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.)
I have never been able to figure out the PJ layer level either. 🙂
Thanks for your comment on my blog today, and love yours. Love that you have three boys- I have two. I’ll be back! 🙂
First, let me say that Sandra Boynton rocks.
Second, if I took a picture of my boys ready for bed it would be about the same. One is hot-natured and one is cold-natured. So, I say every kid is different and you just need to let it ride Mommy! : )
If I could still fit into footed jammies, I’d squeeze my oversized toosh into them every. single. night 🙂
We live in New england, land of the cold, so our daughter sleeps in those most of the year. She still refuses to wear any blankets or covers while she sleeps, so the footed jammies and sometimes underclothes is a must!
It’s a complex problem, riddled with pitfalls…but I would say as long as they’re not complaining or turning shades of purple (brr) or red (whew, it’s hot), then you’re doing all right.
And I’ll add this. At my house, 72 degrees in winter with the heat on is HOT, and 72 degrees in summer with the air conditioning on can sometimes get a little cold (though not today).
Makes no sense to me.
Are your kids complaining about being too hot or too cold? No? Then you’re dressing them right. There are no “shoulds” to kids PJs. Sheesh.
Those kids are so stinkin’ cute!
And thanks for being the best AllMediocre supporter! You’re awesome!
Please don’t judge me or yourself too harshly. I originally wrote this with visions of my husband in mind.
He has this awful habit of asking my opinion on non-consequential matters; “should they wear feety-pajamas?” is among them. HRH runs very hot, keeps his blankets on all night, and his room heats more quickly in the winter than RC’s.
RC has thin blood like mine, sleeps like he’s wrestling and his room stays cooler.
We’ve had these boys and this house for a while. I think he should know the answers by now.
avert your eyes please before i admit that *gasp* my children sleep in everything from nothing to yesterday’s clothes.
i can’t remember the last time i bought pajamas.
Ah, I suppose this is one of the benefits of having children old enough to make their own choices – they choose and then suffer the consequences!
But, oh, my, there is just nothing cuter than a kid in footie pajamas, I don’t care what the temperature is!
I judge this by how much my kids sweat during the night. Heavy sweat…lighten the pajamas. No sweat…vice versa.