5 Tips for Protecting Your Most Precious Cargo this Winter

Canadians know that life doesn’t stop just because it gets cold outside. While some days it’s tempting to want to hibernate inside, the reality is, we still need to get out and about in those chilling temps. It’s easy to bundle ourselves up and head for the driver’s seat, but what about our most precious cargo? An Allstate Canada national poll found that 95 per cent of Canadian parents feel they are confident they know how to properly buckle a child in a car seat. Despite feeling confident when it comes to child car seat safety, the same poll showed that 23% of Canadians with children under 12 believe that using a snowsuit is the best way to keep them warm in the winter months and only about one-in-10 (11%) parents of children under 12 say the best way to dress a child is in thin, warm layers.


 

Here’s a few tips on how you can keep baby warm and safe in their car seats throughout those cold winter months. 

Tips to keep children warm and safe in their car seat

5 Tips for Protecting Your Most Precious Cargo this Winter

  1. Leave Off The Winter Coats

Instinctively, we want to reach for a big thick winter coat to warm our children, but it’s probably the most important thing not to do. Jackets create padding between your child and the car seat, which doesn’t allow for the straps to tighten as much as they should to keep your child as safe as possible. Even though the straps may look tight with a jacket on, there will still be some slack, especially if the jacket decompresses in an accident. Besides, have you ever tried to wrestle a baby into a coat? It’s like eating Jell-O with a fork.

Older kids can buckle the seatbelt and then zip up the front of the coat or even place the jacket on backwards after buckling. If you are on a long drive, this is actually beneficial for when it gets too warm in the car and they want to unzip or cool off. 

  1. Layers Layers Layers

Layers are your best friend in winter months. Instead of adding the bulky coats on top, try adding some warm layers underneath. Tights work well under jeans (even on boys) and long sleeve shirts or onesies are best for under sweaters. Fleece is a great top layer for warmth. You can still use warm toques and hats with no problem at all.

  1. Bring a Blanket

Once the child is properly strapped in the car seat, you can go ahead and add a blanket on top. Just make sure there is no barrier between the harness and your child. I would bring a nice warm one from the house to start instead of one that’s been sitting in the cold vehicle for maximum warmth.

  1. Warm Up the Car

This is something I do for my family even now with my kids a little older. Coming out of your warm house and getting into a freezing car feels awful, by giving it just a few minutes to take the chill off makes all the difference. 

  1. Use a Car Seat Cover

For young ones still in infant car seats there are a number of car seat covers on the market to choose from. Be sure to choose one that goes over the top of the car seat and doesn’t have material that goes under the straps or under the baby. 

Visit the Allstate Canada GOOD HANDS® blog for more good tips on car seat safety such as When to Move Your Child to the Next Car Seat Stage.

Together Allstate Canada and Safety 1st are offering one lucky reader a chance to win a Safety 1st® Grow and Go™ Sport 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat.

grow-and-goThe Safety 1st® Grow and Go™ Sport 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat is the car seat built to grow with your child. It features an adaptable design that transforms from a rear-facing car seat (5-40lbs) to a forward-facing car seat (22-65lbs) and finally to a belt-positioning booster seat (40-100lbs). Grow with baby body pillows give a snug fit and remove easily as your child outgrows them. The Quick-Fit™ Harness System allows you to change both the headrest and harness height in one simple step for a proper fit. Integrated harness holders make getting your child in and out of the seat a breeze. No more fishing for the harness and clips from behind your child. For all ages, the car seat pad makes cleanup simple. Machine washable and dryer safe, it is also designed to come off the seat easily, with no need to remove the harness.

Giveaway has ended.  

 

Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Allstate Canada Influencer Program and is sponsored by Allstate Canada. All opinions are my own.

 

Comments

  1. Brittney House says

    I would love this for my niece and my sister.

  2. My BIL and his wife who are expecting their first little ! <3

  3. Thank you for sharing these tips! Definitely bookmarking for future reference!

  4. These are such important tips! We didn’t know all of this when my daughter was little and I shudder to think of what could have happened. I am passing this along to all my friends and relatives with babies in their lives.

  5. These are some good tips – living in Maniotba it can get frigidly cold and our girls hate taking their jackets off in the car. I know it is important though, so I like the idea of having blankets.

  6. I would love to win this for my niece who has 2 little ones and her eldest is that awkward stage between a toddler and big kid.

  7. I would like to win this for my cousin who is expecting!!

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  10. Caryn Coates says

    I would love to win this for my little boy

  11. Would love to win for us, so we have a great car seat when the grandkids are here!

  12. Julie bolduc says

    I would like to win this for my sister who is expecting

  13. For my cousin who is due in January.

  14. I would like to win this for my daughter as her car seat expires in 2017.

  15. Leslie Crosbie says

    My son’s girlfriend is pregnant and the baby is due beginning of January 2017, so I need another carseat ASAP!
    My first grandbaby, a beautiful little girl is turning 1 yrs at the end of this month!

  16. I’d like to win this for myself and my family.

  17. I’d love to win this for my daughter–she’s having a baby next month.

  18. Monique L.S. says

    I would like to win this for my baby who will soon be growing out of her infant seat.

