Does your child nap outside in winter?

[EP]

I wonder what the authorities would say in the UK (or other countries for that matter not used to this practice!?)

Well, I became curious about that and did a quick search (in Finnish). This was one that came up:http://www.pellervo.fi/pellervo/kp5_05/maantavalla.htm

To put it shortly: At least in Belgium the neighbours alert a priest who then comes and blames the parents of criminal neglicence and threatens with child care authorities.

[Meri-Tuuli]

Yeah I think parents in the UK would think it crazy that kids go out to sleep in -20C weather. But then, they can't dress themselves properly for the weather.

[Spectra]

EP, are you serious about that article saying that the Belgians would take the parents to the authorities for letting their child sleep outside in the cold??

Would the parents of babies in Greenland also be taken to court?!? come on...

[scoobymcdoo]

I read that a mum (mom!) in the USA was arrested for child neglect as she left her baby sleeping in it's car seat. She didn't want to wake it, so left it in the car in her own drive way! No idea what they would make of a baby outside in a pram at minus 20!

H

[pollymincheva]

well... there are 2 sides of the story I suppose... did she have a baby monitor in there? the car could have been stolen even in her own driveway and all this other stuff. But I bet the sleeping outside would be the craziest to them. Still you'd have a pretty good argument against it - people in Finland do it all the time!!! hehe
When my aunt was there she said they're pretty weird. She would use real garlic and not the dried crap they sell and her heingbours thought she was really weird... oh or use spices she grows and not buy the stuff they sell... hahaha really silly

[Wheely]

Hi,

A question on this "baby out when it is cold" matter.

I have a really difficult time getting my baby to sleep well indoors and she really loves going out and sleeps there immediately - or sometimes taking her out for a while just helps her to fall asleep and I can bring her in immediately after that.

So today I decided to take her out for a while in the babybjorn for her to fall asleep and we spent only around 10 minutes outdoors. I dressed her up really warmly but I still did not somehow manage to protect her face properly. A little bit of the chin and cheeks got these darkish red marks which must be the first warning of a frostbite - and I got really scared. I had a hooding system on her so that only a little bit of the face was exposed to the air and I was trying to hold her facing towards me so that she would really not get any breeze on her face but obviously the baby skin is supersuper sensitive and she still reacted. The marks have calmed down now and one can see only a little bit of the red but for future I would love to know whether there is something that I could put on her cheeks if we have to go out for a while - or - I just do not dare to do it.

Would anyone know a product, a cream or something, that one could use on a baby's skin when it is cold?

Thanks!

Marianne

[Hank W.]

Yes, well, in a hot car its slightly differet, but don't you guys remember that Danish? couple that left the pram outside the cafe in NYC? It was long ago.

[raumagal]

I read that a mum (mom!) in the USA was arrested for child neglect as she left her baby sleeping in it's car seat. She didn't want to wake it, so left it in the car in her own drive way! No idea what they would make of a baby outside in a pram at minus 20!

H

In recent years there have been cases where babies were left in the car in hot weather which resulted in the babies dying of heat stroke. This seems to be one factor why the authorities in the US have started cracking down on parents who leave their kids in the car.

[EP]

EP, are you serious about that article saying that the Belgians would take the parents to the authorities for letting their child sleep outside in the cold??

That is what is says in the fourth paragraph. But it also says that on top of outside sleeping neighbours were worried about safety.

Things have changed also in Finland (unfortunately). 30 years ago there were prams with babies outside every grocery store when mothers went shopping, that was normal. Not anymore. In those times there were signs on grocery store doors, a picture of a pram, and a picture of a dog. Both with a red cross over them. So everybody just left their babies outside without a second thought. Who would want to harm a baby.

I still remember vividly one time when I came out of a store. There was an old homeless alkie walzing around with my baby in his arms. He was singing "Kulkurin valssi". It actually looked touching and funny. He apologized and explained that he would never have picked up the baby, but in this case the baby was yelling its head off, and so he had decided to comfort it and keep it entertained. And he succeeded.

[EP]

And darkish red marks: frostbite is white, skin gets white patches, not red.

[Spectra]

OMG, EP, you didn't freak out with the alcoholic breathing his stench-breath on your baby?!?!? For that, I would think about calling the police!!

About the cream to put on the baby's face-- I was told that's it better to not put anything on their faces before going out, that the natural oils on the skin is good protection (so dont' wash your baby's face too well before going out....seriously...) At least I remember being told that it's better to put on cream after coming inside from the cold, if the skin has gotten dry. I use Weleda's calendula baby cream. It's great on my boy's red and dry cheeks.

[EP]

you didn't freak out with the alcoholic breathing his stench-breath on your baby?!?!? For that, I would think about calling the police!!

Well, no. Stench does no harm, and he was doing me a favour, keeping my baby happy. It was smiling, obviously it had liked the singing and dancing And his singing voice was quite good. And I have always liked the walz tune he was doing. I said KIITOS.

But I admit, I washed the baby´s outer clothing after that.

[Wheely]

Dear EP,

I know that frostbites are white but before the skin gets real white frostbites it becomes dark red which is a warning sign.

I just wanted to find out whether anyone would know if there is a product that I could apply on a very cold day on my baby's delicate skin. I know in the old days they had something called vital or alike but this was later considered not such a good idea. I think then that I will try this Weleda product or take it slowly and see how her skin starts reacting. This was the first time in real cold weather and the wind where we live can be quite bad so it must have hit on her face hard.


Marianne

[EP]

It was Vitalis, and Nivea also had a "waterless" cream. And yes, it took decades to realize that they actually make it worse. Nowadays they recommend not washing your face with water in a very cold weather, and if that is not enough, covering loosely your face up to eyes with a warm scarf.

[EP]

Sorry, but I have never heard that skin turning red would be a sign of a frostbite. Are you sure that it was not just what in Finnish is called "punaiset posket" (red cheeks)? Because that is usually regarded as a sign of a healthy child, and childrens cheek turn red when it is cold.