So we have this little problem (well I think it’s a problem anyway) with Gavin. You see it’s 90f here in Ohio and we are all desperately trying to keep cool. Well, all of us but Gavin. Gavin is cold, at least that what he says. If we let him and we don’t, but if we did, he would be sleeping with pants and a hoody. Not only that but he would be under his comforter, windows closed and no fan.
We’re torn here. On one hand we want him to be comfortable but on the other we need him safe and healthy. It’s simply to hot for what he’s “comfortable” with. Gavin struggles with regulatory issues so we can’t rely on him adjusting things if he gets to hot because he never feels to hot. He could be in the verge of heat stroke and not realize it.
I know it’s sensory related and that Gavin would be uncomfortable under more “appropriate” conditions but what are we supposed to do?
We end up negotiating at times. Sometimes we’ll say something like, “if you want to sleep in pants then the fan must stay on” or “if you want the fan off then you need to sleep on shorts”. It works most of the time but other times it doesn’t.
Do you folks deal with anything like this? If so what do you do? Thoughts?
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Sometimes kids just get used to a certain way of dressing and to be dressed that is worth any discomfort. It could be that Gavin just says he is cold because he's knows that what you say when you when you wear warm clothes. The other poster suggested wearing long all cotton clothing and that's good if it is thin and loose. I'm picturing Gavin in sweats… At school I make my kids take off jackets when it is obviously hot. This is just another example of times I have to substitute my judgement for theirs because I"m the grown-up. If you really think that Gavin's thermostat could be out of whack and he's really feeling cold due to metabolic, thyroid or medication related reason, you could take his temperature to be sure.
Oh wait, I forgot. You have said that Gavin does not sweat easily. Well that could increase the risk for heat stroke. One thing that helps us to cool ourselves naturally is getting our hair wet. Even if he could stand to be spritzed with a spray bottle, maybe that would help make up for the sweating.
Well, at least I'm not the only one. It was 97 here in North Carolina yesterday. My youngest (8) is roasting his brothers and the pet lizard (who loves it) because he keeps turning off the little AC unit in the attic bedrooms where they all sleep. I guess the sound bothers him.
But what you mentioned about Gavin wanting to wear long sleeves and pants, I guess I would not worry about it as long as they are 100% cotton. In Saudi Arabia and India, the people wear a lot of clothes for so much heat, but it has to be cotton, at least in India. My little boy gets in that mode too, along with running barefoot in shorts outside in the snow. I won't let him wear polyester in the summer, but if he wants to sit upstairs in that attic with no AC in long sleeves and long pants, then that's his problem. Hopefully he will sweat out some of the toxins in his body that may be causing some of this silly behavior to begin with. At least we can run the AC when he is asleep.
By the way your balloon bed idea is brilliant! I have toyed with the idea of fastening rabbit wire to the outside of our upstairs windows. Somehow I am not sure if the two-by-fours nailed up will prevent him crawling out I'm glad there is no neighborhood organization to make sure we are "fashionable." Old houses-gotta love 'em..
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