I have noticed parents underdressing kids in the past...I think a lot of it stems from the fact that they're outside themselves just long enough to get from the car to the house, and spend the rest of the day in an overheated office, while we're outside for hours. I make a big deal about the difference in my handbook and in change-of-season emails.

Also, I expect and use snowsuits for much of the year when there is no snow. Before the snow, we use them for warmth. After the snow, we use them to keep dry in the freezing cold mud. (That's the only time I prefer two pieces: in the early spring, we shuck our winter coats and wear bib snow pants over sweaters a lot of days.)

I love the one-piece Hanna Andersson snowsuits. When I first had a toddler arrive in one, I was appalled. They seem so flimsy and not warm. But she was always cozy warm, and it was so easy to put on, and it was so easy to move around in. I was lucky to always be able to find one used for my daughter, and this is the first year (at 7) that they are too small for her. That combined with wool longjohns was a perfect solution for us. (But here in MA, we have warmer winters than some of you are talking about!)

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