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.)
1:00 AM
Now all around the room in one big line...
Posted by
Texasholly
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39 comments:
My girls wear what's clean. Sometimes they wear their clothes to bed! will that be covered too? *G*
In Texas it definitely does NOT matter what weight jammies they're wearing. If they're comfortable, that's all that's important. Because the more comfortable they are, the better chance they sleep all night, and the more zzz's MOM gets!! (And it's all about us anyway, right?)
BTW, love your blog name.
You're fine! I've actually tried to have summer and winter pajamas (because I'm unbelievably cheap in some areas, it is MUCH colder in our house in the winter than in the summer), but my kids don't care. They (who are girls) wear silky little camisoles and shorts in the dead of winter when I'm wearing FOUR layers, and their fuzzy, footy pajamas in the dead of summer, when I'm wearing pretty much nothing.
They "get" how to survive a little bit on their own! I'm not going to call the pajama police on you!
I say whatever they want to wear to bed is fine. If your house is the same temp pretty much year round they will be ok. They will tell you if they are about to pass out from the heat they are putting off.
When my oldest was younger, and she would go to my sisters house, I would always send her with footy PJs, because she kept her house so cold, all the time.
Sorry can't help you, but I did want to add that I don't know how to dress my kids during the day.
We live in OH and the weather is just crazy throughout the day. It can start at 45 degrees in the morning and be 81 by 2:00. We leave the house at 7:50 so I always feel bad. On the other hand, it can start at 75 in the morning and be 32 by the afternoon. How can I stop this madness?
Pajamas? Oh no I gotta get pajama's now?
I generally try to steer mine away from footie PJs in the summer, but sometimes you've just got to pick you battles, and I don't feel like fighting over PJs. Usually they sleep in just underwear, or one of Daddy's old T-shirts (after I fattened him up a bit, we had to buy him new ones, and gave the old ones to the boys.) I'm always the coldest one in the house, so if they kick their covers off (and they will) that's their problem - lol! I'm still gonna be warm!
Glad your little one liked the video - Thanks for the comment!!
Okay, some may need to close their eyes rather than read this. Sometimes, I let me kids sleep in regular clothes! Clean ones of course, but clothes all the same.
So, of course my answer is a big fat NOPE. It makes no difference what pajamas they wear. Besides, is there anything cuter than a kiddo in footy pajamas? I think not.
I do so love Sandra Boynton books--we had most of them memorized we read them so much when the kids were little...
I fact shhh....don't tell my son, but I bought a Boynton graduation book for my son, who is GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL in two weeks!
I can't imagine that it matters, if the kid is comfortable and happy.
Then again, year-round I sleep in pajama bottoms and an T-shirt, under two or three blankets, but with two fans on. Just don't ask.
we don't actually wear jammies anymore -- unless it's chilly they wear jammie pants. i'm manning them up on this one -- t-shirt and undies boys. t-shirt and undies.
I'm all for the wear what works, wear what's clean philosophy.
mine sleep in footy jamas just like ryans all year long. no issues here.. but I have always wondered the same thing.. hmmmm
Do not ask me.
My husband and I come from very frugal backgrounds, so we never turned on the heat. Until the morning Social Butterfly woke up with purple hands and feet (she was wearing feetie p.j.s). Convinced their was something wrong with her heart, I rushed her to the doctor. His suggestion? Turn on the heat. Embarrasing.
That's funny. I used to have this exact same PJ dilemma all the time.
Will they be too hot? Too cold? What happens if they throw off the covers during the night and wake up?
(answer turned out to be: they would wake up anyway).
Then I moved to Texas - and: problem solved!
After 102 cumulative years of parenting experience, I can tell you with absolute certainty that it does not matter at all what they wear to bed. Unless it is a wet bathing suit. These are not recommended.
I say let them wear whatever gets them to bed ;)
Still say from May thru Sept they should be in shorts and tees. Just saying.
And, I starting singing the rest of the book as soon as I read your title. Love Boynton. Currently have an entire Boynton shelf.
Holly, at least your children wear pajamas. My two boys refuse! They sleep in their underwear and have one cover. And this is during the winter in Virginia.
Now me? I am bundled from head to toe and sleep with several covers.
So you are not strange or weird. You and your boys are perfectly normal.
Hey - thanks for visiting a new girl. Pretty nice after being invited to the 'cool table' and all!
No advice on pajamas - our house is always freezing and we pile on the fleece. But, Pajama Time is an all time favorite bedtime book around here.
I judge this by how much my kids sweat during the night. Heavy sweat...lighten the pajamas. No sweat...vice versa.
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!
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.
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.
Those kids are so stinkin' cute!
And thanks for being the best AllMediocre supporter! You're awesome!
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.
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.
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!
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! : )
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! :-)
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.
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??
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.
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...
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.
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. :-)
It's totally true. I never know what is right, I just hope for the best.
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.
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