Many of you know that most of my kids are older. When I had the first round, kids were in reverse facing seats briefly and you put them in a winter jacket. Times have since changed. I completely support the reverse facing seat as long as possible for children. I am really struggling with the rule about car seats and winter jackets.
The guidelines now are that children must be dressed in flat layers when put into a car seat. As winter jackets are often puffy, it is recommended to put your child in a seat without a jacket and then use a blanket or the jacket on backwards to keep the child warm.
On what toddler did they try putting a jacket on backwards too see if he/she would kept it on? Did they give that child a sedative before hand? My kids are what I like to call “spirited”.
So let me get this straight, I am supposed to zip my squiggly child into a jacket, carry her to the van, open the door with the diaper bag, unzip struggling child and take off her jacket in the freezing cold. Remember, even with a warm car the van door is open. Then get squiggly child in car seat and then put cold child in a blanket or jacket reversed. Not only would this take forever but I would have to warm up my car for 30 minutes before I go anywhere. I would pay a fortune in gas and we would blow up our planet! What if I am at the mall and cannot warm up my car and pollute the environment or live in an apartment so can’t leave my car running?
Does anyone else feel like their mom or grandma will appear to give your severe trouble for letting their grandchild freeze?
I live in the Edmonton area in Alberta and it gets very, very cold here. Your skin can freeze in 30 seconds some days. I am very uncomfortable with not dressing my baby properly. She rips hats, boots and gloves off so the jacket is the only secured thing I can keep on her!
My other option is to break the rule and put her in a jacket in her car seat. I am not discus
sing a snow suit because I don’t wear a snow suit in the car, but a jacket would be nice. Let’s say I am in an accident and she gets hurt. I think I would always wonder if I should not have used the jacket. Since it has turned cold here, I have never seen a baby or toddler being carried from a car in a blanket or a jacket on backwards and so I wonder how many people follow this rule. Is this rule a punishable rule if the police pull me over or a suggestion? This is all so confusing!
I will have to choose soon between wrangling a crying cold baby or a warm but not so secure baby. As of now, I have been using a fleece suit for her. She rips any blankets off so that will not be very good for long.
I would love to hear your solutions! Please help me and my squiggly, hot/cold unsecured/secured baby!
