Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Odd German Way #11: Don't Mind the Muddy Clothes

In an earlier post, I was surprised how the Germans aren't too concerned about the purple fingers of their children and don't make them wear gloves or mittens in winter.

My latest astonishment falls into the same category.

Fräulein's wardrobe consists mostly of leggings and tunics. I think those are nice clothes for a child to play inside in. And when we go out and it might be a bit wet or muddy on the playground, it easy to pull an overall over these clothes.

Fräulein in her overall last January
I thought this would be a great combination of clothes for her to wear in the Krippe, too. But one day, when I was picking her up, one of the teachers wanted to talk to me. She asked, if I could dress Fräulein with a separate jacket in future, as "it is so impractical, if all the kids wear overalls".

Yes, I get the fact that it is easier to dress the kids with jackets than it is with overalls. But isn't it even more inconvenient, when their trousers get all wet and muddy on the playground and then they have to wear the same clothes inside the whole afternoon?

Visit to H&M to buy some new trousers...
And I cannot even imagine, how this will work when it gets colder outside. How can I find any trousers, which are light enough to wear inside, but warm enough when it gets below zero outside?

And no, I don't think this is only the way things are done at our Krippe, as I have heard similar stories elsewhere, too.

The odd German ways...

Oh, and no wellies needed, either.
Must go and buy some 'all-weather shoes'

*****
Olen aiemmin ihmetellyt, miten täällä Saksassa ei lapsillekaan pueta hanskoja tai vanttuita kun säät kylmenevät. Ja vielä kummallisemmaksi menee: minua kehotettiin pukemaan Fräuleinille päiväkotiin erillinen takki haalarin sijaan! Ymmärrän, että haalarien pukeminen isolle joukolle lapsia on varmasti hankalaa, mutta eikö hankalaa ole myös se, että lapset ovat sitten loppupäivän kuraisissa housuissa sisällä? Eivätkös haalarit ole suomalaisissa päiväkodeissa ihan arkipäivää?

4 comments:

Andrea said...

This all sounds strange. Let us know what happens when it gets colder!

fiona said...

Ah, here in Berlin the kids absolutely must wear gloves in winter or strangers will comment on the street to you about it.

As for outerwear, it may be different here too, but what people tend to do is buy the rubbery waterproof trousers to go over their child's clothes which can be worn with a jacket (or the matching rubbery fleece lined jacket) for this weather where it is cold but not too cold, and may be a little wet out.

When things get colder they generally expect them to be wearing a snowsuit, made up of salopettes and a ski jacket. But they don't seem to like the all-in-ones very much here apart from on babies.

As for all-weather shoes, it might be the kind of snow boots that most kids wear through winter that they are talking about. They usually go just above the ankles, have velcro straps, and are water & snow proof. The Germans like to start wearing them quite early, way before there is any snow!

Hope this helps. If you are looking for the waterproof trousers you might get them in Tchibo, H&M, C&A, and Karstadt amongst other places. And I've started seeing the snowsuits arriving in the shops.

Frau Welle said...

Thank you fiona, that was really helpful! I hope the kids are allowed to wear snowsuits here, too.

And manycoloured-days, I'll keep you posted :)

Workingberlinmum said...

Wow, you have such a different experience of Germany to my own here in Berlin. Here, like Fiona says, kids absolutely must wear gloves in the Winter otherwise you will be shouted at by various strangers in the street and as soon as the temperature drops below 10 degrees, hats go on. Snowsuits play a major part of Winter too. I would be constantly scolded by my son's Kita if we didn't have one. Funny how things differ between parts of the country.