They’re Just Not Cold
With every parent screaming “FINE… freeze then!” when their kid walks out the door totally underdressed, this might offer some peace of mind.
It turns out there’s some truth to this! According to an article in the Washington Post, “The metabolic rates for kids up through their teens are higher than those of most adults, and so are their activity levels. As a result, kids tend to generate more heat than adults do.” Experts say, if your kids skip the coat, at least encourage them to wear a hat and gloves, which will prevent frostbite and keep heat from escaping from their head. (Ummm… good luck with that.)
Coats Are a Pain to Carry Around
My kids have said this to me many times and the teenagers I reached out to confirmed it. Coats are bulky and a big pain to carry around in school. A lot of high schoolers either don’t have a locker (or choose not to have one) which means they have to carry their coat around all day in addition to their back backpack. And, for the middle and high schoolers that do have a locker, shoving a big, bulky, puffy coat into a small locker can be a serious challenge.
Also, for the kids who have lockers, making it back to their locker in time to catch the bus or catch a ride in carpool can be a pain if their locker isn’t anywhere near their last class.
Hoodies Aren’t Just Cozy, They Provide Emotional Comfort
You know when your now big kid was a toddler and they had to have their comfy “blankie” before they could drift off to sleep? Well, it turns out, for some teenagers, their cozy hoodie provides the same emotional comfort. Hoodies are like a security blanket for big kids. (Hence the reason they have a “favorite” hoodie.)
Hoodies are “Cooler” than Coats
A coat is, well… just a coat. But the fashion options for hoodies are endless! Got a band you love? There’s a hoodie you can buy. Got a name brand you think is cool? There’s a hoodie you can buy. And, you can buy them in virtually ANY color to match an outfit. When comparing coats to hoodies, it’s flat-out hoodies for the win… they’re WAY cooler.
Coats Are Uncomfortable
It doesn’t matter how comfortable a coat is, apparently it’s no match to a soft, worn-in fleece hoodie. Plus, according to teens, the more you wear your favorite hoodies, the comfier they get. And, since most teens wear their hoodies oversized, they can scoot their hands in the sleeves and stay toasty while they desperately try to stay awake during their teacher’s boring history lecture.
Teens Just Don’t Need a Coat
Unless they’re trekking to school in the snow, a coat just doesn’t serve that much of a purpose. Teens say they’re pretty good at timing the bus just right so they don’t spend too much time waiting in the cold and others who drive just hop in the car and take a short walk into the school. Bottom line… why wear a coat? It’s not necessary.
They Don’t Want to Get in Trouble for Losing It
Some teenagers claim they’ve lost more coats than they can count, so why bother? Especially when there’s no chance of losing their hoodie since they never (or rarely) take it off.
No One Else is Wearing One
As much as teens say they don’t care about fitting in, a lot of them actually do care. In fact, they care a lot. And, who can blame them? No one wants to be the odd man out. So, even if a teen is cold and wants to wear a coat, there’s a chance they won’t if no one else does. They’d rather be cold than stand out like a sore thumb in the crowd.
Your teen heading out the door on a freezing cold day wearing nothing but a hoodie probably isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Buckle up and just ride this one out. If you’re really concerned about them freezing in frigid temps, encourage them to layer under their hoodie and wear a hat and gloves. But, don’t be surprised if they roll their eyes and sigh heavily…
Link to the original article: https://raisingteenstoday.com/the-real-reason-teenagers-wont-wear-coats/
Link to Raising Teens Today: raisingteenstoday.com