My 8yr old will not zip her coat when asked.

[Scottish Mum]

Me and my 8yr old daughter Roxanne are currently living in Scotland at the moment and weather during winter has been torrid, only a month or two ago we had winds as high as 80+ miles an hour and lots of snow.

It was so bad that Roxy needed to bundle up to walk to School, however, she always answered back when I asked her to zip her school jacket up. After a few minutes, I would give up and just zip the jacket myself but she kept fidgeting and wriggling about so I would firmly say to her "its very windy and snowy outside, you need your jacket zipped or else it'll blow off, I know you like it open but you can't during winter".

It was just too blustery to let her learn from natural consequences but she still tested me to see if I'd let her leave it open, which I never did.

It is only zipping her jacket that she fights me on, she quite happily puts on her gloves, scarf and hat or puts up hood.

Am I a bad parent for that or did I do right thing?

(PS: I was going to get her a nice/thick winter 3 in 1 jacket but she loves her school trespass jacket (it was supplied by school as part of uniform and has school logo on it) offered much that she uses it for daily life use too).

[Rivlas]

Can she do it up herself? If the answer is yes, then don't do it.

I remember hearing an article about this. The child was asked to get the jumper, mother got it, he put it one. Next time he was asked was told to get it himself, didn't and they left without it. By the time they came home the child was shivering and complaining he was cold. Next time they went out he grabbed his jumper.

It sometimes doesn't hurt them to learn the hard way

[krysalyss]

I wouldn't worry about it honestly. She is old enough to zip it up, and old enough to decide how cold she is. BTW what part of Scotland are you in? We are there too at the moment in Central Scotland. The past week has been chilly, but at least the days are getting longer!!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I'm not quite as far north as you, but my 8yo has his coat open most of the time. He does do it up for strong winds and snow, but rarely for rain.

I figure he's warmer than I am and he knows how to stay warm, so up to him. Children are usually warmer than adults so I don't go on how cold I am once the child can let me know their preference.

[Scottish Mum]

I wouldn't worry about it honestly. She is old enough to zip it up, and old enough to decide how cold she is. BTW what part of Scotland are you in? We are there too at the moment in Central Scotland. The past week has been chilly, but at least the days are getting longer!!

We are in the North of Scotland.

Rivlas, yes, she can do it up herself and, sometimes it is just too unpleasant (weather) to let her learn the hard way.

I really can't understand why she fights me on this because when we are outside in the cold, even with her jacket fastened, she complains about being cold.

Sometimes she will not wear a hat or her hood up because it "messes with her hair" but still complains about having "frozen ears".