Weighted blankets and car seats?

L-and-A

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #1

My DS has been wanting to take his blanket with him in the mornings when we leave the house but I for the life of me cant figure out how to secure it in the car. Its a little over 5lbs and I dont think its a good idea to leave it just floating around in the car. I talked to his physical therapist about it and she said just attach it to his seat. I dont feel okay with that but what are my other options?

 

Ladybugmama

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #2

Wow my DD has a 3 lb weighted blanket and brings it with her. I never thought about it!!

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #3

It's heavy, but soft, right? Can you remove some of the weights and only leave just as much as needed to provide input on the parts that will be accessible in the car seat? Also, you could bring it in the trunk, and only allow it in the car when the benefit seems to outweigh the risk...

 

L-and-A

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #4

It does stay in the trunk when its not being used. He just seems to need it more right now. I tried to keep it out of the car all together but if he doesnt have it he will have a meltdown. The weight cant be taken out because its sewn into the blanket. I was told to sew loops on it and hook it around his harness but I said no to that one. I have talked to a tech with Safe Kids a handful of times we just can never get our times to work out. We are in the car a lot traveling to and from doctor appts so I feel the risk is pretty high with him having it.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #5

Ok, what about looking into a weighted blanket with pockets so you CAN remove some of the weights?

Other than that, sometimes we have to make a choice to have something in the car that's not ideal. That's why it's called a "tough choice." If you feel it's necessary, I can't think of a better way to secure it while in use; anything you do with it is not going to stop it from being extra weight in the car, right on top of the child. However, I think that it's a minimal risk as even though it's heavy, it's soft and flexible. So keeping it in the trunk when not in use is probably the best you can do and you're already doing all you can.

 

Cryssy Jane

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #6

A friend of mine uses a weighted blanket that sounds like yours. Her seat is installed via seatbelt and she put metal loops in the blanket and attaches the blanket to the latch strap. Ideal? Probably not but it seems to work for them. Kiddo needs it every time in the car so the latch straps aren't just floating around either.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #7

Cryssy Jane said:

A friend of mine uses a weighted blanket that sounds like yours. Her seat is installed via seatbelt and she put metal loops in the blanket and attaches the blanket to the latch strap. Ideal? Probably not but it seems to work for them. Kiddo needs it every time in the car so the latch straps aren't just floating around either.

Sent from my iPhone using Car-Seat.Org

Click to expand...

My problem with this is that attaching it to the seat might actually be a BAD idea.

If the blanket is unsecured, in a crash, blanket and child move toward the same area of the car; child is secured and blanket flies away from child. (Child may later hit blanket, but blanket has first moved away to minimize injury potential.)

If the blanket is strapped to the seat, in a crash, blanket stays with seat and child as child moves toward point of impact. In the wrong kind of crash, this could mean child is thrown against weights, which now have nowhere to go, potentially leading to increasing the severity of injury.

So, I think it might be better to leave it unsecured, and minimize use as much as possible. But that's just an educated guess.

 

L-and-A

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #8

I think we will just keep doing what we are doing then thank you very much!

 

G

GoofyG

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #9

My daughter has her bug blanket that she sleeps with and my mom made a little lap blanket for the car. We do a lot if road trips so we had to have one in the car. It's just loose when she uses it. She sits in the back of the van and has a backpack buckled in by the middle seat belt. She puts her blanket and a few toys in it and zips it up when she doesn't use it.

 

G

GoofyG

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #10

Not bug blanket but Big blanket that she sleeps with.

 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician

• Jun 1, 2011

• #11

GoofyG said:

Not bug blanket but Big blanket that she sleeps with.

Click to expand...

A big blanket and a weighted blanket aren't quite the same thing.

Even at 5lbs, I wouldn't be worried because the weight is distributed over a very large area. For example, if the blanket is 40 X 40 inches, you are only looking at .003lbs per square inch.

 

G

GoofyG

New member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #12

Both of the blankets are weighted at 4lbs each. She has her big one for her bed and the lap blanket for the car. My mom makes them for her. She is getting a new one that will be 5lbs now since she has gain weight. She had her sensory toys in the backpack too.

 

murphydog77

Admin - CPST Instructor

Staff member

• Jun 1, 2011

• #13

What types of weights are used in the blankets to add weight? I know of the blankets, but have never seen one IRL. Given that they are used by children, I can't imagine they are solid weights made out of metal with sharp edges and are more like sand or some other soft filling.

Even though it is 5 lbs and 5 lbs is 5 lbs regardless of the material, I'd rather be hit by a 5 lbs bean bag than a 5 lbs brick, KWIM? Neither would feel good, but the sharp edges of the brick would do more damage. Therefore, in my roundabout way of saying this, lol, I don't think the blanket is that much of a problem. Tying it to a part of the carseat could affect its performance in a crash since the carseat is weight-based, so I wouldn't do that, but having the blanket lay on your ds should be OK. It's better than him having a meltdown while you're trying to get somewhere, which leaves you frazzled and more likely to crash.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• Jun 2, 2011

• #14

Yeah, they're usually bean-bag type weights. And they are distributed over a wide area-- which is why I'm not so worried. I DON'T think it's a good idea to attach them in a way that they could become like a belt to be slammed across an abdomen. I think leaving them free-flying would be best, to allow the weight to spread out before it hits anyone/anyone hits it.

 

L

Leche Mami

New member

• Jun 20, 2011

• #15

Slightly OT, I'd love to know how your mom makes weighted blankets. I'd like to make one but would prefer not to use plastic pellets. I'm wondering about a more natural, but also washable, alternative.

Thanks!

 

Ladybugmama

New member

• Jun 21, 2011

• #16

Leche Mami said:

Slightly OT, I'd love to know how your mom makes weighted blankets. I'd like to make one but would prefer not to use plastic pellets. I'm wondering about a more natural, but also washable, alternative.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I have one made with aquarium rocks