Kids do feel the cold. So why won’t they wear a jumper?

It happens just when you need to leave. Bags are packed. Shoes are on. Then your child decides a jumper is impossible.

You say, “put your jumper on”.

They say, “I’m not cold”.

Do kids really not feel the cold like adults do? Or are they just expressing their independence? And when should you insist?

A clue from pain research

I study how children experience pain, and pain research offers one clue about this jumper battle.

A child may scrape their knee during a game and barely notice until the game stops. The scrape was there throughout, but chasing a friend or reaching the next base kept winning their attention.

Cold can slip into the background in a similar way. A child’s fingers may be cooling while the playground remains far more compelling. Then the game ends.

Their attention returns to their hands at around the same time their moving muscles stop producing so much heat. Suddenly, the jumper may seem like a better idea.

So “I’m not cold” can mean, “I can feel it and I’m comfortable”.

It can also mean, “the jumper feels worse” or “I want to keep playing”. Sometimes it means, “I am four years old and this has become a matter of principle”.

Similarly, when parents ask, “but aren’t you cold?” we’re often asking several questions at once.

Will you still be warm when you stop running? What if the wind picks up? How about later, when we’re standing still on the sideline at the soccer field?

Children report the present moment, and parents factor in the forecast.

What cold actually feels like

Your skin contains sensory nerve endings that respond as its temperature changes.

One cool-sensitive channel, called TRPM8, helps convert cooling at the skin into electrical activity in sensory nerves.

This is the same channel that menthol activates, which is why mint can make your mouth feel cool even when there’s no real temperature change.

And as you know with mint, a strong cooling sensation can sometimes become uncomfortable or even painful. Other factors such as wind, wetness, contact with cold surfaces, movement, and how much time we’re outside can all influence how we experience temperature.

For example, a parent who is standing still in a playground, clutching a coffee, may be acutely aware of the gap in their coat where the icy wind is sneaking in.

But children tend to run, climb and jump in bursts – and moving muscles produce heat.

Children also differ from adults in body size, body composition, metabolism and how their circulation responds to cold.

One 2024 laboratory study, done indoors, looked at children aged six to nine. It found their sedentary metabolic rates (how much energy you’re burning when you’re resting) were around 39% higher compared to adults in the study.

Their skin was also warmer over parts of their torso, and the skin on their hands recovered temperature and bloodflow faster than adults after being exposed to the cold.

So it’s not that kids don’t feel cold at all, but they may have a quite different experience from an adult standing in the same air.

Bodies prepare for what comes next

We often learn about thermoregulation – how the body maintains its core temperature – as though the body were simply a thermostat. The body detects a temperature change, then bloodflow changes, and sweating or shivering bring it back towards the middle.

But our movement and behaviour also play an important role in maintaining this balance. When we’re cold we may walk into sunshine, curl up, or add a layer; when we’re hot we take one off. A child who keeps running may already be generating the warmth they need.

Bodies also prepare for expected demands. Researchers use the term allostasis to describe this wider process of how the body maintains stability through change.

Some adjustments happen automatically. For example, before we exercise, our heart rate and breathing begin adjusting for the work ahead. Others involve choices, such as moving into the sun, seeking shelter or reaching for warmer clothing.

But young children outsource some of this forecasting to adults.

Kids supply the live report from inside their body. We add the weather forecast and the schedule. We pack snacks for hunger that has yet to arrive, spare clothes for puddles yet to be found, and jumpers too.

What the jumper itself feels like

A jumper creates its own sensations. It may feel scratchy, bulky or restrictive. It can make climbing harder, then become hot and sweaty as soon as the child starts running.

Tags, seams and some fabrics can feel intensely unpleasant, especially for children with tactile sensitivities. Clothing tags and light touch, for example, can cause marked discomfort for some autistic children.

A child may genuinely prefer mildly cold skin over an irritating texture.

So it’s worth asking whether “aren’t you cold?” is the right question. Others may work better:

• Are you comfortable?
• Will you be running or sitting still?
• Would you rather wear the jumper or carry it?

These questions help children connect what they feel now with what they may need later.

When should parents insist?

Parents should be firmer when a child is very young, wet, unwell, exposed to strong wind or likely to remain outside for a long time.

Persistent shivering or numbness means it is time to get warm. Increasing clumsiness, unusual drowsiness, confusion or reduced responsiveness can indicate hypothermia, where the body’s core temperature has fallen dangerously low. Hypothermia is a medical emergency.

But for ordinary winter outings, flexible layers allow the plan to change. A jumper can be carried, added when activity slows, and removed when the child warms up again.

Your child reports the weather inside their body. You keep an eye on the weather outside it. A jumper in the bag lets your child feel heard, lets you keep the forecast in view, and lets everyone finally get out the door.