Winter in Beijing feels like a long slog. The endless days of cold and wind means kids must be bundled up in layers just to go outside to run to the corner store. Worse, this past winter delivered almost no snow, so lots of bundling up without any of the magic that snowfall can bring to a child’s heart and mind.
As spring stretches across the city and the blossoms and leaves of the denuded landscape start to return, the temperatures have steadily climbed and parents everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief. Winter pants, hats, gloves, scarves and jackets are stored away or handed down and wardrobes are filled with t-shirts and shorts (okay, a bit premature, but we are ready).
Since we have a pair of little ones, I estimate that we save an extra ten minutes when it comes to getting them dressed to go outside and another five whenever we come back into the house. It is hard enough sometimes to round up kids to get them ready to go somewhere. Knowing that they only need to throw on a jacket and shoes in order to go out is a welcome relief. By summer, I might even just let them go out naked. We might get some stares, but it sure would speed things up.
Photo: YouthfulSins (Flickr)
