NPR : Why Kids Hate to Wear Coats

Kids would rather be the way they came into the world: naked. And as they adapt to the world of clothing, extra layers — particularly coats — add to their heightened perception of constriction.

“It feels like they’re being really tightly bound, and it feels bad,” says pediatrician Lynn Wegner.

There’s another legitimate reason that kids ditch their coats. Ellen Paulsen says parents don’t seem to get it: Kids don’t notice they’re cold, she says, because they’re running around like crazy.

Kids are comfortable because they’re active. Just as an adult who takes a jog in cold weather doesn’t need as many layers as someone who’s just standing around.