Life with kids in the winter? (Minneapolis, Rochester: credit, how much, home)

[Drew1987]

Hello everyone,

I am a Rochester, NY (diagonally 350 miles north west of the "city") native. Our Western NY winters are extreme to some people, but nothing like yours. Typically, December-march see 20f's every day and there are many above freezing breaks throughout. Tomorrow and Thursday are to be 1f, with -30f wind chills. This got me thinking... my wife and kids will be hunkered down for fear of the walk between the car and anywhere they would go (more for the kids [1.5 and 3.5 years old] sake, than my wife's), but you guys deal with below zero weather more frequently than not in the winter. What do you parents of 0-5 year old kids do between the car and the store/play place/whatever when its a 200 yard walk and -40 with the wind chill? I realize this isn't life or death with commons sense, and it wouldn't really bother me, but it would be a nightmare with kiddos. What do you do to make it livable?


Thanks!


Drew

[Glenfield]

Bundle up. Dressed properly, it’s not a problem for kids (or adults!) to play outside when it’s below zero. It’s actually much better than when the temps are in the high 20s/ low 30s because the snow doesn’t melt and you don’t get wet. You just have to be careful of exposed skin when it’s cold and windy.

In Minneapolis, while the schools closed because of the weather, the parks are open and full of kids.

[LeTraveler]

I remember thinking how cold it was in upstate NY. Now it seems like easy stuff.

The kids around here are completely bundled up. The only thing you can see is the area around their eyes. The really young ones can look like little astronauts ready to walk on the Moon.

I think sometimes the kids are braver than the adults. I haven't seen them the past few days but I usually see them out ice skating in temps below 20.

[Drew1987]

Both good points. I found, since moving back from 2 years in true-tropical florida, that being prepared is exponentially more beneficial than it would seem, even for running between the car and the "door." I wear a scarf... that alone is a world of difference. That and my 10 mil boots with a hat and a Carhart, I was able to do 5 hour stints at 5-10f when building my hotrod during nights in the winter of 15-16. A particularly cold one. Also, I have hideous slip on winter boots, past the ankle, for used during business hours. Dry socks! although the clash hard with kakis and a dress shirt lal

Never though snow not melting is helpful, great point! They over do salt on the roads here and we are used to have black roads with perfect traction while getting an inch an hour, but when it gets below like 15f, the salt doesn't work and we get ice sheets. Thats the fear of having the wife and kids leave tomorrow, she's a fine driver but its others

[HighFlyingBird]

Make sure you buy a home that you have space in to entertain yourself. Because right now we aren't going anywhere.

[Drew1987]

Actually, we just bought our second home! Loved our first one but so not family friendly. We were super blessed. It’s 2084ft^2. And we paid $172,000. Very nice neighborhood. Once we do the remodeling (all very inexpensive like paint and carpet) should be work $210,000! $6200 in taxes which is why it’s so cheap to buy. Sucks. We pay for NYC even though it’s another world, 350 miles away. We live quite rural here. Low density suburban maybe. It’s on 0.72 acres. Hasn’t closed yet but all looks good (prayers welcome!!). The kids will have a whole room just for play/education plus a very large family room. We’ll be combining tne fanily and living room. Also, it has two of those “circles” for them to run, if you know what I mean.

[Citykid3785]

You just bundle up really well. But something no one has mentioned is this.....infants and toddlers aren't supposed to wear coats in their carseat for safety reasons. This means that no matter how prepared you try to be, you can't avoid having to open the door, take the child out of the seat in the cold, then try and wrangle a coat on him/her, which may not even be worth the trouble depending on how long the sprint to the door is.

Remote start is also a big help to ensure the car is warm when you get in. To a certain degree, I've learned that temperatures are somewhat relative to what you are used to. Your body does adapt. I recently moved to Atlanta, and it almost seems that people here feel as miserable in 20 degrees as Minnesotans do in minus 10. On one hand it's a 30 degree swing, on the other hand, it matters more how much a departure the current temp is from what you are used to. I hope I'm making sense......

[LeTraveler]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

To a certain degree, I've learned that temperatures are somewhat relative to what you are used to. Your body does adapt. I recently moved to Atlanta, and it almost seems that people here feel as miserable in 20 degrees as Minnesotans do in minus 10. On one hand it's a 30 degree swing, on the other hand, it matters more how much a departure the current temp is from what you are used to. I hope I'm making sense......

Absolutely the body does adjust. I can now walk around in 20 degree weather comfortably. I'm very proud of myself, yup.

You think 20 is threshold for super cold in Atlanta? You give them a lot of credit because I would have said 30. Everyone I know there has been complaining about cold recently but I haven't seen it be less than 35 during the day and it's usually mid 40s-50s.

[HighFlyingBird]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

You just bundle up really well. But something no one has mentioned is this.....infants and toddlers aren't supposed to wear coats in their carseat for safety reasons. This means that no matter how prepared you try to be, you can't avoid having to open the door, take the child out of the seat in the cold, then try and wrangle a coat on him/her, which may not even be worth the trouble depending on how long the sprint to the door is.

They are now making many solutions for the winter jacket/care seat issue. The cutest one I see is a very warm poncho. It covers them from the neck down, essentially, and then fits in safely in a car seat and acts as a very warm blanket. I think its for toddlers +. But there are other solutions. When they are small, you just cover them up well and carry them in the car seat carrier.

[Drew1987]

I’ll check into that! For normal weather we have cute solutions. My son has. Thin fake leather bomber, warm but not for 45 below. My daughter has a packable (puffy but easily compresses) pink cute coat. Blankets are a decent item too I guess my the 3.5 year old likes to walk and not be carried


So how did you all do with the blast? We had to walk 2 blocks today against the wind so strong it was hard to walk, -2°F without windchill. No kids. Got through it. Will be 15° tomorrow and 50f by Monday