Anonymous User
Sweaty Toddler
My toddler sweats really quick when he wears different layers for the winter (we live in Chicago). And I always find myself struggling thinking what to put him on so he doesn’t overheat but dont get cold. Also, I’ve seen big puffy coats to not be recommended for carseats.
Does anyone experience this with your kids?
I put a hat but as soon as he’s in the car I take it off and hes already sweating. I just do a long sleeve, pants, jacket, and use a blanket to cover when going out but can easily come off when in the car.
With these weather changes, he has been getting sick, which I know its normal but I overthink if its because of overheating and then being wet because of the sweat. Thank you in advance for your advice!
Anonymous
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I totally get what you’re dealing with. I have a toddler too, and we live in New York, so we’re constantly shuffling between warm buildings, freezing sidewalks, and then back into a hot car. Honestly, there’s no perfect system where a toddler is never too hot or too cold for even a minute.
What’s worked for us is keeping things really simple for the short transitions. If the car is close, I actually don’t put a big jacket on at all. I’ll just do a long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt, pants, and a hat. We run straight to the car, and yeah—it’s a little cold for a minute or two, but as soon as the car warms up, they’re totally fine. The puffy coat stays off because it never fits the car seat right anyway and you’re constantly tightening/loosening straps.
Once they’re buckled in, I’ll toss the jacket or a blanket over them like a cover until the heat kicks in. That way they stay warm without overheating or sweating through layers. For me, a few seconds of being chilly is way preferable to a sweaty kid who then has to sit in damp clothes.
And just to reassure you—getting sick is almost definitely from germs, not from briefly being warm/cold/warm again. Toddlers this age are exposed to so much that it’s pretty much inevitable.
It’s honestly one of the annoying parts of living in a cold climate with little kids, so don’t beat yourself up. I’m also curious what other parents do, but this approach has worked pretty well for us (with some obvious tradeoffs!).