A safer way to wear a winter coat in a car seat

[boneheaders]

This video gave me an idea about car seats escape artists. A parent could just put the coat on backwards with the zipper on the opposite side. I wouldn't do this with a fluffy winter coat like in the video, but I would do it with fleece or just a thin cloth jacket.

[boneheaders]

@boneheaders This way, children won't be able to escape from their car seat because they cannot reach the chest clip or the buckle tongs.

[gillian1508]

Yes make ur child cry just to demonstrate a load of old rot.

[AaronsMumchkin]

Look up "Winter Coats & Car Seats Don't Mix" here on youtube. That video shows how much compression there would be in a wreck. Would that child be safe with that much slack?!

[AaronsMumchkin]

Coats in the car seat are NOT safe. It WILL compress in a wreck and the straps will NOT be tight enough to keep the child secure in their seat. 

[peaceebird]

thanks for this video

[BItuification]

I have the exact same car seat I would like to see you do a vid on installling It In your car so I can learn or do u know any website that might offer help? Thank you in advance.

[lorimneal]

hey, this is brilliant! so much better than putting the child in the car in cold weather without a jacket. I'm going to try this tomorrow with my son. Thanks!!

[zmommy2009]

I have to agree that this is a great video, but it seems like it would be a lot easier to take the jacket off before putting her in the car seat. I have 2 boys and didn't realize this before-I am extremely glad to have come across this and would like the thank you for posting it. Living in WI, my husband and I always put our boys in winter jackets when we go anywhere-I will be using their fleeces instead now and bringing jackets along!! Great video and adorable lil girl

[katmagicate]

Aw! What a cutie!

I actually set my kids' straps with them in just a shirt. The jacket behind doesn't make a difference since the straps are already adjusted to fit with just a plain shirt, not jacket. If done properly and straps are tightened to fit the child, not the clothing, it's not adding extra space.

I am a mom of 5. Belts/harnesses are adjusted based on child's size, not clothing. If the straps fit and aren't loosened for the back of a jacket, then there's no room for compression.

[kissxmuffin]

ALL OF YOU COMPLAINING OF THE COLD: I live in Canada. Once it reaches November its starting to get below zero degrees Celsius. For infants in seats that remove from the base we have these nice warm bag things we use.. with infants wearing only a sweater. For older children we just have them wear a sweater & run to the car with a blanket & cover them up. However, a lot of people keep jackets in the car so if something were to happen the kids won't freeze, which i agree is a good idea.

[rg0r]

People need to stop crying and enjoy the video, I love how low lives on you tube just go around criticizing videos as if they are experts lolol.

[katycat99]

a carseat poncho would be alot safer.......

[skittler335]

Thanks for posting this! What a great idea! We live in MN and I've been wondering about how safe it is to have all that extra "space." I really appreciate you showing this neat trick!

[carm62699]

@lodgecookie Calm down a little. Geeezzz...

[Aknara]

@lodgecookie Perhaps her daughter is like mine and just cries anytime she's put in a car seat? lol.

[jsrcamp]

@Aknara I know my youngest daughter who will be 1 on Saturday doesnt like to be put in to her new carseat and screams anytime we put her into it, I actually had a man look at me like I was killing her or somthing, lol I said out loud"I know Kara you dont Like your new seat, but you have to be in it to keep you safe" and boy did that make him stop looking at me. she is also still going to rear face till the weight of the seat. because it is safer for them=)

[ilovebrean]

fab video

[eturner0116]

I always completely remove my DD 's coat and give her a blanket that i keep in my truck. It is in most car seat manuals to not have thick fluffy items on your child. Its a WARNING in most manuals. Not mine though, I have an Eddie Bauer 3-N-1, all the same no coat on my child. DD doesn't wear any clothing where i would have to adjust the straps.

[MelanieMervin]

Lol, my daughter crys sometimes too when I put her in her carseat.

[ameliaandalice]

My daughter just wears a thin fleece jacket in her carseat and if it's really cold she wears her winter coat backwards after she's buckled in. No kid is going to freeze in the few seconds it takes to buckle them in.

[Chatzkies]

very very helpful

[colinandelena]

Try living in NY in sometimes below 0 weather and then say remove your kids jacket. Seriously though... I understand that it's suppose to be safer to remove the jacket but I don't understand why it's not just as safe if you make the straps tighter with the jacket on.

[NicolaMonk]

I live in Northern Illinois. We get significantly colder than you do (you go below 0 F once per decade, we got below it many times a year), and yet manage to remove winter coats every. single. time.

[Sprgtime]

Just remove her coat! Coats are not safe to wear in car seats. Even if it's really cold outside - let her wear the coat until you get inside the heated car, then take off the coat until you reach your destination.

[intorainbowz]

Oh, and pray tell what should those of us without heated garages do when the temp is 10 degrees? Or what do YOU do when your car has been sitting in the cold parking lot for a couple of hours and is freezing?

[seymourLlama]

@intorainbowz ...wait until the car heats up before removing the coat?

[nmat85]

@intorainbowz wait until the car heats up OR strap your child in wearing a fleece jacket and then put their winter coat on backwards OVER the straps. Their back isn't going to get cold. I live in Canada and we get cold winters and there is still no excuse for ever having your kid in a winter jacket in a car seat. Even so, I'd rather my daughter a little chilly for 2 or 3 minutes than dead because the jacket comprimised the car seat's ability to keep her safe.

[Mommy2ADucky]

This should be removed! This is absolutely NOT safe.

[delanea]

This is NOT safe. The coat behind the baby can still be compressed. The coat should go on backwards AFTER putting the child in the seat. I would rather take two minutes to remove my child's outerwear instead of compromising her life. If you don't wish to remove the outerwear, then invest in a poncho that will not interfere with the straps.

