What's a Mother to do? (Blog #17 11/17/08)

The temperature today in Beijing was about 38. This is how middle child was dressed today. And every day. To the dismay of everyone who sees him. This is different than Tanzania, where the mamas would cluck at kids dressed like this when it was 55. It's cold, goshdarnit!

I did tell him that starting this week he had to wear a long-sleeved shirt and a sweatshirt and gloves and socks and shoes (no more short-sleeved tees and crocs). If he did that I'd lay off the shorts. But I secretly crossed my fingers when I said that.

I know that if he's cold he'll put on pants (he hasn't worn a pair of pants for 3 years. Really.) and one group of good parents will say, let the kid get to that point on his own. There's another group of good parents that would say, the kid needs to learn what is appropriate dress and now is the time when we wear suitable clothes. I often am in the former (more from being distracted or laziness rather than intentional thoughtful parenting) but I'm moving toward the latter group. It's not so much the cold as it is how dry-dry-dry the air is. I'm worried that his skin will get dry and itchy and cracked and bleedy and then it's my problem, too. My secret nefarious plan was to say "pants now" next week and hide the shorts. WWYD?

(I know this is anal-retentive, but I do know how to paragraph and it just drives me nuts when Blogger won't do what I'm doing--and when it shows up right in the preview pane!)