Don't let your kids wear coats in car seats

When it's really cold outside, you want to keep your kids warm while you are out and about. Did you know that wearing a coat in a car seat is a really bad idea? It can cause the straps to be too loose and if you are in an accident it can endanger your child. I honestly didn't know this for a long time. Thankfully it was never an issue. It was just something I didn't think of. It makes total sense though. 

When Noah was a baby he didn't have a coat. I would just use blankets to keep him warm. He wasn't ever out very long. We didn't go a lot of places when he was a baby in the winter. I don't think I was naive or anything I just think that that long ago it was unknown. Social media has also grown a lot since Noah was in a traditional car seat. Noah had many car seats, he was a big baby and grew out of his infant carrier quickly. When he was one they weren't recommending to be rear facing until two either. Times change of course. If we want to go way back... when I was two we went on a road trip and I threw up all over my car seat and I am pretty sure my parents just threw my car seat away on the way home. 

It's recommended to put your children in a coat and take it off when you put them in the car seat. You can bring blankets for them to snuggle up with after you secure their car seat. I know that is a pain. Sometimes it takes a while to get their coat on or to take it off. It really is dire that their car seat is safe though. It's just one of those annoyances we as parents have to do. If you have an older child you can have them take it off. Let's be honest sometimes it's a challenge for me to keep Noah's coat on. I think he thinks he's part polar bear because he doesn't like wearing his coat. He will give me every excuse why not to wear it. If he has to wear both layers or a coat he doesn't want to, I am automatically overprotective.  I'm just trying not to freeze at the bus stop. Sometimes he will get off the bus holding his coat and that prompts me to tell him to put his coat on before he gets off the bus. I haven't been on a school bus in quite some time but I remember it being either really cold or really warm. There's a possibility that the bus is really warm with all the kids. It's cold outside.  

You can also get your child's car seat inspected at the fire station if you aren't sure it's installed correctly. I always worried about Noah's car seat. It's really awesome that you can get it checked just to make sure.  Rear faced car seats until they are two is now recommended too. One last car seat tip never buy a used car seat. Even if the owner promises it's never been in a crash, it might have not been but they want to sell the seat. Buying new is best. That way you are 100% sure and not a recall. 

Remember if your child is in a car seat, just say no to coats in car seats.

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