Thoughts about booster vs. harness and coat

morgaine108

New member
My 5.5 year old is a big boy. Last spring he outgrew the Graco Nautilus because the buckle was underneath him. I didn't really feel he was quite ready for a booster though cause we tried it out a bit and he played with the seat belt, didn't always sit up straight, etc. So we got a Britax Frontier 85. I haven't been real thrilled with it, kinda wished I had gotten a Recaro once I saw them and he's not real comfy in it, but it's kept him harnessed.

Now we have moved from a climate where it's pretty warm even in winter to an area that's pretty cold. And he's in kindergarten and I pick him up in the car line. So, he's been wearing a coat.....and I know coat + harness is a big no no. The coat isn't so big that the harness straps are out much further, but they are out a little further.

So, I just know from our normal routine that changing things so that he has time to take his coat off before getting into the seat isn't going to happen in the car line (plus with it getting colder he will be pretty cranky with me about it) and me getting there early enough every day to park and walk them in or park and walk to pick them up probably isn't going to happen. It just doesn't work well for us. So, would it be safer in this instance if he is going to wear his coat for him to be in the booster version instead? He has matured a little since then but I can't say for sure how much better he is. His coat is a hand me down from his brother (who was a year older when he wore it). I have had him just wear sweatshirts but then his teacher asks me about putting him in a warmer coat cause I think she doesn't think it's warm enough when they go out to play. I could buy him a new thick Lands End fleece which would be good down to about 30 degrees but I don't really have a lot of extra money floating around for that right now, and would probably still get comments from the teacher. I know it's kind of a judgement call, but just thought I'd get some input from the people who are most knowledgeable.

Thanks!
Andrea
 
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BookMama

Senior Community Member
The best thing would be to have him not wear the coat in the car, of course. In the morning, have him put the coat on backwards, or like a blanket. He can take it off right before he needs to get out of the car, and slip it on as soon as he gets out.

However, I've been in situations where fully removing the coat wasn't practical for whatever reason. What I've done is buckle the kid in without the coat and tighten the harness as appropriate. Then unbuckle without loosening, and have the kid get back in and buckle with the coat on (unzipped, with the sides of the coat pulled outside the harness). I figure if they can cram the coat in without loosening the harness, it's good to go.

Who is buckling him? If it's an adult rather than him doing it himself, you're more likely to be able to get his coat crammed into the tightened-without-a-coat harness.
 

morgaine108

New member
In the morning I usually assist him but sometimes he does it by himself. When I pick him up the car line is pretty bad and they just jump in the car and you have to get moving as quickly as possible or you are blocking everyone. Sometimes I do end up having to pull over and get out and go back there and help because something isn't working right or they didn't get the door shut all the way or something, but he is normally buckling himself. The circle drive at the new school is really small and wasn't really designed for minivans and SUVs everyone drives so I try not to pull over because it gets in everyone's way and getting past is tricky and then no one is sure if you are just stopped for a minute or pulled over. The school is on a main drag in the town too which makes pick up a real headache either way.

At drop off I am usually having to rush them to get out of the car quickly already because comparatively it takes them a long time to get unbuckled/get out of the car and people really want you to keep moving. The schools drop off /dismissal blocks up traffic pretty majorly on this main street....if you don't keep moving, then people can't turn in and people are in the right lane for blocks waiting to turn in. I can get him buckled in the seat without loosening the harness, but he can't.
 

aeormsby

New member
Both of my kids wear the same type of jacket in the car. DD is in a booster and usually just takes her coat off. DS is almost 6 and still harnessed, when it's colder he wears one part of a 2-part jacket, I leave it unzipped and make sure it is only under the straps at his shoulders, the same way I adjust my coat with my seatbelt. We also have blankets in the car for if it's cold when the get in.
 

Athena

Well-known member
I could buy him a new thick Lands End fleece which would be good down to about 30 degrees

Where are you seeing this jacket? We need a new one and I don't see this on their site. This is what we do or we bring warm winter jackets, wear a light hoodie in the seat, and slip on the winter jacket after the car seat straps are off before getting out, but we park. Sorry if this doesn't help, but I cant think of any way it would work that I'd be comfortable with if we didn't park.
 

