Our LO is 18 months and I have two questions. I feel like there are some hard and fast rules I have followed for babies and I'm not sure when these "end" and normal people stuff can start.
(1) Blankets at night - she still wears a sleep sack and, length-wise, is almost ready for the next size, which would be an XL from the Halo brand! I don't like the fleece footed pajama things because she gets all sweaty. I'm not sure if I should get larger sleep sacks or try to switch to a blanket. Is that safe? Also, even though her feet are pushing at the bottom of the L sleep sack, the neck and chest are enormous on her and I'm not sure that's so great either.
(p.s. She will not be done with her crib any time soon.)
(2) Winter coats in the car - I have been religious about not putting her in the car seat in the winter coat, usually doing a fleece and bringing her coat or snowsuit with us if we might need it. But I see all the toddlers getting dropped off at daycare in their winter coats. I guess it will not be until at least next winter for us, but I am just not sure how to know when these "rules" end!
Thanks in advance!
Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
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Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 10:02 AM EST
- medfordcc
- Posts: 1177
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Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 10:19 AM EST
- KAM2007
- Posts: 820
- First: 5/30/2008
- Last: 5/24/2013
At 18 mo I think blankets are fine. If my LOs were really active movers in bed I might hold off longer, but my kids stay pretty well put so we used blankets pretty early on.
As for coats...As soon as we took DS out of the infant carrier, we'd dress him in a coat when we arrived at places. We never put him in the seat with the coat on. Unless it was a drive across the parking lot type of thing. Even at 3 years old we have his coat next to him in the car, arrive, put his coat on and go inside. DD is still in the carrier...At day care we see other parent's struggling to get their kids into the coats for the 30 second walk into the center... -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 10:30 AM EST
- ALS76
- Posts: 170
- First: 11/13/2008
- Last: 5/24/2013
Hi. My DD is 19 months and a very active sleeper. She still wears a sleep sack but I think she is only in the medium size still. She wears footie pjs too, but she would never keep herself under a blanket.
For coats in the car, she wears her coat out to the car and I get in the backseat with her and take it off before she gets in her carseat. Same thing when we arrive at our destination. I get in the backseat and put her back in her coat before we get out of the car. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 11:21 AM EST
- cwagner13
- Posts: 238
- First: 6/2/2011
- Last: 5/24/2013
DS is 17 months, we gave up on sleep sacks. So it would depend on how cold it got in the house at night - we would either put a short sleeve onesie and fleece jammies, or long sleeve onsie and regular feetie jammies or short sleeve onesie and a 2 piece jammie set with socks on (we do put a blanket on him at night, but he usually tolerates it only on the legs). But we layer his clothes for night time, anticipating that he may kick off his blanket off his upper body. Since we only have a flannel sheet on our bed, we can also tell if he is going to get cold based on if we get cold (we wear thin clothes, and we usually layer one extra layer on him than we have on ourselves). Where we live, the temperatures vary a lot so our indoor temperatures will change depending on how warm the house got from the sun during the day.
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Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 11:49 AM EST
- stefani2
- Posts: 680
- First: 5/6/2009
- Last: 5/23/2013
um... i totally forgot about whatever this winter coats rule is and we've been using coats on our kids since they were in regular car seats. why no coats in carseats? -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 11:54 AM EST
- medfordcc
- Posts: 1177
- First: 1/26/2010
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I think the rule is no puffy coats, because they can compress in an accident and so the straps wouldn't be as snug (read: safe) as you thought they were when you adjusted. We have been using fleece jackets, though. Just not anything with a filling.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. Our LO is an active sleeper... like usually if I have to wake her up in the AM her head is at the other end of the crib. So it makes good sense that she probably won't be able to stay under a blanket. It's nice to hear that blankets are considered safe though. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 11:54 AM EST
- ALS76
- Posts: 170
- First: 11/13/2008
- Last: 5/24/2013
They say not to put the kids in heavy and/or puffy coats in the carseats because the fit of the straps will be adjusted to accomodate the size of the coat, not their actual body. In an accident, the force of the impact will compress the coat, thus making the straps too loose around the child and not provide a proper restraint.
