No coats in the car

[lancslass17]

Hi,

So i know little ones not supposed to wear a coat in the car. What do you do when its freezing out? To get too and from the car?

It was advice when my now 8 and 6yo were babies. No snowsuits or coats in car seats, use something that goes over straps like a blanket or wrap.

Even with the accident bit aside, it makes sense. Most cars are heated, so it would be very easy for a baby to overheat in a coat in a car.

People are so protective over the advice they got when their kids were so small as if what they did is 100% right but what people did before and do after is obviously wrong. We all just follow the advice that's around at the time. If you weren't told to remove coats, then we aren't judging you. But the advice now, very clearly and sensibly, is that puffy coats need to be removed. They don't just make this stuff up to annoy people who had kids years ago 🙄

I cannot abide the whole "I did XYZ with my kid and they are fiiiiiiine" bullshit. People don't make this stuff up for giggles. Someone's kid somewhere has been injured or killed in a car accident from wearing a padded coat in their car seat. We learn from this and do what we can to keep our kids safe. My mum rode in a car with no car seat and was fine, my grandparents were given whiskey to help them sleep and were fine but this doesn't mean I will make the same choices with my DD.

"I'm sorry but I think a new no coats in the car rule is ridiculous, especially in the middle of winter"

Why is making sure your child is strapped into their car seat correctly and safely "ridiculous"?

Also, it doesn't exactly get arctic in the UK, they won't turn in to a ice cube in the 30 seconds it takes to get to and into the car :/

My older one is 7 and I knew this.
I just carried them quickly to the car. It's not like we live in the prairies.
At nursery it was a longer walk so I used a cosy sling. Blanket in the car. Good use for those 7 hundred baby blankets you'd never use in the cot.
@mamandematribu I guess car seats and buckling them up is also ridiculous? How about your seat belt?

Advice changes all the time...why? Because of evidence.

Just because you smoked around your kids, fed them mars bars from 2 months old, gave them a rusty nail and broken glass to play with and put them on your lap in the car and "they never came to any harm" ... doesn't mean your anecdotal evidence is correct and should be advised!

Advice often errs on the side if caution because people are idiots. If you say "wash your baby in the sink when they're wee, saves filling a whole bath!" some people will interpret that to mean "oh! I can wash my baby with bleach and washing up liquid"

It's not a new thing, and completely makes sense. We use these www.cosycarseatblankets.com/

This is why mine doesn't have any padded coats or suits, too many things that can't wear them in so whats the point? I use thick cardigans and layers to keep her warm. In the car we put a blanket over the top if very cold.

You can wear them in buggies and walking around! Just in the car, isn't it? And probably fairground rides?

Having lived somewhere it is often -48 and below my dc have never worn coats in the car. It is easy to see why if you put them in wearing the coat and fasten the straps, then take them out, take the coat off and fasten them in again and see how much slack there is. There have been children and babies thrown from the car seats in accidents as the filling inside their coats compresses in an accident/sudden stop and they are not held securely by their straps.

Mine have blankets, hats and gloves and a thin fleece zip up top. The car warms up in moments, even at -48 so not sure there's any need for any drama about it! Just don't do it! I also think that I want the car comfortable, if your dc is strapped in in a snow suit/ thick coat do you have to keep yours on when driving to ensure you both need the car the same temp?

Also, on really cold days we used wheat heat bags that you warm in the microwave for them to cuddle on their laps.

Baby gets held inside my cardigan (baggy one I use with sling) then blanket in car. Toddler gets cold

In my defence, he habitually wears long sleeves, and taking a coat off at the car takes longer then walking to car.

its not new advice, my oldest is a teenager and I knew then not to put them in the carseat with coats on.

You either get them a fleece, or you put a blanket around them in the car.

You shouldn't really put their coat back over the straps as you shouldn't have anything obstructing you from getting the straps off easily in an emergency.
That's why anti escape devices like chest straps that are popular in America aren't sold her.

It isn’t ridiculous. You might as well not bother strapping them in if they are wearing a winter coat. Watch this video:

www.today.com/video/car-seat-alert-a-winter-coat-could-endanger-your-child-585502787887

@drspouse 😂 don't take it so personally

We will continue with coats in cars during winter 🥶 🥶

@mamandematribu and sincerely hope you are never in an RTA 🙄 my mind boggles!! I rather my dc felt the cold for up to 5 mins than went flying through the front window in an accident but that’s just me

@mamandematribu "We will continue with coats in cars during winter 🥶 🥶"

Well, in that case, why bother strapping them in?

@00100001 I think that's a bit overly dramatic. Big difference between wearing a coat and not being strapped in.

Really, what's the difference? Your child isn't securely strapped in when in a snowsuit/thick coat - and the risk of them being flung across the car as result is high.

Why is it you think your child is safe? When all the experts and testing shows they aren't?

@ mamandematribu but it’s the SAME thing,the straps are not doing their job if your children have a big coat on underneath!! They literally slip off and fly out!! I don’t understand what you DON’T get about that!??

I think the idea is that their body needs to be secure and the harness on tight so that in the event of an accident, they aren't jolted too far forward injuring their necks. Babies necks and the spinal cord aren't properly formed until a certain age. With a thick or puffy jacket, there's a recess between the harness and their body meaning they aren't quite secure to prevent neck and spinal injuries. So really, it's more for minor traffic accidents to prevent whip lash and neck injuries that older children and adults would recover from as they have more neck and spinal strength.

It's a bit like thinking of holding them on your knee on a sofa. If you have your arms wrapped around their body with minimal clothing then you jolted forward, they would stay quite secure in your arms. If they had a padded jacket on, your arms wouldn't be close enough to their body to keep a proper hold of them. The harness needs to be tight around their body to secure them. There's only some jackets that they don't recommend, mostly thick and puffy type ones. Fleeces, thin coats and macs are fine.

When my son was a baby, I used to put on a vest, trousers, a thin jumper or long sleeved top and a fleece hoody then a hat and mittens. Once he was in the car seat, I wrapped a blanket around him and his coat was kept on the back seat to put on once we arrived

My dc are secure in their car seats wearing a coat. They are not tiny babies. Who wants to freeze in a car in winter?

@mamandematribu I highly doubt that!!