How should we dress children in autumn?

In recent years, genuine autumn weather has been rare. It is either summer or suddenly winter, with very little in between. But when we do get it, we find ourselves wondering what to dress the children in that day…

Fortunately, this year it seems we are getting plenty of autumn weather too. At the beginning of September, it suddenly turned cooler instead of bringing the usual Indian summer. Since then, the warmth has returned from time to time, but never enough to make anyone feel like heading to the beach. It is more the pleasantly mild kind of warmth that makes us enjoy still being able to sit outside in the garden with our coffee.

What is not easy at this time of year is dressing the children in the morning, because it is still quite cool then, but later we know they will be sweating in the warm trousers we put on them.

There is so much to consider at times like this, especially when we are getting ready for nursery or kindergarten.

To begin with, when we get up early, the sun has not fully risen yet, and we can see that it rained during the night, so the day starts feeling a little chillier. We look out of the window for a while, but then decide that, just to be on the safe side, we should check the daily forecast on our phones. (If the phone says it is 30 degrees, but it is raining outside and the wind is blowing so hard that even the birds are practically flying backwards, we still feel reassured because the phone knows best—it will be beautiful weather. Or not.)

After checking that it is cold in the morning but will be warm during the day, we realise that the outfit we thoughtfully laid out for the children the night before will not do, because they will be cold in it right now. We set off to look for warmer clothes, but encounter the first obstacle here: they refuse to change their minds; they want the summer, short-sleeved T-shirt with the dogs on it. At times like this, we realise that they actually have a point, because layering is best, so we back down and leave the children’s room with a promise that they will put on a thicker long-sleeved top over it. Which, of course, we cannot find—at least not one that everyone agrees on.

After great difficulty, everyone is dressed—us too!—and we are ready to leave when the next problem arrives: the coat. Why do they need one when the sun is already shining outside? And if the sun is shining, that means it is warm. And why on earth would they need ear warmers, or heaven forbid, a hat? No one else is wearing one, and it is not fair.

This scene probably plays out in many families on a weekday morning, and by around 8 a.m. many parents already feel so exhausted because of it that they could have worked a full day.

Putting together transitional outfits and then getting the children into them is not easy for everyone.

You have to think through their entire day: what they will be doing, where they will be, how cold they might get, and how warm they might feel.

As we have already mentioned, mornings are usually cool even when the sun is shining, so it is worth putting slightly warmer trousers or tights on them, with several layers on top. A short-sleeved T-shirt with a cardigan can be perfect, or with a thinner long-sleeved sweater. Of course, there is no guarantee that the first outfit will last a nursery or kindergarten child until lunchtime, so we should think further about what they usually do during the day.

If they attend a place where they definitely go outside even when it is raining, pack at least 2 pairs of spare socks and a pair of spare trousers, and make sure they always have rain trousers, a raincoat, and waterproof shoes. At the beginning of autumn, when it may not be very warm yet, lined outdoor clothing is not necessary, because they will simply sweat in it.

Another thing is that you do not have to take home and wash the play clothes they use there every day. As horrified as we may be when we see the muddy trousers, if the forecast is roughly the same for the whole week, it is enough to clean them up a little on the spot, and they will be perfectly fine for the next day too. (Of course, if they are soaking wet and there is no chance of them drying, it is still a good idea to take them home…)

If it is a kindergarten where they definitely do not go outside in the rain, it is best not to dress them in overly warm clothes indoors either, because in most places they will still do a bit of exercise, running around in the group room.

Whether children need a hat or ear warmers in transitional weather generally depends on how strong the wind is. If it is fairly windy but not otherwise particularly cold, it is worth putting lightweight cotton ear warmers—or a hat—on them, because they will feel much more comfortable and there will be no need to bring out a thicker coat; they will not get chilled.

Dressing children is almost never easy, except in summer. But if we make sure that their clothes do not make them sweat during the day, while also avoiding summer pieces because, whatever they may say, they will be cold, then we will not go far wrong. And remember: everyone has a different temperature regulation system—in other words, just because you are cold, it does not necessarily mean someone else feels the same way…