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It’s time for winter! Lots of children are expecting it enthusiastically as well as parents. They want to go out and play in the snow. But winter is not only about the feeling of snow falling from the sky. I am not trying to diminish your excitement, but in recent years it has been less snow for some cities in Sweden. Instead, you got a whole package of cold, wind and rain.
I came from a tropical country where we have only 2 seasons. When I moved here and got a baby I started to think (and a bit of worrying) on how to keep my kid warm and dry throughout the season. So many things to prepare!
The concept as you may well know is to make sure all parts of body is protected.
Clothing
The first layer is the cloth that will keep your child’s body dry. It can be something that is soft and comfortable for them to wear. The second layer is depending on the weather. If it’s really cold you can put something that can keep your child warm like sweaters or a thin jacket. The outer cloth is the one that will protect your child from any kind of weather.
For smaller kids, it’s good to use overall. The overall usually have a higher collar that you can tighten to protect the neck and hoody that you can just easily put over the head. These collars are very handy since using scarf can be dangerous for smaller kids. When it’s playing time, they might not notice everything surrounding them. There’s a risk of scarf getting stuck in any playground equipment and the risk of strangulation increases.
But if your child is older you may use the special jacket and pants that are designed especially for winter. These outer clothing should be waterproof, warm and give protection from wind.
Accessories
After you have all the main clothing ready, you need to prepare more equipment for your child. You may want to buy a hat to protect the child’s ears since they are really sensitive against the cold wind. They are usually designed with a bit of longer section to cover the ears. In addition to that, they usually have laces which you can use to tighten the hat under the chin. It can prevent the hat from falling since smaller kids are usually fond of taking the hat off from their head.
Don’t forget the gloves that will protect your child’s hands from being cold. Children are usually very curious about everything that is happening or existing around them and they want to touch everything that is new, even though it’s wet and dirty. Thus, it’s really good to have gloves that can withstand water and cold at the same time. Wet gloves can make their hands cold and freezing. Younger children usually wear mitten – a type of gloves which has 2 separate sections, one for the thumb and the other for the other four fingers.
Shoes
Children are really active. They want to walk, run, jump if they can regardless of the situations. It may be snowy and when mix with water, it can really be slippery and dangerous for them. Special winter shoes are made especially for this occasion because they are designed with traction that can prevent falls and injuries from slippery surfaces. It usually comes in a boot model. Some characteristics that you may want to consider when buying winter shoes are that it is recommended to buy shoes with warm material, waterproof, easy to put on, comfortable and flexible.
As you put on the shoes, don’t forget the socks. Usually, wool socks are pretty good for winter. But you also need to consider the shoes. If it’s already warm you might want to prefer thinner socks to prevent overheating on the feet.
Where to buy?
If you’re having a hard time finding the right place to purchase what you’re missing in your winter clothes arsenal, here are a few options for you:
- AddNature* – online store specialized in outdoor clothes and equipment, currently running a 20% pre-season sale.
- OutdoorExperten* – one of Sweden’s largest outdoor specialty stores, with pre-season sales up to 35%.
- Lindex* – quality clothes for children in a variety of prices
- Polarn&Pyret* – great brand for children, very well known for their merino wool items and their awesome outerwear.
All the above are the tips and considerations in choosing winter clothes for your children. So if all are set, your child is ready to go and have fun during the winter!
About the Author, Asrini Subrata
Hi! I’m Asrini. I came from Indonesia and moved to Sweden in 2017 to be with my husband. In Indonesia, I was working in sustainability management and I enjoy reading about innovations that can help to create a sustainable future. In my spare time, I like to read books, watch movies and cook. I love travelling and while doing so I can enjoy local food and visit famous landmarks. I have a passion for architectural designs and I love to read about beautifully designed houses and buildings. Can’t wait to share some of my ideas and experiences and I hope that you enjoy reading my posts!
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