How to Winterproof Your Toddler

As the winter months are fast approaching, you may be starting to think about your infant or toddler and how you're going to keep them warm through the cold days and colder nights. It's not always as easy as it should be, and piling on too many layers of warm clothing can make a child too hot, which isn't a good thing either.

One of the main things you need to think of is what your child will be wearing when you take him or her outdoors. Make sure you buy plenty of winter clothing suitable for him to be used in the rain, snow, and even just the transition between the house and car. Boots, mittens and hats are all essential items, with scarves being recommended if it is extra cold and windy.

Hats are one of the most important things for all babies and children in general, as a lot of our body heat will escape through the head if it isn't covered. So make sure your child has a hat to wear when going outdoors. With small infants, it is advisable to keep a cap on the head even when indoors, if you don't have heating on all the time.

A good jacket is also a must, especially if you have an active toddler who will want to play around in the snow. But even without playing in the snow, a nice cotton- or wool-lined jacket (wool especially is great at keeping heat in) with an outer waterproof layer is great for the winter months. It's also preferable to invest in a jacket that has proper neck protection, such as a collar that can come up or down depending on how hot it is. If you have a jacket that doesn't have such a thing, this is where a scarf is recommended when it's extra cold and windy out.

Hand protection is also important, but mittens are always better than gloves as they do a much better job at keeping the hands warm than gloves do. Mittens will also be much easier for you to put on babies and toddlers.

The right type of boots are also really important, even if your child doesn't yet walk much. Getting too small of a size or a size of boots that fit perfectly snug can actually make the feet colder, as it will inhibit circulation. Make sure to buy a pair of good weather-resistant boots that has enough room inside for the child to move his toes around a bit. On very cold days it is also recommended to put on an extra pair of socks. All of this will ensure the feet to stay warm.

For the older toddlers that love to play outside, don't let them stay out for too long a period of time. They become colder a lot faster than adults do, so try to break up the outdoor playtime into intervals. Always bring the kids inside if they feel cold, are complaining about it being too cold, are shivering, or have wet clothing.

At night, both infants and toddlers alike will very much appreciate a flannel sheet set for the winter. Regular sheets can be cold and not keep body heat in very well, while flannel sheets work great at doing just that.

Wearable blankets, also known as sleep sacks, are also great for both babies and toddlers. They come in different sizes for different ages, and different types - such as with sleeves or without. This is a great alternative for infants whom you do not want to cover with heavy fleece blankets, and for toddlers whom may wiggle around and kick off their blankets in the night, thus exposing their body to the night's cold.

If you do not have central heating for your home or can't afford to have it running all night, it may be a good idea to invest in a small electric space heater. Many come with safety options, such as automatically shutting off if it falls over, or not being hot to the touch with a guard so a child can't get their little fingers in. Of course, if you're only using this for overnights while your child is sleeping in his crib, this probably won't be a problem. If you do decide to get one, look for one that has temperature control and automatically shuts off at the temperature you decide. This will save on both energy costs and make sure the room won't become too hot. A good temperature to try and get the room to is between 65 and 70 degrees.

Another option, especially if the air becomes too dry which can happen from heaters, is to get a hot-mist vaporizer. Sometimes these do a good job of warming the room just enough and you may not even need a heater. At the same time, it keeps moisture in the air so it won't get too dry.

If your child's rooms still seems to get too cold at night, you may want to look over the type of floors and windows you have. If the windows are single pane, you can look into investing in double-pane windows or, if that is not an option, get plastic lining to keep the cold out and cover that with thick curtains. For the floor, if it is not carpeted buy a nice thick rug for it. This will also help keep the room warm.