just saw your post medford - we must have been writing at the same time! -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 1:07 PM EST
- Trouble30
- Posts: 812
- First: 7/17/2009
- Last: 5/24/2013
This is what we do for coat in the carseat:My 21 month old hasn't used a blanket or sleep sack this winter. Just fleecey footies PJs. Her room is pretty warm though bet 70 and 72 usually, thanks to our old and inefficent heating system. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 1:26 PM EST
- rama8677
- Posts: 283
- First: 8/14/2007
- Last: 5/22/2013
We switched DD from a sleep sack to a blanket at about 21 months. She took a few weeks to get used to it but she pretty much stays under it now. She wears footie PJs too so she can stay warm. We also bought her a toddler pillow and she loves it! Trying to keep her comfy in her crib so she stays in it as long as possible. At 2 she still hasn't tried to climb out. https://m.buybuybaby.com/buybuybaby/product/detail.do?itemId=17105469&categoryId=&path= -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/17/2012 2:03 PM EST
- marriedmom
- Posts: 98
- First: 12/9/2007
- Last: 2/6/2013
Lots of good advice already! We handle the winter coat situation by having fleece jackets for our kids, who are both in "big kid" car seats. When I drop my DS off at preschool, I carry in his puffy winter coat and bring his fleece out with me. I leave it in the car to put on when it's time to go home. Easy Peasy. It adds probably 30 seconds to our routine. I did buy them good, warm wind proof fleeces from REI. A little spendy but I bought them a size big and both are on their second winters in these jackets, so we got our money's worth from them. My DD who is younger just wears her fleece with hat and mittens almost 100% of the time when we are out on errands. If we are playing outside I bring her puffy coat. I will keep up this routine until they really are big kids who use regular seat belts. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/18/2012 8:45 AM EST
- kargiver
- Posts: 21717
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marriedmom, I want to toss out there that you are so right about the extra cost of decent fleeces being worth every penny. Cheap "fleece" is akin to wearing nothing...soft nothing. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/20/2012 6:40 AM EST
- IPWBride
- Posts: 1108
- First: 9/15/2009
- Last: 5/24/2013
We do very similar as others on coats. DS is a hot kid, so regardless of safety, his big coat in the seat would be a disaster. We have a thick sweater that he'll wear with a big hat and he's good to go. I carry his big coat into daycare for when they play outside. But, if we are just going into daycare or a store 10 seconds from the car, he's been fine without it (especially if I'm carrying him.). We've used a blanket now for a few months, and he almost always ends up on top of it. He's starting to really like to snuggle, so it's cute to see him use it. But, on the nights it gets really cold, I put him in his sleep sack (I have a fleece one and just a light cotton). But, he's definitely stretched pretty close end to end, so I'm guessing I've got maybe one more month. He is also all over the crib. Hilarious to think one day I'll be putting him in tucked in sheets and a blanket and he'll stay there! So not close to that. -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/21/2012 12:51 PM EST
- Redsoxfan76
- Posts: 78
- First: 7/2/2008
- Last: 4/11/2012
I'm glad it is not just me who often brings my kid from the car into daycare with no coat.
But, I also have to admit that this morning I did put her in her carseat with her big puffy coat on (I've only done it a handful of times when it is really cold and we don't have time to warm up the car). I always thought the rule was in place because you can't tighten the straps enough with the coat, but thought it felt very secure when I put her in. I didn't think about the compression factor. Now I feel terrible! I will never put her in her car seat again with a thick coat.
I also thought that blankets were okay after 12 months (because the risk of SIDS goes down so much). DD just sleeps in footy PJs and we have an electric heater for her room (we live in a 200+ year old house that does not retain heat at all).
Thanks Medford for asking these questions! -
Re: Blankets and winter coats - becoming a big kid
posted at 2/21/2012 1:04 PM EST
- medfordcc
- Posts: 1177
- First: 1/26/2010
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thanks, everyone, for more insights!
I am thinking of staying with the sleep sack... she just gets crazy sweaty in those one piece fleece PJ's, and since she's a spinner I can't imagine her staying under a blanket.
I am thinking of getting one from babyinabag.com since they have adjustable armholes. Anyone use those? Not sure if I need the winter weight one or not at this point in the season.