I exposed one of my areas of motherhood ignorance yesterday.
Several of you caught it. Hey thanks…I have been feeling inadequate in this area since Ryan was born.
I was reminded of my cluelessness in this area recently when reading Manic Mommy’s job description. I read this list thinking, “I am doing OK in every area except for this one”.
I have read parenting books. I have researched. I have spent hours in thought. Still, no answer.
So I offer up to you, wise and dear readers, my burning question of motherhood:
Does it really matter what weight pajama you dress your child in if you keep your house at exactly the same temperature year around?
*gasp*
*ahem*
*avert your eyes*
Yes, I have just admitted that I have no idea whether the boys should be in footy fleece or shorts and t-shirts.
No book has addressed this. The only reference they make is something like…just dress your baby in one more layer then you are wearing.
FINE! But I sleep in shorts and a camisole and under two blankets.
Since babies can’t sleep with blankets, do my blanket layers count? So would that be 2 layers or 4?
What if I throw off one blanket during the night? Should I rush in and strip a layer off of him? So would that be 1 layer or 5?
What if I start the ceiling fan in the room during the night? Should I turn on his fan and add a layer (or not) or leave the fan off and subtract a layer? So would that be sleeping naked or packed so tightly into multiple pajama layers that the poor child can’t bend his arm to place thumb in mouth?
I live in Texas. During the summer it is hot. But we don’t like the house to be hot so we run the air conditioner. Texas winters are mild. But we have very thin blood and run the heater if needed. So really the temperature is the same every night.
To prove my schizophrenia on this issue I took the above picture tonight (see the Stars Hockey in the background?) where Ryan is warm and cozy from head to foot and Rhett is sporting shorty wife beaters. How did I get here?
Oh, did I mention that Ryan won’t wear anything else and Rhett will scream unmercifully if his “orange jammies” are dirty. That is my thought process. My parenting book will be in stores soon…
***
Please note that the title is from one of the greatest pajama resources of all time, Sandra Boynton’s Pajama Time. I can’t leave you hanging so let me finish so you can get on with your day:
Now all around the room in one big line,
wearing our pajamas and looking so fine.
It’s Pajama Time!
Hop in the bed. Turn out the light.
You can have a party in your dreams tonight.
IT’S PAJAMA TIME!
(Hush, Hush)
It’s Pajama Time!
(Hush, Hush)
it’s pajama time.
(shhhhhhhhhhhhh.)
ROTFL. All I can say is “me too!”, same problem in Sacramento, CA. In fact with air con & fans it might be colder some summer dawns than winter time when furnace kicks on 5 am.
It’s totally true. I never know what is right, I just hope for the best.
dearest friend (snicker, snicker)…do you really analyze and scrutinize this much (grin, grin). I know you don’t!
I love Sandra Boynton, too.
We wear thin, long sleeve, long pants spring, summer and fleece fall and winter. No sheets, thick blanket in winter, no sheet, light blanket in summer. The sheet just ends up at the bottom anyway. 🙂
LOL! you are too funny! I previously read a blog by a woman in texas and in ever picture, ok maybe like 95% of the photos, her son was in footie pj’s. I thought it was odd and I even thought he should be nominated for the preschool what not to wear!
But since I have seen your children in other attire during the day, I say pick your battles. Your kids like footies, go with it! Personally I have the 4 year old that likes to wear nighties in the winter and fleece in the summer, her special way of putting me over the edge.
And, since you are looking for advice, we are 100% cotton pj family, due to dry skin conditions. We do have some from the gap that are footie & cotton!
They really do look adorable.
I let them choose. Sometimes A is wearing feetie jammies in July and shorts in January, but I figure he knows his temp better than I do! Pickin’ my battles, pickin’ my battles…
Absolutely agree that if they are comfy…they’re OK. Even if that means that they sleep in sweats.
I am partial to footies, though.
Have a great weekend.
Blessings, EJT
PS, For sure, wet bathing suits aren’t good…neither are blankets with Bunny Pee on them…I’ve learned from experience.
In NE, it is friggin’ cold, so they wear feety jammies. In the summer they wear diapers/under pants.
Depends on where you live…and if your kid is generally hot or cold. Middle is always cold, so he gets a little more.
But here is the REAL question. Do your kids jammies MATCH??
My question is this: why dress them in pajamas when they will end up sleeping naked as adults anyway? At some point, they are going to start sleeping naked – you know it, I know it, they know it. Why fight it?
My professional opinion as a qualified therapist, licensed and a world’s expert in PTSD is this:
Fuck parenting books. They are created to sell more parenting books and create a neurosis that keeps you from being a good parent.
Have a relationship with your kids – that’s all they need.
Amen.