During the summer months, my boys wear shorts and short sleeves like most everyone else. But the summer season is quickly coming to a close around here, and my littlest one insists that he is “so hot,” and must wear shorts.
Do you think the schools understand that he’s my third boy? Do you think they realize that being a little cold might be good for him in this situation? I’m not so sure. But I am certain that some caring parent in the drop-off line this morning watched my shorts-wearing boy with pity, wondering how on earth his mother could have sent him to school in shorts. I, for one, simply asked, “Who is that child’s mother?”
This is one of the biggest surprises to me as a parent: that no matter how we try to treat our children equally, birth order matters. There isn’t a chance in the world that I would’ve allowed my first son to trot off to school with chilly legs. Or ugly t-shirts, for that matter, but that’s a different story. But by the third time around, I’ve learned to look at things differently. And to choose my battles.
Wonder what he’ll wear tomorrow?
My 16-year-old son won't wear long pants unless it's below 35 or 40 degrees. He's always been like that. His friends are the same way. I don't get it. But he does go to a private school where they are allowed to wear shorts only until September 30th and then after March 31st. But on the weekends, unless it's snowing, he's in shorts.