[NicolaMonk]

The coat behind the child is already mostly compressed by the child's weight. This is actually a relatively safe option- an UNsafe option would be to put the coat between the child and the harness.

[hacky97]

@delanea

relax... a little bit of wintercoat won't hurt her in a crash. It's a lot better than keeping it completely on, like madeline says. 

[boneheaders]

@delanea Although this is not completely safe, I had an idea that you could put the jacket, just like the mother did in this video, so that the child will not be able to access the buckle or chest clip. I wouldn't do this with a winter coat, but i would do it with a fleece coat or other thin fabric. I would think this would be safer than having a child escape from their car seat.

[4legChevy]

it is recommended to remove the coat, place the child in the seat, buckle the harness and then put the coat on backwards-as the other car seat technician suggested. Your child will not freeze! All that padding compresses in a car crash. No thicker than a thin fleece is what is recommended.

The definition of 'injury' is the transfer of energy. If a child is too loose in the harness they will move more, creating more energy in the crash- thus higher chance for injury.

[LadyMage16]

It's recommended right up until you live in a bitterly cold area and your child can take that coat off. If you have an accident in the country, how long do you think it'll take for help to arrive? How long is that angel going to be without a coat in -20 weather with mommy not able to get to them? The amount of material behind the child in this method is minimal, and the coat is already compressed by the weight of the child.

[darkpassengr]

that poor baby! hahaha didnt know the coat bit tho goiod 2 know

[americanmommy04]

We live in Canada and have 4 children(soon to be 5). My children all wear thin fleece jackets under their seatbelts in the winter. They remove their big coats and if they are still cold can put them on over their seatbelts. But they rarely do that. They aren't going to freeze for a few seconds of buckling up. For the little ones I get a fleece full body coat and just wrap a blanket around when we are walking from the van to where we are going.

[daddyn4wisechix]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I always worry about this when strapping our DD's in!!! Beautiful little girl, BTW!! My DD's all hate/still hate their car seats too... I feel for you!! LOL Also, LOVE the cloth diaper (?) & Baby Legs :0)!!!

[gymbabe347]

thank you for sharing this trick, i never thaught of doing that. lately the weather has been soo up and down that when we leave the house my 2 and 4 year olds need their winter coats but later i've noticed that when i put the belts on after having their coats on, they are very loose. i never realized that in an accident their coats would squish smaller and they are left being held in with way too loose of straps.

[aidenNaubreesMOM0608]

Hi, I was just wondering, did you have to extend the straps at all to fit the jacket? If you did, then it still is not safe.

[drammenmagedansskole]

wel... what about keeping the child warm on the way into and out of the car? Here in norway we have to strap the harness outside the coat - or they'll freeze. Never a problem strapping them like that...cant see the problem...

[388Penguin388]

Hi, if your child is in a puffy coat, that makes the straps looser than they should be, the straps are definitely not snug enough. This is a good demonstration video for a good trick. Try "backyardigansmama"'s test (below, in comments) to test your own situation. I'm willing to bet you won't be able to buckle the straps too easily. Their little coats add a lot of bulk. Be careful!

[drammenmagedansskole]

wel there are better coats than that, not so puffy and full of air. No way i can take the coat of my child in -20 celcius (68F) ;)

[mummycharmzy]

Thank you for this video, we have 4 children, soon to be 5 and honestly I had never thought of strapping them in like that when they need there coat on too!!

[Madeline410]

It's just a demonstration. Since she was in the house and not in the car, the harness isn't perfect. It was just to get an idea on how to do the "coat trick". I never thought so many people would watch this and criticize it or I would have done it flawlessly. Thanks for the concern though :)

[mudnmusic4fun]

People always find something to criticize, unfortunately. Thanks for the video, I've never thought to do that but I will from now on!

[rybreadsmommy]

yes i have a two year old littel girl and just bought the graco 3 in 1 carseat that go up to 65 lbs for the five point harness and it didnt fit her right with her big winter tinker bell coat on so i hasd to make it real loose each time i put her in and then tighten it when she was in witch is a hastle. I am going to try this with her. she only ways 32lbs and is a tiny thin thing but very tall for her age.

[smalls181]

Just make sure the harness is tight to the child to begin with. In this video, it is not. There is still plenty of slack. Otherwise, this is a great video.

[buildercon]

Thanks for the video!! This is exactly how I do it, I live in a very cold part of Canada (it was -47 the other day), in my opinion much to cold to take the coat all the way off, this is the best way to do it if needed.

[boosmom440]

that is still not safe and her harness is still not tight enough you shouldn't be able to pinch any of the harnesson her should when she is in the carseat if you can then it is still to lose

[listenupgirls]

There is still part of the coat between the child and the carseat which is still a no! Trust me, as a carseat instructor and a person living in a VERY VERY cold state, she won't freeze if you take the coat off, put her in the carseat, then turn the coat around backwards and slide over their arms. You never know...I mean, what if????

[pingbns]

how do you know this is safer ru a tech or somthing?

[courtneyd39]

Does the coat need to be a little big for this to work? I am about to buy a coat, but I think one in her size will not be big enough to work right.

TIA

[KatMomof3]

no, it doesn't have to be too big.

check out my video on snowsuits/winter coats and carseats (under related videos) for more info on doing this and also on things that are safe for wearing that are thinner.

[anjomi1986]

Wonderful job!!! I will be adding this to my myspace account.

[KatMomof3]

Poor baby... in the carseat and not going anywhere... no wonder she's upset.

I'm sure she got over it quickly, though, once she was out and got a cuddle.

Great demonstration!!