How To Thaw Bitter Battle With Kids Over Bundling Up This Winter

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As bitter cold temperatures hit the Tri-State the battle between parents and children over winter clothing is surely heating up.

As CBS2's Emily Smith reported, It's easy to control how warm and cozy your child is when you are outside during those early years, but once kids start school the battle to bundle them up gets real.

Experts say kids' hearts beat faster than adults and their metabolisms sometimes run overtime, making them less susceptible to the cold and less likely to want to bundle up.

"Sometimes it's just too hot out here and I like the cold," said Javon Barnes, of Englewood.

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Family therapist Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weill said kids who refuse to wear proper cold weather gear may be able to handle it physically, but i can make a child irritable or lack focus when the temperatures plummet.

She suggested offering quick rewards and choices to help them feel in control about layering.

"Like what shirt do you want to wear, but you have to wear your boots or you have to wear your long corduroy pants," said Weill. "And if you listen you're gonna have something very good at the end of the week that you can pick out in the store."

Taking kids shopping to pick out their own warm coats, gloves and scarves can also help lead them in the right direction and get them to actually wear the clothes when you're not around.

But in the end you want children to make good choices so they can lead by example when they grow up, Smith reported.

No matter what you decide as a parent, doctors say your child running outside in shorts or a T-shirt won't physically harm them so long as it's only for a brief time. Long exposure to the cold can, of course, lead to frostbite.