mom a thermometer is a better indication of the weather than a calendar. You can't just start layering up because it's technically Fall.



manda59 -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 6:40:39 PM)

Hmmm, I wonder if your undershirts are what we in the UK call vests?

If so, mine wore undershirts/vests under their clothes for about 8 or 9 months of each year. But then this is the UK. [:)]



NotDoneYet -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 6:56:52 PM)

My mom was and is the same way...
here, where I am (in the US) the daytime temps are still in the upper 70's. The girls wear a cotton t-shirt and jeans to daycare and school. They don't seem to be suffering. If it's chilly in the morning they wear a little jacket.
BUT...my mom would go ballistic...swear up and down that I was dooming my children to pneumonia, etc. Guess what...no sicknesses other than whatever they brought home from school occasionally...not a big deal.
She made me wear those horrid undershirts and I remember hating them with a passion...so I don't make my children wear them. The kids now range in age from 25 to 3..they've all survived!
I'd tell mom MYOB....

NDY



Auben -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 7:53:12 PM)

That's probably what her mother said...or she remembers how sick you got and is anxious for your little one.

Most of these things come from the days before central heating (or when people tried to save money by keeping the heat low). Don't worry so much. As long as you are aware of your daughter's comfort level.



SurpassingPeace -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 8:53:33 PM)

Thank you so much for the insight. That is a good thought it is a throw back to the times of drafty homes with little to no central heating.

In general, my mother respects me as the mommy or at least she keeps quiet about it. We have had a very contentious relationship my entire life. I used to pick every battle to fight with her. In the past couple of years I learned it was not necessary and have actively pursued peace. We have maintained a civil truce for the most part. She just gets caught up on some thing, like this undershirt thing. (By the way, I do think it is a vest in the UK.) I let it much of it go because the big battles have been fought. I was just trying to see her perspective just a bit better.

csl7037- Rest easy in your decision. Several years ago the fashion industry decided to throw out the white/black only in season rules. It was more because black is worn year round but white clothes were thrown in as well. If I remember correctly, all the big fashion magazines trumpeted the news on all their covers.

Karen



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Undershirts (9/21/2008 9:15:03 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: manda59

Hmmm, I wonder if your undershirts are what we in the UK call vests?

If so, mine wore undershirts/vests under their clothes for about 8 or 9 months of each year. But then this is the UK. [:)]

I think she is referring to t-shirt onesies...t-shirt material that has the snaps between the legs so that it covers the whole torso area.

I have five kids with five different internal body temps/needs....if the baby is sweating then they don't need more clothing on them....if they are cold then they do. Some dr's give a general rule of dressing baby in one more layer then you yourself would be comfortable in, however I have found that it is just that..a general rule...and you really need to just learn your own baby's body temperature and needs. Some of mine need exactly what I wear, some need more, and some need less. By 11mo though typically they don't have as much trouble regulating their own body temperature...so just go by the temperature where you are going to be.

when we lived in Germany I would dress all of my kids (including the baby that was born over there) in about four or five layers when we would go out...at home it was usually 2-3 layers (our place was always on the chilly side).
When we lived in TX I would dress the kids in one layer (or sometimes nothing but a diaper) because more would make them sweat.
When we lived in TN and now here in OK there are four distinct seasons so we go from no/one layer all the way to 3 or so layers depending on the time of year it is.



zoebob -> RE: Undershirts (9/22/2008 6:32:18 AM)

HERE is a cute Onesie. Although worn as an undershirt it would probably be plain white.



3cappuccinosmom -> RE: Undershirts (9/22/2008 7:17:03 AM)

My kids rarely wear undershirts. And they rarely get sick. [:)]

Here's the thing. Our house is warm. Other buildings are warm. If we go out in the middle of winter, they're going from a warm house to a warm car to a warm building and back again. A jacket and hat for the few minutes they're out in to cold is just fine. If they are outside for a longer period of time, we have these things called "sweaters" and "windbreakers" that go over their regular shirts, and they stay warm! [8D]

I think it's just one of those things. Popular ideas from a few decades ago. Same with baby shoes. I have had people jump all over me because my 6 month old was not wearing shoes. [8|] He doesn't need them, his socks keep his feet warm, but I am a bad mother somehow endangering my baby's health and character because i don't put shoes on him. [&:]



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