Wearing shorts in winter

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
1
Hello. I have a 12 year old son. We live in Basel.

He insists on wearing shorts, nearly 365 days.

Now, as you know, the Swiss climate is very cold.

However after reading online ( https://www.today.com/parents/kids-w...-ok-1D80425637 ) and seeing what his friends wear I learnt it is common. Only today, he wore shorts to school. When I was coming back from work, some boys, stepped in the bus, wearing a shirt and shorts.

Any opinions / suggestions to make him wear winter clothing?

2
Welcome to the Forum.

He sounds Regal.

3
You could nag him, thus guaranteeing that he'll wear shorts long after the point when he's noticed that it's uncomfortable, or you could just wait for him to notice it on his own.

He's twelve. Puberty is about to start. This won't be your last chance to nag.

4
just wait until it gets colder.

i think it's definitely not bad to build some resistance to cold.

5
OP needs to get to the streets of the UK week-end nights and see what the girls are wearing - shorts is the last of your worries

6
not wearing socks is also popular in winter

7
Yes but this week the minimums were about 6 c and next week is predicted to go down to -2c.

8
I find it rather on the mild side compared to the US.

In fact, I wear shorts year round.

Tom

9
Depends on your frame(s) of reference before you moved here. This is downright balmy compared to northern Minnesota, USA.

10
Shorts are standard dress until 3-4C. Below that, wind chill factor dictates choice.

11
I saw kids in shorts the other day too here, just their way to say goodbye to summer, nostalgically, I think. It is 4deg in the morning but climbs up high in sunny afternoons. He will be ok. Tell him that wearing clothes in cool weather is necessary but ice cold showers in the morning are all the rage now, for real guys.

It would bug me more if the reasons he does it for would be just to be like the other kids.

12
Let him wear the shorts if he wants to.

Greets: A Dutch who during -10 Celcius can just go to the store in shorts.

13
Ice bear here, too. I can easily walk around in shorts/short sleeves when it's below freezing. Young kids are easily strong enough, I think.

Though, when it gets to -20°C or below, then I would absolutely insist on proper winter gear. Hypothermia is no joke.

14
And how do you think Scotsmen cope in Winter?

15
https://cdn.royalandawesome.co.uk/me...1470240904.jpg

??

16
they shiver and shrivel?

17
So? If he feels the cold, he'll put some longer trousers on. It's not as if being exposed to the cold is going to give him the flu or anything.

18
No, it's open windows and draughts that do that...

19
Not forgetting those awful chills on your kidneys

And anyway, a good scarf around the neck at all times prevents all manner of respiratory diseases.

20
Scotian here. With decent boots, wool knee socks and a woolen kilt I was good down to -20C, assuming no updrafts.

However, slipping on the ice could lead to some rather nasty scrapes in uncomfortable places