Help, my toddler hates winter

My husband and I passionately love winter!!  We want to be out playing in the snow every weekend.  As soon as I put my x-country skis on for the first time of the season I'm practically shaking to get out every day.  We are nothing if not enthusiastic about it and are trying our hardest to set an example for our son that winter is something to be enjoyed and embraced with excitement. 


Safe, happy and warm in the chariot last winter.  Sound asleep and blissfully content.

My son was ok with winter last year too.  He happily rode along in his chariot on our ski trips, got back into the chariot after it tipped over and trusted us to continue pulling him.  He loved riding around the skating rink and though we only tried it once, he was ok with sledding.  He liked to walk in the snow and he rarely complained about the clothing he had to wear in order to stay warm.  We have photos of him sound asleep in his chariot while skiing, not concerned with the cold temperatures in the slightest.  We thought we had a happy snow baby on our hands. 

Things started out well this year with our first winter hike back in October.  Our son was enthusiastic about walking through Sundance Canyon in the new snow.  We did some other hikes too and he didn't complain about the wind, cooler temperatures, or his clothing for the most part.  Mittens were a bit of a battle but otherwise, it was clear sailing.  I wasn't even sure our son would remember his first skate of the season because he was blissfully sleeping for most of it.

True winter hit us in November with temperatures down to -20 C in the mountains and our last two outings have shown us that although our son liked the shoulder season from October to November, he might not be as terribly fond of winter itself.

In particular, there are several things our son hates about winter:

The beloved monkey hat

Bulky Clothing

Our son Noah likes his fleece bunting suit that amazingly enough still fits him, his light puffy North Face jacket, his red baby mittens that barely fit him anymore and his monkey toque.

Noah does not like his one piece insulated snow suit, any other hats or mittens (and we've tried many!!),  his balaclava, his scarf, and his winter boots. He will however wear his hiking boots that are so small and tight on him I can't imagine them being comfortable.  It's all about habit though with our son and he does not like new things.

The scarf wasn't so bad last winter nor was the Toaster suit

Walking in snow

Noah was delighted with the snow we had on earlier hikes this season and enjoyed walking through it.   Last weekend we went snowshoeing and we thought Noah would have a great time playing at the lake when we stopped for lunch.  It was a very short hike to the lake and Noah still loves to be carried in his backpack so it seemed like a no-brainer for a fun day.  

Noah had no interest though in playing in the snow.  He wouldn't walk or stand in it, and all he wanted was to get back in his carrier and in the car again as fast as possible.  We are fairly hardcore with our sports and if Noah doesn't want to play but would rather just come along for a ride while we ski or snowshoe, I won't complain.  I do think it's important though that Noah learn to like snow.  We want to get him his own x-country skis for Christmas and we want to go sledding.  We even thought about getting him toddler snow shoes.

Cross-country skiing last winter with Daddy

Walking on ice or slippery surfaces

Getting Noah to walk across a parking lot that may have slippery sections means guaranteed whining and crying.  I'm not sure if he's terrified of falling or if he just doesn't like the sensation of sliding.  We hope he learns that controlled ice is fun though because I love skating and already have skates wrapped up for him for Christmas along with two books about winter.  I am looking forward to holding his hand and pulling him around the lagoon near our house.  If I were a kid I know I'd love to be pulled around a frozen lake while holding onto Mommy and Daddy's hands.

Last winter's introduction to sledding

Wind and Snow in general

Every time I open the garage door after a fresh dump of snow Noah starts crying.  His favorite saying these days is "all done!"  He especially dislikes wind and blowing snow.  Most kids are at least happy in their ski sled or chariot with the cover over them on windy days (of which Calgary gets a lot!) but not Noah.  He hasn't let us cover him in his chariot since he was a baby.  He wants to sit up and look around which causes the cover to rest on his face.  If he's sleeping we can sneak the cover over him but that would be the only time.  We hope that he'll like his new ski sled better and let us cover him in it because the cover is more transparent. 

Sleigh ride on Christmas Day last year

Doing anything with mittens on

Noah seems to think his hands are broken when he is wearing mittens.  He won't hold a snack, a juice bottle, a shovel, a toy, or even play at the playground.  He will ask for his mittens when his hands get cold so we have slight victory there but he won't do anything with them on.  This is problematic when we are outside hiking, skiing or skating.  

The five minutes our son was happy snowshoeing last weekend (notice the absence of his mittens)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how to deal with some of the frustrations we are having.  We can't be faulted with not trying to set a good example for our son or of not being enthusiastic enough about winter in front of him.  I all but sing and dance when I'm out getting groceries to cheer him up about the snow.  Actually, I do sing.  The only thing I don't do is dance.  Maybe that's what's missing.  A Zumba routine to the tune of Frosty the Snowman?

Want to read about our success teaching our son to embrace winter?

Keep reading here: The Makings of a Polar Bear Kid