Supermom In Training: My son won’t stop wearing shorts! | Parenting 101

It may not look like it in the photo, but it’s below zero. And my son is still insisting on wearing shorts. Even on the first snow, he asked if he could wear shorts under his snow pants.

This happens every fall. We battle for weeks until there’s a thick layer of snow on everything, and then he finally concedes and agrees to want to wear pants. But this year, he’s almost 8. Is this a battle I need to keep enduring? Surely he’s old enough by now to decide when he’s cold or not, right? He wouldn’t actually let his legs freeze, right?

Cameron has never really rebelled. He’s barely thrown a temper tantrum (I remember one… about a lollipop). So I think he picks inane fights like pants to feel like he’s in control.

And I’ve been taking the bait. My husband keeps telling me not to fall for it and keep discussing it with him – let him decide. If he wants to wear pants and it’s freezing, let him. But the mom in me is screaming “PUT THE DAMN PANTS ON!!!” I’ve even had older women come up to him and ask where his sweater is.

What would you do – let him wear shorts or force him to put on pants?