What Was This Mother Thinking? Baby Not Dressed For Weather!

amother

Nasturtium

Today at 4:50 pm

Id be concerned to. That the mother was so nonchalant about her baby's well-being. I'd bet money she neglects her kids in other ways too. I hope I'm wrong.

But there isn't anything you can do about it. 😢

amother

Skyblue

Today at 5:02 pm

Personally I'm more concerned about overheating my baby than having her be cold for a couple minutes. Yes it probably took too long for her to load up but baby did have a jacket...

I get more concerned when I see moms in heated stores wheeling strollers with heavy blankets and/ or rain covers on.

amother

Gardenia

Today at 5:08 pm

amother Skyblue wrote:

Yes I personally err in the side of under dressing rather than over dressing, I keep multiple layers with me for baby, blankets and cardigans etc and put on and off accordingly. You can always tell when a baby is too hot or cold by feeling their chest.
No baby is getting sick from being exposed to a bit of weather for the 5 minutes it takes to load a car. This baby has presumably been in a warm shop and going to a warm car.

amother

Ebony

Today at 5:13 pm

Personally I think you overstepped big time op.
You have no idea whats going on in her life or why the baby was dressed like that.
But it was definitely none of your business.

amother

Ruby ↓

Today at 5:27 pm

Cheiny wrote:

I went out this morning to the supermarket. It was extremely cold, I believe in the high 20’s. When I came out of the store, there was a mother holding a baby in her arms, speaking on her cell phone, and walking to her car with a huge wagon filled with many shopping bags full of groceries. As she juggled her phone, her baby and the wagon, she then proceeded to open the trunk of her car to load the groceries. She was moving slowly presumably because she was doing all three at once.

I glanced at the baby and was horrified when I noticed the child (perhaps a few months old) had nothing covering his/her legs from the knees down, they probably were wearing either a skimpy stretchie or a thin pajama, so nothing covering the legs or feet at all, no socks, and the jacket he/she was wearing on top was completely open and undone!

I myself was wearing gloves and my hands were frozen even with the gloves on, so I was imagining how that baby must’ve been freezing with his/her legs and feet completely bare and the jacket not even zipped or buttoned up! I was close enough to hear the mother’s phone conversation which was a casual one, so no, this wasn’t an “emergency situation,” which I’m sure some here may soon suggest…

As I watched her taking her time, loading the many bags into her car, again while juggling her phone and the baby in her other hand, I went over to offer my help… I interrupted her phone conversation and gently suggested the baby needed to be wearing socks and not have her legs exposed in below freezing weather, as I felt that was the most pressing issue. Before I could offer my help with the bags, she curtly nodded to me and then turned her back and returned to her call.

I pray for that helpless baby who must’ve been absolutely freezing. What I did notice was that ironically the mother was dressed very warmly herself. Everything was covered. She also was not very young looking, so no way to explain it away as a very young, first-time mother who doesn’t know any better… She finally decided to put the child into the car and then finished loading her bags while casually talking on the phone.

I left there feeling so sad that it didn’t occur to this mother to be more careful with how she dressed her child before taking him/her out into the freezing weather. Dan l’kaf zechus? I didn’t see any possible logical explanation for it, no matter how I tried, other than neglect or carelessness.

Could this very young baby have pulled off their socks, removed their leggings/pants, and unbuttoned their jacket? Not at all likely, more like impossible. Hashem should watch over those who are helpless…

Unfortunately I've seen those types of mothers.
I have a neighbor like that. The only dlkz is that she's not right in the head.
She has a 4 yo daughters. All big schools here require tights and dresses for this age. So she sends to a private little preschool so that she can send her daughter in socks..... but it's FREZZING and rainy outside. Too bad. The kid is wearing cheap matching shoes to match her every outfit, (I hear the kid complain about her shoes all summer! Doesnt matter to her. "Its fine, it's fine") a little shirt dress barely covering her tush and elbow and little socks.
And some trendy coat that isn't too warm (temperatures here can get as low as the single digits.)

It's a "thing" to be "easy". I don't understand it.

There are ate symptoms of her not being right in the head but those others don't make her little girl freeze in the cold.

And I see it all around.
These aren't 20 year old first time moms. These are 35 and 40 year old moms of many kids and sometimes even older.

amother

↑ Ruby

Today at 5:29 pm

amother Ebony wrote:

Personally I think you overstepped big time op.
You have no idea whats going on in her life or why the baby was dressed like that.
But it was definitely none of your business.

No no no.
It absolutely was her business.
When you see a child in a compromise situation it is our obligation to one another to make each other aware. Unless you know for a fact it will not help then it's just a waste of your breath.

amother

Daphne

Today at 6:17 pm

amother Fuchsia wrote:

20 degrees is not extremely cold. Cold yes, but not going to cause damage within a reasonable time frame (less than an hour).

