Coats, carseats, and cold, OH MY...

[justKate]

Well it's not really cold, we live in central texas.

My question is, given that I'm not going to put a thick coat on DD (20 mos.) in her carseat, is there any reason to buy a heavy coat here? I have to admit that I'm sort of lax about dressing for the weather, because unless it's planned, we don't spend that much time outside.

Car is in the garage, so we get in the car, then open the garage door and start the car. DD has a blanket in the car. Then there is a 20 ft. walk from the car to her daycare, where I can cover her with the blanket if it's really cold. The kids go outside to play mid-morning, and then I pick her up and we're home during the warmest part of the day.

So does she really need a heavy coat and gloves? I can't keep a hat on her as it is, so I'm not sure what good gloves or mittens would do. Right now she's wearing this over a heavier long sleeved shirt or a ls shirt and a onesie. On one hand I don't want to be a "bad mom" that lets my baby get cold, but at the same time, I don't see the point in her having a heavy coat if the only time it is actually cold is when we're getting in and out of the car seat.

What do you all think?

ETA: Really, it's not cold here. It's still getting in to the 70's and 80's every day.

[tzs]

what about daycare?
it's colder here (wisconsin) and today it was maybe 50 degrees and a little windy and the toughest kid in my toddler class had only a light coat and a hat and was MISerable the whole time. i spent the last 5 or ten minutes huddled with her in my arms trying to warm her up while she cried.

[tzs]

oh, also their hands get colder than ours would be b/c while i might stand there with hands in pockets they are actually doing things with their hands and they are always out....climbing, playing in the sandbox....
i'd do gloves if it ever gets down to 45-ish?

[just_lily]

You are never outside otherwise? Trips to the park? The zoo? Walks?

I have no idea how cold it gets in Texas (I am in Canada) but I would absolutely purchase proper outdoor wear for your kid. I am a home daycare provider and it really sucks when parents don't send their kids with proper clothes - I am then left with the choice of keeping all of the kids inside, or deal with a kid who is cold. Neither is fair.

Usually you can find decent outerwear at second hand shops quite reasonably.

[tabrizia]

Depends on how cold it gets outside and how much time she spends outside. If it never gets colder then 50 or so and you have a fleece coat for her I won't worry about it. If she goes out daily to play at daycare and the temperatures are in the mid 40s or colder some days I would get a winter coat, you can get them inexpensive at thrift stores or places like Marshell's if you want new.

Both my kids have winter coats, since DS is in pre-school now and they tend to go out in the cold, under 50 and they are still out there and because we do tend to get snow 2 to 3 times a year and I want to be able to let DD play in it too.

[melon]

OK, so what about where it is actually COLD and we don't have a garage?

What are we supposed to do? We CAN'T go outside without a coat, even just to the car. So do we bundle up, and then unbundle in the car to strap in? That would mean I'd have to leave him inside while I go warm up the car? And wait for the heat to crank so we can take off his coat, and buckle him in? Seems crazy.

Last year this was not an issue, we just strapped into the bucket seat, and bundled in blankets, Bundleme, etc.

[Eresh]

We do layers. With non-windy temps around 50 we do a fleece or hoodie over a long sleeved shirt. If it's windy or a little colder we add a thin wind breaker. I'd imagine in TX if it's never really colder than 40 you could probably get away with that (3 thin layers basically) and just take off the outer layer for in the car seat. A thin fleece is actually quite warm layered over a long sleeved shirt. For down around freezing we really do need a warm jacket for the third layer along with hat/gloves.

For car seat usage with a winter coat, one option is the "coat trick"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLTVPqn0aR8

[MsVyky]

I don't even know what I'm going to do. last winter when she was itty bitt, DD was in her Snugride that we could just cover with a blanket and carry her around, but now she is in a Radian

it gets COLD here. Sometimes down to -40* during January and February. Typical temps in the dead of winder are -20-30*. I don't even know what to do aside from letting the car idle forever, which I don't want to do.

Any other Northern Mamas care to weigh in?

