Temperatures are dropping and folks are breaking out the winter apparel.
Hats, mittens, scarves and boots.... But when it comes to kids in carseats ....hold the winter jackets, please!
You see, when a child is placed into a carseat wearing a bulky winter coat, it's almost impossible to get the harness straps, (or seat belt it they are in a booster,) tight enough to secure that child properly.
In a properly secured harness there should be less that one inch of slack.
(In other words, you shouldn't be able to "pinch an inch")
Let's take a look at some photos of my daughter, Katie, in her carseat.
In the first photo she's wearing her winter parka,
and I have tightened the straps of her harness as far as I can get them. As you can see, this type of jacket is great for playing in the snow,
but it doesn't work so well in the car.
Not only was it difficult to work the straps around her coat,
but you can see at her shoulders how distorted the harness is.
Now take a look at what happens when we remove her coat and re-buckle her
without making any adjustments to the harness. Look at all of that slack?!!
Often parents will say,
"But I DO pull the straps tight. I'm pretty sure that my child is safe - even in their coat."
Some even think that a coat adds protection because of all of the padding. (It doesn't.)
What happens in an accident is that when the harness pushes on all of that (warm but puffy) jacket insulation, it causes the fabric to compress. This puts the the child at great risk for being ejected....
right out of their harness, and possibly right out of the vehicle as well.
But...does this really happen? (Sadly yes.) When I took my class to become certified as a CPST, there were several trauma/ER nurses and EMTs also getting certified. They all reported that that had witnessed this first-hand, and one said that last year alone, she recalled 3 children who had been ejected and killed because they had been wearing bulky snowsuits.
Now, besides snowsuits, there are other dangerous mistakes that many parents make in the winter when it comes to carseats. And most often it deals with aftermarket product like these.
These products, just like a jacket, add bulk between the restraint, the child, and the harness, and interfere with the ability to tighten the harness properly. (Especially if you have to lay the child on top of the product - or any part goes between the child and the harness.) Remember the acronym C.R.A.P. !
Please don't use it!!!
So...what's a parent to do - especially if you live where its cold and snowy?
(Well...as a Wisconsinite I can tell you...I know a thing or two about cold firsthand!) ;-)
First of all - the best thing you can do is - warm up your car before your put your child(ren) in!
Not only is it better for your engine, but it's more comfortable for all passengers if you let it warm up - even for just a few minutes. ( And just to mention...for safety's sake... make sure you warm it up in a ventilated area!) ;-)
Second - dress your child in light layers.
A t-shirt or some thermal long johns, a turtle neck, a sweater, and then a fleece jacket, (and don't forget the hats and mittens!) If they're just running from the garage or parking lot to their house or school, this may be all you need. (And once inside they can peel off the layers to make themselves more comfortable.)
If it's REALLY cold (and here in WI it is!) then a nice heavy-duty Polartec fleece jacket is the way to go. They are incredibly warm without being incredibly bulky. ( Land's End, LL Bean, and Columbia all have nice fleece pullovers and zip-ups!)
Here Katie is modeling her Columbia fleece jacket.
Yet another trick, (as modeled by my other daughter,) is
once the car is warmed up, put the kids into their carseats in their regular clothes
and then have them slip their jackets on backwards. And finally, if your child is still cold....a nice warm blanket does wonders!
For younger children there are even more options.
Products like the Car Seat Poncho or a 'shower cap' style of carseat cover are great!
These products are different from the previous types of carseat products, because they fit over the top of the child restraint, and therefore they do not interfere with the harness.
Can't afford a poncho? You can even make your own by cutting a hole in the center of a fleece blanket for your child's head. (I added some trim on mine...but you wouldn't have to.) ;-)
Just lift the blanket/poncho above the carseat and buckle the child
and when you're done, lower the blanket around the carseat. Nice & toasty!
So....when the weather outside is frightful,
keep your delightful children safe and snug in their carseats!
I am so excited to find your blog through another one. I am actually thinking of taking the training locally if I can work it out sometime soon.
What we do w/ wintercoats is to pull it to the side so it is still on the backof him and could be zipped around the front, but the straps aren't effectedby the coat- not sure if this makes sense. We don't have to adjust the straps w/ or w/o a coat so I assume it is ok ? Thanks for creating this blog, I will probably link to it on mine :)
Rachel http://rachelsnewjournal.blogspot.com/
As you can see, this type of jacket is great for playing in the snow, 
Nice & toasty! 
Dec. 5, 2008 - Untitled Comment
What we do w/ wintercoats is to pull it to the side so it is still on the backof him and could be zipped around the front, but the straps aren't effectedby the coat- not sure if this makes sense. We don't have to adjust the straps w/ or w/o a coat so I assume it is ok ? Thanks for creating this blog, I will probably link to it on mine :)
Rachel http://rachelsnewjournal.blogspot.com/