My Tween Won't Wear a Coat!

My sixth grader, Aden, refuses to wear a coat, never mind hat or gloves. We live on Long Island, where we have had a particularly long string of cold, snowy, icy weather. Yet day after day, he leaves for school wearing a sweat jacket. Of course, he owns a winter coat. Two in fact. But there he is, shivering, at the bus stop (I can see from my window).

But there is any even more puzzling sight at the bus stop....the other kids, girls and boys alike, shivering along with him. Not a single one dons a hat, gloves, or, more remarkably, what could be called a warm coat. One of the boys wore shorts, those nylon basketball-style shorts.

The next day, we had a family party. We almost considered cancelling due to more snow headed our way, but we pressed on, and in walks my nephew. He shook the snow from his shoes and strode in....wearing nylon basketball-style shorts. And a sweat jacket. I asked my sister why. Did she start making him do his own laundry, and he didn’t, and that’s all that was clean? “No,” she replied. “He wears shorts all the time now. No pants at all. Says he’s not cold. I dunno; I pick my battles.”

What happened to coats? And pants? Should I not bother to waste my money next fall on a real coat? Anyone else seeing this “trend?”