Keeping Kids Warm in the Car

Dear J B:
Please allow me to preface what I am about to say with my qualifications to say these things. I am a medically retired (read disabled) Physician Assistant & Midwife Certified in both PA & AK.
I have lived in Alaska and believe me it doesn't get any colder than that.
The bottom line with keeping your daughter warm is that if you have enough on, she will. In other words, dress your daughter in the same amount of clothing that you are wearing and she will be just fine, use the blanket just to get her to the car after that is when we would all like a nice toasty blanket, on the way to the car. I realize that gas prices are terrible right now, but let your car get warmed up before you have to go somewhere, if this means having an extra set of keys so you can leave a set in the car while it gets warm inside they are pretty inexpensive at Walmart. Personal experience tells me to use the new keys to start the car and leave it running, you know the keys you currently have open the doors. This might not always be the case with the new set. Only you know how long it takes to truly make your car warm inside to where you are comfortable. So, if it means you have to start the car 15 minutes before you would have to leave then that is when you start it, lock it go back inside and wait to go out. If I go into further times I would be blinding you with the obvious : )
I hope this helps you in one way or another, I think the most important thing to remember is if you are at a comfortable cozy temp, and your daughter is dressed in a similar manner, so is she.
Best of luck let me know how things work out.

J. T

How old is the baby? When my son was an infant I had this really neat blanket/cover for his infant seat. It was elastic around the edges and had this neat little flap over his face that you could open or close. He was born in January, so that thing was a lifesaver. Actually, I got it at a yard sale, I have no idea where you would buy one new. Mine's packed away tight in the attic, or I'd offer to send it to you. If you're really interested though, I could take a peek up there and see how well buried it might be. You can email me at ____@____.com

Have you tried the bunting blankets for the carseat. I don't know how old your child is and what kind of carseat you use but at Target they have great selections. Here's the linkhttp://

www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_2_###-###-####_...

Hi JB,

I know what you are getting at about the safety experts saying you shouldn't put a fluffy coat on under the car seat. My daughter is 5 months old and what I have been doing is putting a long sleeve onesie with feet on her, over that I layer 2 sweaters with the outer one being bigger so it is easier to put over the smaller one. I also pull the sweater over her hands. I then put sweater pants and knitted booties on. I carry her out to the car with a hat and a thick blanket and position this over her though your toddler will probably remove the blanket. Anyway, I just do lots of layers and feel her hands once in awhile to make sure she isn't cold and within a few minutes the car is getting warmer anyway.

Good luck, and I think you are doing the right thing with the layers.

both of my kids have favorite blankets that they sleep with. nice warm fuzzy ones. We have them take them in the car with us when its cold outside. Since they blankets are thier favorite characters. One if dora dn the other is one my dad got my son. they keep them on and are bundled up.

Hi. I don't know how old your kids are but, what's wrong with just putting on their coats and hats and putting their seat belts on? If you have a baby, put their snowsuit on with a hat and hood. The trick is that even once the car is warm after you drive a little while, keep the heat on very low so they don't overheat. For longer car rides, take their hats off and unzip the coats some. Did you ever think about if there was an emergency and you had to get out the car quickly? Would you really have time to get coats on or keep blankets wrapped around everyone. What I like to keep in mind is that while cars are very nice and comfy, they are primarily for transportation. Children need to have their coats on and shoes while traveling. They are not home, so they will not be as comfy as they are at home. They need to be safe. Also, it's not good to make them super warm in the car and then pull them out into the freezing cold. That's why I keep the car on very low heat and leave coats on. They will get used to it. Good luck with whatever you do, but safety first.

I think it's Eddie Bauer that makes a "baby bag" that's wonderful for this. Think sleep sack but with divided leg space and no sleeves. The top just has a draw cord to make it snug so that only the baby's face is exposed -- or you can leave that loose if it's not that cold.
It's down,split at the bottom for legs to go into (and a car-seatbelt to go between legs). It's a quick on/off and you don't have to dress him/her in so many layers.

Have you seen those blankets that attach to the car seat and zip up around the baby? I never used one bacause my baby was little in the warmer months, but my mother, who fosters babies, uses one all the time. Cut and paste the link below into your address bar. If it doesn't work then go to Babies R Us website and click into car seats. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=226684....

Try the Bundle Me, its perfect!

Thankfully most of the time we get into the car in the garage. It's not too warm with this freezing weather, but it's not too bad. My biggest concern is the time standing out in the cold getting bundled back up to get out/in the car at our destination. I almost never have my kids wear coats in the seatbelts, but with the recent cold weather, I don't know what else to do to avoid spending extra time in the near zero temps getting in and out of the car when out. I do carefully arrange the buckles and tighten it as tight as I can since I know it's not really the best option. As soon as the temps get to be a bit closer to freezing, I plan to go back to no coats in the car and putting them on/off as we get in/out.

If your child is old enough, maybe try talking to her. Sometimes just telling them not to do something actually works. What about putting kidsongs on in the car and try distraction from the bundling? If she is much smaller than that, I'd wrap the blanket tighter around her to make it more difficult for her to escape.

they sell coats that have the holes that you can put the car seat straps thru i use one for my daughter you put in on like an nap sack and the straps are feed thru the holes they can't get it off...but if she keeps taking it off maybe she isn't cold...

hi JB!!! you will be fine in your car. It sounds like you are putting enough layers on. I always measure by how many layers I put on. Everyone is different, but for short trips I usually leave my little one bundled up, and and only take off his hat, for long trips, I take off the big stuff, because you run the risk of having a sweaty wet child once you reach your destination. Try starting and letting your car run a little longer than usual as well. But your little one should be fine with what you are putting on her.

Instead of spending extra money on car seat blankets, you could just throw her coat/bunting, hat, mittens, etc. in the dryer for about 10 min., let it cool a little if it's too hot, bundle her up, and go! By the time it cools off your car will have warmed up.