Well, it's that time of year. I wore my winter coat for the first time yesterday and even wore my mittens!! I'd been wondering about having Jack wear a winter coat in his car seat and was given some info from another mom. I thought I'd pass it along since I want everyone to be as safe as possible.
Here's one of the Q and A's from Car-Safety.org:
Q57: Can my child wear a winter coat in their carseat?
Generally, no. For safety, the harness straps must remain tight on the child's shoulders regardless of any clothing. You can put a blanket over the child, OUTSIDE the harness straps or put your child's coat on backwards after they are in the seat. For infants in cold weather, an aftermarket "cozy" that zips over the infant carrier rather than fitting under the child is another solution.
And another great website to check out: The Car Seat Nanny The link will take you to a post regarding wearing a winter coat in the car seat. She is very thorough with pictures and everything. The boy in the car seat reminds me of Tiffany's son Cameron since he is always smiling and ready to have his picture taken! :)
After reading this, I've been leaving Jack's coat unzipped (and pulled out from under the harness straps) in the car seat and I leave a warm blanket in the car to put over him. If possible, I just put him in a big sweater and forego the coat altogether. That won't be an option much longer though. I'll probably just take the extra 2 minutes to take his coat off completely when we're in the car and put it back on him when we're getting out. A hassle, but it's worth it to be as safe as possible!!
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
5 comments:
Love this post Rene! Thanks for sharing that link and info. I've been trying to figure out how to get Asher + coat in the car seat. What a hassle! I love the unzip and snap the harness inside the jacket idea - will be trying that one tomorrow!
It is a pain...Lucy's coat has a huge hood that makes it impossible to do the "Car Seat Trick". Leaving a blanket in the car is a good idea!
This is good to know b/c I've been tucking Jarrett's in under the straps! Our boys are 2 days apart :) We just had lil' J's first B-day party last weekend & we'll be flying home on his actual Birthday (the 21st)!
try fleece jackets. It doesn't compress in accidents and is the recommended fabric by may car seat techs. We got Mia a full fleece bunting by Columbia. And what's nice is that it has a 2nd layer we can zip on to make it snowsuit!
I Love this post! I try not to put a coat on Ethan unless I have to. I keep a warm blanket or two in the car...and if its too cold I put his jacket on him then take it off in the car. You are right it is a pain in the butt...but it's so worth it. Especially looking at the picture that shows how loose the kiddo is once his jacket is removed...kinda scary how much slack that would leave in a crash when the jacket compresses! I am going to share this as well...I think this is something a lot of parents are unaware there is such a huge safety issue with. Oh and that boy reminds me of Cameron too ;)
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