As the temperatures continue to drop here in New Jersey, I am faced with the decision of whether or not to purchase snow gear for my kids. Buying snow pants, snow boots, waterproof jackets, and snow gloves for 5 kids adds up quickly. Every year, I have this same debate with myself – is snow gear really worth the expense?
This isn’t a one size fits all decision. I understand that some families live in areas with harsh winters. By all means, those families should invest in the proper gear to keep their kids warm. However, New Jersey isn’t exceptionally cold or snowy in the winter. Occasionally we’ll have a bad season, but NJ averages just 23 inches of snow per year. The last few years, we barely got any snow at all.
I feel like snow gear is a very “middle class” item to purchase. It feels frivolous and silly to even consider spending so much money on something my kids will barely use. Realistically, when are my children ever forced to endure the harsh winter elements? Ummm…never. They go outside to play in the snow, and immediately come inside when they’re too cold. When I was a kid, my snow gear consisted of a winter coat. That was it. I never owned a pair of snow pants or a pair of snow boots. And guess what? I survived.
This year, I am going to skip the overpriced snow gear. We are going to go old school, and make do with what we already have. On snowy days, we’ll wear extra layers and thick socks. When we can’t bear the cold any longer, we’ll warm our frosty fingers on a mug of hot chocolate and toast our frozen toes on the heating vents. Just like in the good old days.