What is it, exactly, about teenage boys and coats? Or rather, their reluctance to put one on?

When I told my 13-year-old to get ready for the Penguins game last night, the thermometer measured a frigid 11 degrees. But still, he wandered toward the front door wearing nothing but a sweatshirt and his toothy grin.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I'm wearing a hoodie."

Needless to say, I marched his chuckle-headed little body back into the hall where I insisted -- to his great, whining displeasure -- that he put on not only his wool Steelers varsity jacket, but also a ski hat and a pair of insulated gloves.

It's the same with my high-school senior, who whatever the weather, be it rain, snow or blustering wind, trudges off to the bus each morning with little more than his backpack to keep him warm. It's as if wearing a coat to school immediately labels one as a dork. Or at the very least, a kid who listens to his mother.

I know they're not actually trying to tick me off, at least not consciously. Science shows that the older people get, the more likely they are to feel the cold. How else do you explain how kids can spend hours sledding and love throwing snowballs with bare hands? But their parents? My husband for the past few weeks has gone to bed in our unheated attic bedroom wearing a blue knit cap while I stop my shivering with Under Armour and sweatpants. (I know, so much for our love life!)

My boys go out the door worried they'll look like losers if they dress sensibly. I worry I'll look like a bad parent if they don't. And both my husband and I go to bed looking like we're preparing for an Arctic exploration.

Welcome to winter in Pittsburgh...

A reader sounds off on magazine poll

Reader Jennifer Scheib of Baden brings up some great points after our post on Monday (2/5) about the Fit Pregnancy Magazine's "Best Cities to Have a Baby" rating that dissed the 'Burgh.

She writes:

Given Pittsburgh's absence from Fit Pregnancy's "Best Cities to Have a Baby" list, maybe we should take the time to sing the city's praises on our own. Pittsburghers don't need a magazine to point out what we already know to be true: Pittsburgh is a wonderful place to have a baby and, more importantly, raise a baby.

Our city's quality medical care goes without saying, but there's more to raising a baby than just the hospital it was delivered at. There are countless opportunities here for families to be healthy, have fun, enjoy each other, and make lasting memories.

While $200,000 will buy you a tiny condo in the cities Fit Pregnancy ranks as the best, that same amount of money here can buy a family a 2,000+ sq. ft. home with a big backyard.

I noticed that one of the criteria for the ranking was child care availability. Well, Pittsburgh is a great city for families with one income and for women who desire to be stay-at-home moms. Aside from the reasonable housing costs, there is a wide variety of places to grocery shop, clothes shop, and eat out. Whether they're looking for something high end or low end, a family will find it here and, most likely, within a reasonable driving distance from their home.

Pittsburgh is a friendly place where moms can easily meet other moms. Everyday there are groups of women and children meeting in churches or Starbucks, bonding over cups of coffee and stories about their latest futile attempts at potty training resistant 3 year olds. Our city is full of groups like MOPS, MOMS Club, and Mothers and More (just to name a few) where support and a reassuring smile is just a meeting away.

Most of us know that the city is rich in the sports and cultural events that many families desire, but it's also loaded with children's activities. A child raised in Pittsburgh could never be bored. There are children's theater groups, children's gyms, children's hikes, and children's art classes available all year round in every part of Allegheny County. Kids can play soccer in our parks, ice skate in the middle of downtown, or take a boat ride on the rivers.

Sure it's an old joke that Pittsburghers grow up here and never leave, but isn't that saying something? It would be nice if a publication took notice and told the world how great we are, but, for now, I guess it'll have to be our little secret.