[JERENAUD]

I'm in (really really really) northern Canada. My kids only wear fleece jackets outside to play until it's about freezing. Then they wear their fleece under their coats, so that they can take off their winter coats in the van but still be warm. It really doesn't take long for the vehicle to get above freezing, even if it's still cold, and the kids seem to do just fine with their fleeces for warmth. Mine are 1, 4 and 7, by the way.

I do realize though that it's all relative; I couldn't handle 80s in November.

Erica

[txbikegrrl]

I'm orig from MI but now live in Houston which is probly warmer than where you are. We inherited a thick winter coat for Ds the last two years and one for this year also. He is 3.5 yo. We didn't need it often two years ago but last year he wore out that winter jacket. A gap one with hood and "fur" inside. He definitely needed the mittens and hat we actually had/have 2 sets. I was like you but I thinking it wasn't needed we would take off our gloves to make better snowballs in elementary but when really little their hands get colder also I guess being born in the heat not user to cold?

[txbikegrrl]

Just wanted to add he had lighter fleece for afternoonplay and would be sweaty sometime but needed a jacket when he first went out then didn't take it off. I think this year he will know better but when really little the day care will want warm enough clothes. Also the tema really fluctuate here so it can be 30 in am if raining ir windy feel very cold then front moves thru and almost 70 and sunny by pick up time. So I had a variety of clothes available...

[Skippy918]

I'm in Austin too! My son wore a hooded sweatshirt with a long sleeved shirt underneath most days last year and he was fine.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by melon

OK, so what about where it is actually COLD and we don't have a garage?

What are we supposed to do? We CAN'T go outside without a coat, even just to the car. So do we bundle up, and then unbundle in the car to strap in? That would mean I'd have to leave him inside while I go warm up the car? And wait for the heat to crank so we can take off his coat, and buckle him in? Seems crazy.

I struggle with this, too. When it's -40 and blowing snow every which way, DS cannot walk to the car with no coat on. Even having him sit in his carseat with the door open while I strap him in is miserable because he's getting blown on. All the "cloaks" designed for carseat use are just not warm enough for our weather.

I see videos of people putting coats on in the "safe" way in the car... but they all require taking the coat OFF (and then you presumably have to take them off to put them on whenever you get to your destination). In all the videos, the kid looks comfortably warm and cozy while the parent finagles the coat into position. Meanwhile, my kid would be shivering in the wind blowing straight off the tundra.

[just_lily]

We are in the market for a new (used) car, and I am really hoping we find one with a remote car starter. If not, I want to put one in. We are in Alberta, so we get our share of cold, and our garage is detached and usually full of junk, so our vehicles are left in the driveway anyways.

Last year I usually went out to start the car, and then came back to get DD. We always took her coat off, and put it on her lap. If it was really cold I would give her blankets too.

Once or twice I left her in her snow pants and just took her coat off. It still added a bit of poof, but way less than her coat.

blizzard_babe, are you able to climb into your car on the other side of your DS's carseat in order to shut the door behind you and strap him in? For example, my DD is outboard on the passenger side, so if I needed to I could climb into the backseat on the drivers side, close the door behind me, and strap her in.

I agree that dealing with winter coats and car seats is a HUGE PITA. But it is in the middle of winter, with icey roads and poor visability, that we are most likely to get into a collision.... and it is even MORE important that our kids are as safe as possible in their carseats.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by tzs

what about daycare?
it's colder here (wisconsin) and today it was maybe 50 degrees and a little windy and the toughest kid in my toddler class had only a light coat and a hat and was MISerable the whole time. i spent the last 5 or ten minutes huddled with her in my arms trying to warm her up while she cried.

Yep, daycare is what worries me. I bought a fleece-lined ski-type jacket with a hood at the consignment store for $12 on Saturday. I'm going to leave it at daycare. I'm thinking about sewing a pair of mittens right on to the jacket so that they don't get lost. Would that be crazy?

For home, I'm going to stick with layering and blankets for now. She is tiny and still gets worn a lot, and I have a fleece babywearing poncho for out and about (Christmas treeing?)...