Forum Index
»
Infants, Toddlers, & Preschoolers
winter coat and car seat for those without garages
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I know that you're not supposed to put a kid in a car seat with his/her coat on. but, I don't see how this is possible in really cold weather when you don't have a garage. I live in D.C. and sometimes have to park far away. so we'd have to leave our building with DS's coat on. (he is 16 months, by the way.) I guess I could take it off when we get to the car, but when it's FREEZING (like this morning), I don't want to expose him to the cold. of course the car is freezing, too, so it's not like he's protected right away from the cold when I strap him in.
what do you all do? any suggestions? |
Anonymous
|
We're in a similar situation and have been strapping the 9 month old in with his winter gear on. I don't know what else to do, and it's only getting colder. Warming the car ahead of time doesn't seem to work that well, seeing as how we adults are getting into the car with our winter gear on.
|
Anonymous
|
For the little ones, I think the solution is a "bundle me." (JJ Cole makes them, as do others, I'm sure.)
My preschooler sometimes like to put on his jacket backwards--across his chest--after he's buckled in. |
Anonymous
| As inconvenient as it is, you really must take off the coat for the car seat to function properly. I put DD in her seat, turn on the car, then go back to take off her coat, adjust her seatbelt, etc. To make it easier on me, I moved her seat to the one behind mine so that I didn't have to walk around the car so much. We also have a couple of heavy blankets to put on top of her once she is in the seat. |
Anonymous
|
I take mine out in their coat, strap them in and then put the coat on backwards.
Next time looks at how much you have to let the straps out in order to get the child buckled in with the coat - that's how much slack there is and why the carseat won't function properly!! |
Anonymous
| those one piece fleece buntings are perfect for that! they are very lightweight for the carseat, yet very warm. they are also easy on/off with a full length zipper going up the legs. and usually have foldover mittens and foldover feet and hoods (thus eliminating the need for hats/mittens and maybe even shoes!). we used to have the Land's End ones. |
Anonymous
| Our car seat installers told us that Bundle Me was not safe in the carseat. Too bad, because they look so nice and warm. I guess we will just use ours for walks in the stroller. |
Anonymous
|
I wouldn't worry about this, so long as you adjust the straps to reflect what is currently on your child.
A good chunk of America is cold enough in the winter that the "no winter gear" rule is just silly. You don't hear about Dakotan kids having higher rates of injury. just be sure not to buy something bulky like a pea coat. As long as you go for practical things and not bulky dressy things, there's no problem. Now, make sure you don't let the kid overheat. If you start driving and the child has a snowsuit, think about it when you take off your coat. You can pull over take off the coat, and readjust the straps. If it is too warm for you to sit in a coat, it is probably too warm for your child to do so. |
Anonymous
I use remote start. I set the heat to be on, so I start the car a few minutes before we actually leave the house. Remote start can be added to any car (makes a nice Christmas gift 
|
Anonymous
| DS brings out a blanket with him every morning. |
Anonymous
That's because their roads are not as conjested as ours, these extremely cold areas are not exactly heavily populated. With how many accidents and traffic fatalities happen in this area, I don't take risks in the car. Have you ever driven on the beltway? |
Anonymous
|
BTW, there are 635,000 people that live in the ENTIRE state of North Dakota and 780,000 who live in the ENTIRE state of South Dakota, the population of the DC/Baltimore area is 8million people. Now do you REALLY think you probably even need a car seat at ALL in N & S Dakota as it compares to our area? I've seen my fair share of wrecks on my commute and I won't risk it. Actually someone died in a car crash on route 50 just outside my office last week. It was a really morbid scene. Trash Truck and Tractor Trailer collided. Passenger in the Trash Truck Lost.
21:17 Do your kid a favor and buckle them up properly. |
Anonymous
|
OP - think most pp's had good ideas - turn jacket around backward after buckling in, bring a blanket with you or leave one in your car (we have an afghan and a lap quilt that we leave on the seat next to DD and she puts that over her when we get and can easily throw it off if/when she gets too hot). I've even considered those warming blankets that have the lighter plug on them specifically for use in a car.
I also would not take the chance of buckling DC into a car seat with a coat or anything that can be compressed during an accident. The more layers, the more risk. You may think it feels tight against a jacket, but the force of a car accident with squish any clothing down and your DC will now have that amount of slack to be jolted forward and backward. |
Anonymous
|
OK, if you don't like the Dakotas, try Chicago, and Boston.
It doesn't have to be North Dakota to need a coat in the car. |
Anonymous
|
The guidance is not NO winter coats. It is no Bulky Coats.
So - there are solutions such as a fleece jacket and throwing a blanket on top that will work for warmth and safety. OP: I feel for you getting your toddler into the car that was parked a block away in the morning. Is it an option for 1 parent to go get the car and warm it up and then for the other parent to come down with child a few minutes later? Just getting the chill out of the car makes a difference. |