I don’t ever pretend that I am a perfect Mum (who is!), but when I read the latest article about carseats and bulky jackets I actually did roll my eyes. Like COME ON, who’s going to take their kids to the car, make them take off their jackets. THEN buckle them in and THEN put a blanket over them.
Not me. Honestly – I don’t have the time for that. Plus jackets are sometimes hard to get on and off and again, I don’t have time for that.
Then I read into it a little more – because as you know I’m a big believer in “knowledge is power”; and I changed my mind.
Believe me when I SCOFFED at the initial article that brought this to my attention, but as I scrolled down and read the comments at the bottom I realised “sh*t I’m wrong”.
So this is one of those “knowledge is power” moments: educate yourself and then once you realise WHY you would take a bulky jacket off, then you can make the decision for yourself.
So many people said they had no idea this was even a thing, so here it is: the lowdown on carseats and bulky jackets:
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO:
Remove any bulky clothing (jackets, etc) before the child is placed in the carseat. If it is cold outside, then place a blanket over the child.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO DO THIS:
If an accident was to occur, the bulky jacket would compress with the force, making the harness loose. Therefore the child could potentially come out of the carseat or be considerably injured. The same goes for an adult wearing a bulky jacket.
Check out this video which truly explains the reason behind removing bulky jackets:
WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS BEFORE:
To be honest I never heard of this until my kids were 2 years old. Then after hearing about it, I looked at my carseat instruction manual and it said “Remember: The addition or removal of clothing will change the fit of the harness, especially bulky winter jackets. Diono recommends harnessing your child first and placing a blanket over them or putting their jacket on backwards”
I WANT TO READ MORE INFORMATION:
Car Seats For The Littles is a great resource so please check it out here.
————————–
I realise you might think “honestly as long as the strap feels tight enough, the child should be fine” – but it really is worth remembering that the jacket is essentially a pocket of air. As I said above, in an accident situation, the jacket compresses meaning there’s more space between the harness and the child.
At the end of the day all I ask is that you take in the information. Google it if you want. Research it. And then you can make an informed decision: no matter which way you choose to do things!
Did you know about carseats and bulky jackets?
PS pleaser remember this is a NO JUDGEMENT post – the way you look after your child is your business, and the way you put them in a carseat is as well. Information is the key thing here – the more people who understand the risks the better.
