“Dear Outraged Onlooker, I Know It’s Cold, But You Try Keeping Clothes on This Kid”

I would just like to inform everyone that I am well aware of the fact that we are now well into the winter season.

The temperature outside is freezing and on most days there is a blustery wind blowing.

I have the common sense to know that if I am dressing in layers and wearing extra garment to protect myself from the elements, I should do the same for my children.

In order to stay on schedule, I even make sure to get an early start to the process of dressing everyone for the trip outdoors.

Now, here in the United States we are instructed that if our children are still using car seats we should not be dressing them in their bulky heavy winter coats.

This would cause the restraints to not be adjusted appropriately for the child’s safety.Instead you dress them in layers and cover them in blankets.

I always make sure to bring coats to put on my sons when we are getting them out of car.

This being said I cover my boy’s heads in warm hats that also protect their little ears.

I make sure they are wearing nice thick warm socks and also mittens for those tiny chubby fingers.

After placing our children in their car seats and covering them with the aforementioned blankets I feel at this point I have done all I can.

The judgmental looks from our community occur usually when we are traveling out to go shopping or to a restaurant.

Even though I know am not a negligent parent I find myself feeling guilty.

At this point you probably wondering what in the world I am talking about.

My youngest son Matthew is like a contortionist when we are driving.

He can manage to pull off his gloves with his mouth and toss them covered in saliva on to the floor.

Once his hands are free he pulls off his shoes and tugs on his sock until he has his little feet free.

Of course his socks are the next article of clothing he will explore with his mouth before finishing off the car ride by chewing on his hat.

So when we reach our destination much of his wardrobe is too wet to put back on him and it looks like his Mommy forgot to dress him.

My point is when you are out at the local market don’t assume a shoeless child has an absent minded mother.

He has a mother whose arms are just not long enough to reach him in the backseat and stop him from eating his socks.