More than a year ago, back on November 20, 2014 to be exact, I posted about how my boys and many of the boys in our area were wearing shorts in the winter, despite sub-freezing temperatures. [QUICK SIDE NOTE: For the record, my post on this topic came out two months before that other blogger had hers published in The Washington Post (dream!) and even appeared on a TODAY Show segment (bigger dream!) to discuss it … Not that I’m jealous or anything.] Fast-forward 14 months and I am happy to report that the Tarr boys are nothing if not consistent. Here we are on January 14, 2016, and my boys (and nearly all their friends) are still wearing shorts on a daily basis, regardless of the temperature. Granted, the weather has been milder than usual so far this winter, but it is still winter and it is still cold.
I’ve repeatedly stated on this blog and in real life that I do not fight the wardrobe battle with my kids. Of course I suggest pants on cold days (as any good mother would), but I do not force the issue. If they get cold, they’ll figure it out. My boys tend to prefer learning lessons the hard way. So be it. But here’s what I find most interesting … As soon as the temperature dips below 60-degrees or so, both my boys don a knit hat. Not a baseball hat. Not even just the hood on their hoodie (which, according to my boys, is the same as a coat). I’m talking full-on winter knit and/or wool hats, ranging from beanies and skull caps to pompom hats and even trappers.
So what’s with the hats? When I asked my kids, I got two simple answers: (1) Knit hats are part of “their look” (i.e., style) and (2) knit hats keep their heads warm. Duh!
First the style point. I’m not really sure wearing a knit hat with shorts is a “style,” but it is a look, for sure. Some women have an abundance of shoes or jeans or handbags. For my boys, it’s knit hats. To say they own more than a few hats would be an understatement. Plethora is the word that comes to mind. The style du jour is a team pompom hat for each of them (Philadelphia Eagles for my middle schooler, Golden State Warriors for my fourth grader), but since my boys frequently misplace things, other hats do make it into the rotation until the coveted pompom ones are found again.
As for the warmth issue, this one I get. It’s the same reason why both kids stop cutting their hair after their annual Back-to-School head shave … to stay warm. In our house, September through April is a period known as the “Winter Hair Months.” Despite their best efforts to grow Don Cornelius-worthy afros, by December/January all they really have is a head full of dark curls that get flattened out and matted down underneath those winter hats they love so much. Not the best look, but hair and hats are two more battles I choose not to fight.
So I say hats off (or on, in this case) to all those silly boys still wearing shorts in January. I hope your knit hats are keeping you warm enough.
– LJDT