Regarding the jacket, she’s probably careful about car seat safety. My kids only wear fleeces in the car, regardless of temperature. Pants or lack thereof, maybe the baby had a blowout or the pants just bunched up.

It's below freezing. Freezing is 32F.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Today at 6:24 pm

amother Ruby wrote:

A child outside for 5 minutes is really not in a compromised situation though. I know I would not have appreciated if some random stranger had come over to me today. Do you think I didn’t know my baby didn’t have socks on? Sometimes moms just can’t win. I know it’s dangerous for him to stand up in the shopping cart, so I put him in the back, where at least he is much less likely to fall or knock over the cart. Do you think the random stranger who comes over to me thinks that I thought about that? If I put my baby in the car while I put away the groceries, I probably won’t put my cart back. Then I will get vilified here. If I leave my baby in the car (within eye shot only of course) to return my cart, I will be vilified for leaving my baby alone. If I take him out of the car again to return the cart, someone will probably say “oh that poor baby, why does his mom keep putting him in and out? Why doesn’t she just leave him?” Therefore, I do what I know is best for my child. I took him out this morning without socks, and guess what? He didn’t suffer. We went from the house to the car, and the car to the house. He went outside yesterday in just a diaper, and totally didn’t care that it was cold. Yes, I only let him go out for a few minutes like that, but I can just imagine what the imas here would have said.
Everyone needs to stop being so judgmental and keep their comments to themselves.

amother

Steel ↓

Today at 8:02 pm

rmbg wrote:

I can tell you what she WASNT thinking:
1) I dont care about my baby
2) its okay to take a baby out in the freezing cold weather and not be properly dressed
3)my babys health and well-being isnt important to me

I'm not really sure how you can make that determination as to what was going on in the mother's head.

amother

↑ Steel ↓

Today at 8:06 pm

amother Fuchsia wrote:

It's not imminent risk of frostbite, but that wasn't the OP's concerns, I don't think.

amother

↑ NeonGreen

Today at 8:07 pm

I thought you live in the tristate area maybe I’m wrong, but it was 35 in most places not 20.

amother

Candycane

Today at 8:13 pm

amother cornflower wrote:

So I went out with my 16 month old.
He pulls his gloves and hat off. Throws his blanket down too. Its freezing.
I do not think any mom would do this on purpose.
So I'm trying to teach my baby to keep it on and its a struggle. I would not appreciate any advice from you judgy moms out there who think I'm not capable enough.

I let my older 7 and 9 year old feel the weather for themselves and decide if they neeed a jacket or coat or sweater. ( They are on a long bus ride so they usually take a thin sweater even if its 20 below.
So now, My 5 yr old thinks its cool to go to school without a coat or sweater at all and I DO NOT FIGHT.
Said teacher called me already and I answered " Said Child is 5 and KNOWS that its cold. I will not pick a fight over this. Teacher was horrified.

And my pediatrician confirmed you get sick from being indoors with so much germs, not outside in the cold.

That’s just not normal parenting. I’ll bet the teacher was horrified. I’m sure cps would be horrified too.

GLUE

Today at 8:14 pm

You could have told her why don't you put your baby in the car and I will unload your cart.
I have done that when I needed a cart and there was non to be found.

behappy2

Today at 8:16 pm

Was the baby crying?

chestnut ↓

Today at 8:21 pm

Ema of 5 wrote:

Hope you don't live in NYC where it was in the 30s yesterday. A baby in a diaper outside for a few minutes. Pretty bad imo.

amother

Blonde

Today at 8:22 pm

As someone that is always cold I would have probably done exactly what OP did. Maybe next time the mother goes out she'll make sure that her child is properly dressed.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Today at 8:26 pm

chestnut wrote:

Hope you don't live in NYC where it was in the 30s yesterday. A baby in a diaper outside for a few minutes. Pretty bad imo.

I do, and I promise you he was just fine.

↑ chestnut ↓

Today at 8:32 pm

Ema of 5 wrote:

I do, and I promise you he was just fine.

BH he was, in the big scheme of things. That's still not something to sound proud of, in my opinion.

↑ Ema of 5 ↓

Today at 8:37 pm

chestnut wrote:

BH he was, in the big scheme of things. That's still not something to sound proud of, in my opinion.

Who said I’m proud? I’m just pointing out that literally a few minutes in cold weather is not dangerous. He actually ran outside before anyone realized what was going on. I let him stay out for a minute or two, and then brought him back in. Nothing to boast about, just sayin what happened.

amother

Peony

Today at 8:49 pm

Newest trend:

In freezing winter, mother in sweatshirt with brand name logo, infant in guaze onesie coverall in expensive brand label.

In the summer in a/c setting: mother in sweatshirt with brand name logo, infant naked in shirtless shortfalls, no socks, high end brand, bluish tinged skin from freezing.

Nebach.