Are you battling your children when it comes to wearing a jacket outside?

Dr. Omar Jaber, a pediatrician with Children’s National Primary Care, said scientifically, it’s more dangerous for them not to be warm.

“They actually can lose heat faster than adults,” Jaber said.

But when they really want to wear that hoodie, he said it comes down to layering.

“It’s not necessarily the size of the fabric that your child is wearing. It’s more the layers and the surface area that’s being covered,” he said. “It’s more important to wear a full-size long sleeve and pants and a hat and gloves to make sure you’re covering all the exposed skin from the elements.”

And if you’re having trouble getting them to listen? Jaber said make it fun.

“It there’s something that they enjoy, you know, if it’s something like Sonic the Hedgehog or Pokémon … and if there’s an emblem or something on that coat, you can have them wear that coat to give them some independence and some autonomy, and make it more appealing for them,” he said.

Winning that battle may be more important than you’d think. He said keeping children warm can help them avoid catching common winter illnesses.

“Your immune system is generally stronger when it’s more comfortable and you’re not shivering,” he said.

Jaber said that protection from things such as flu and RSV starts with both vaccinations and being properly prepared for the colder weather.

“A lot of illnesses, viruses, the common cold and things like that, can really take advantage of a body that isn’t appropriately warm,” he said.

And, make sure you’re checking on kids every 30 minutes — especially in those freezing temperatures.

“It’s important to check in with your child to make sure that they’re feeling comfortable, or even just bringing them inside and have them warm up a little bit before going back outside, just to prevent some of the more alarming things, like hypothermia and frostbite,” he said.