The thermometer barely shows 5 degrees in the mornings and strangely, your child is not cold. He’s only waiting for one thing: to take off all the layers of clothing you’ve put on his back. If he behaves like this, it is for two reasons…
It’s the time of year many parents dread. When the cold sets in and temperatures drop below 10 degrees in the morning, some children refuse to dress warmly. And while you insist that they put on a sweater instead of a simple t-shirt, they repeat this fairly common phrase: “BUT I’m not cold!” There are two reasons to remember, although of course, we remind you, it is important to cover your children appropriately in winter so that they do not get sick.
An expressed need for independence. The first explanation would be that the child is simply expressing his need for independence by doing the opposite of what you ask him to do. As he grows up, he will learn to dress himself and choose the clothes he wants to wear. By choosing his clothes alone, he would thus assert his autonomy. Therefore, not putting on a warmer jacket or a sweater in cold weather would become a symbol of this acquired independence.
The role of brown fat. The second reason, this time more scientific, would concern the brown fat that children and newborns largely possess. The name may put you off, but there is indeed so-called brown fat, also called brown adipose tissue, in the human body. This type of fat would help children not feel as cold as adults in winter. For what ? Because his “main role is to generate heat”explained Dr. Michael Symonds, professor at the University of Nottingham in England, at New York Times.
“One gram of brown fat produces 300 times more heat than any other tissue in the body”, he added. This heat would also be generated “by burning sugar and fat, often in response to cold”indicates the expert in a other analysis focusing on the role of this fat in the fight against obesity. On the other hand, as we age, the amount of brown fat decreases, which would also explain why adults feel the cold more than children. Furthermore, this same fat would also be present in animals and it would be used for them to hibernate. Not to mention that children tend to move around a lot during the day, which could again explain why they don’t feel as cold as that in winter. However, once again, it is better for them to wear a jacket when they go outdoors.