1mommy

New member
If he's going to be fine in the brief time getting to and from the car and school can you leave the coat at school? Or stuff it in his backpack so he has it for recess but doesn't wear it in the car?
 

morgaine108

New member
http://www.landsend.com/products/boys-thermacheck-200-fleece-hoodie/id_256432

We had this last year and wore it through most of the Texas winter and it was great. I'm not sure it will be warm enough for IL though. I did have their thermacheck snow suits for the boys when they were babies for use in an infant seat and they were great....but it's a little easier with an infant, you can just tuck a blanket around them if you are going to be outside for longer. Big boys need something for everyday that works in a carseat AND is warm enough to play outside in for a while.

I saw the new blog post this morning and I am going to see if I can try to find one of the mentioned coats for a boy and in a 6-7. Most of the links when I looked on my phone were girls or for toddlers.
 

morgaine108

New member
I am thinking about the leaving the coat at school thing. Only thing I wonder about is that I know they don't really have room to keep extra coats. As it is there are 25 kids in the class and when they come back in from recess half the coats end up on the floor because with the back packs and a limited number of hooks, there just isn't room. I volunteer in his room a couple days a month so I have seen the mess.

Thinking about the parking thing too, but I just know it is not going to happen 100% of the time. Only place we can park is on the other side of the busy street and it's quite a walk in and we are not very good when it comes to being on time.
 

Baylor

New member
My kids wear a fleece coat and then a down vest. They are plenty warm and then they get in they slip out of the down vest and get in the car seat.

They slip out of it climb in the seat and buckle. EVEN in a booster my kids do not wear heavy coats nor do I. It is just not safe.
 

Athena

Well-known member
http://www.landsend.com/products/boys-thermacheck-200-fleece-hoodie/id_256432

We had this last year and wore it through most of the Texas winter and it was great. I'm not sure it will be warm enough for IL though. I did have their thermacheck snow suits for the boys when they were babies for use in an infant seat and they were great....but it's a little easier with an infant, you can just tuck a blanket around them if you are going to be outside for longer. Big boys need something for everyday that works in a carseat AND is warm enough to play outside in for a while.

I saw the new blog post this morning and I am going to see if I can try to find one of the mentioned coats for a boy and in a 6-7. Most of the links when I looked on my phone were girls or for toddlers.

Not sure 200 will be warm enough here. We had their 300 weight they seem to have discontinued. It was such a nice jacket and great for times we're in and out of the car for errands or when it's not quite as cold. For school, my kids need a real winter coat because they go out for recess even when it's way too cold. But we park and have time to slip into them before getting out of the car. I'll have to check out that blog.

I am thinking about the leaving the coat at school thing. Only thing I wonder about is that I know they don't really have room to keep extra coats. As it is there are 25 kids in the class and when they come back in from recess half the coats end up on the floor because with the back packs and a limited number of hooks, there just isn't room. I volunteer in his room a couple days a month so I have seen the mess.

Thinking about the parking thing too, but I just know it is not going to happen 100% of the time. Only place we can park is on the other side of the busy street and it's quite a walk in and we are not very good when it comes to being on time.

Wow, those are big classes and they don't each have their own hook with their name on it? :( We struggle with getting there on time too, but I'd prefer to not be 100% on time than do the dreaded drop off line. That's just my preference, but the street isn't that busy and our lot isn't that far, so it only adds a couple minutes for us. I hope you figure out something that works for you though.
 

morgaine108

New member
Not sure 200 will be warm enough here. We had their 300 weight they seem to have discontinued. It was such a nice jacket and great for times we're in and out of the car for errands or when it's not quite as cold. For school, my kids need a real winter coat because they go out for recess even when it's way too cold. But we park and have time to slip into them before getting out of the car. I'll have to check out that blog.

Wow, those are big classes and they don't each have their own hook with their name on it? :( We struggle with getting there on time too, but I'd prefer to not be 100% on time than do the dreaded drop off line. That's just my preference, but the street isn't that busy and our lot isn't that far, so it only adds a couple minutes for us. I hope you figure out something that works for you though.

Yeah I am thinking the same thing about the fleece. I grew up in this area in IL and while it's not super cold for long periods of time, it does get pretty cold. And they pretty much go outside everyday unless it's raining as far as I can tell. Most of the coats on the blog didn't look warm enough, except maybe the Moondoggy, but that's 150.00 and that's a bit steep for me. And yeah, they don't have their own hooks, and the classes are big. I'm trying not to dwell too much on these things because we had to move and imo the school was better in TX even though it was a bigger city. The teachers aren't bad, just the way they do things is weird and the class sizes were smaller and support services better (my older son has Autism). Anyway, thanks for the input. I think I am going to start trying the parking since I really want them to have a warm coat and the other options don't really sound like they will work.
 

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