  19. I would love to win this for my mother in law’s car so we don’t have to switch seats back and forth!

  20. I would love this for my grandson.

  21. I would love to win this for my new baby niece.

  22. I would gift this to my nephew and his girlfriend that are expecting their first baby in April 2017.

  23. I’d love to win for a spare seat for my son!

  24. Lisa bolduc says

    I would love to win this for our second baby due in Feb

  25. My kids! Both of mine are still in car seats and their current seats are going to expire before they’re out of them.Love Safety first products.

    Besos Sarah
    Journeys of The Zoo

  26. My baby is outgrowing her bucket seat, but I don’t really want to face her forward yet. I’ve been thinking about getting a convertible car seat that would let her stay rear-facing for longer. This would be awesome! I also have several friends who need car seats. 🙂

  27. Erin McSweeney says

    my cousin is having a little girl in the new year and this would be great for her

  28. I’d like to win this for my girl friend.

  29. I would like to win this for myself – I have a little boy who needs a car seat.

  30. Chandra O'Connor says

    I want this for my granddaughter, but actually for me so I have it in my car.

  31. Darren Scrubb says

    My brother in-law could truly use this prize for sure..

  32. Cherin McKenzie says

    My new Grandson

  33. Nicole guay says

    Oh wow. What a lovely car seat. I need this for my little one. Thanks for the chance.

  34. Michelle Damon says

    My kids!

  35. I would like to win this for my niece.

  36. Daniela Plume says

    I’d love to win this for my dear friend who is having her first child

  37. Deanna Petrie says

    I would love to win this!! My daughter is o lyrics a couple of months old and this prize would be amazing!

  38. we’ve got a little one on the way, so I would like to win it for myself 🙂

  39. Cassandra Kazlovskis says

    I would love to win this for my 15 month old son, Juno.

  40. Kathy Thorn says

    I would love to win this for my daughter and son-in-law

  41. I would like to win this for my niece!

  42. My husband and I are trying for our first child so I would like to win this for our family.

  43. Tiffany Rotulo says

    I would love to win this for my son. He will be 2 in December and he is currently using a twice hand me down from is older siblings.

  44. Melissa Nielsen says

    for me 🙂 we need another car seat soon

  45. ID like to win this for Isabelle grace

  46. I would like to win it for ME! My 6-month old baby is over 20lbs and 27.5″ tall – almost to big for her bucket seat!

  47. I would like to win it for myself. We’re trying.

  48. Theresa Jones says

    Our new grandson born in May

  49. Doreen Lamoureux says

    My friends little one. )

  50. I would want to win for my daughter

  51. I would like to win this for my Nephew who has his first little one arriving next year.

  52. Carly Zeeman says

    I would love to win this for my sister who is due in February!

  53. I would use for my grand-daughter and my niece. It would be nice not to always have to exchange car seats with their parents.

  54. The womens shelter and teen mom home . Thanks

  55. i bet my wife would love it, especially in purple!

  56. I would like to win this for my niece who just had a baby and could use one

  57. Angela Massis says

    I would love to win this for my brother and sister-in-law. They are expecting their first child in January and this would be so helpful because there are so many things that they need.

  58. For my daughter who is expecting our first grandchild

  59. I would love to win this for my niece and her little boy.

  60. I could use this for my son!

  61. Amanda Fontaine says

    I would love to win this for our youngest so Daddy can have a carseat in his car when he has the kids. It would make like SSOO much easier for him as he does the carseat swapping between vehicles whenever needed.

  62. Elizabeth Robinson says

    My cousin is pregnant so I would give it to her.

  63. Mary Simpson says

    Would love to win this for a good friend of mine who is expecting a New Grandson in February

  64. This would be a Christmas Gift for Family with young ones.

  65. I’d like to give this to my brother for his kids!

  66. SUMMER PLEWES says

    I would love to give this to my friend for her shower.

  67. Jennifer Abbott says

    I’d like to win this for my 5 year old 🙂

  68. I would love have this seat available when my grandson comes to visit. It is very cumbersome for my son and daughter in law to fly with a car seat.

  69. great for grandparents

  70. Kimberley Yearwood says

    I love that my sister can use this for her newborn and he can grow with it. Can’t get better than 3 in 1.

  71. I would love to win this car seat for my daughter. My husband and I are currently shopping for car seats and this is one of the ones we are looking at 🙂

  72. Kevin Southgate says

    I would love to win this to give to a charity or someone who is in need. I love winning things that allow me to make a strangers day better! 🙂

  73. I have a 7 month old that could use this seat.

  74. Kelley Moore says

    I would love this for my niece

  75. I’d like to win this for my baby that is expected to arrive in March 2017. It looks like good quality and I like the features.

  76. I would love to win this for my new niece!!!

  77. My baby is using a carseat form his big brother and sister and it is set to expire soon. This would be a perfect replacement!

  78. my nephew just had his 4th baby, I would love to give this to him for his new addition

  79. I would Love to win this for My Beautiful Grand Daughter Emma! <3

  80. Judy Hunting says

    I would love to win this for myself. We have 2 cars but one car seat, so we can only drive my daughter in one car

  81. I would like to win this for my friend and her new baby

  82. Mike Gismondi says

    I would like to win this for my cousin who is expecting!

  83. for my daughter

  84. Would love to win this for myself!

  85. Lori Sexton says

    I would give it to a friend at work

  86. nina begeron says

    i would like to win this to use for the kids in my home daycare when we go on outings

  87. i would like to win this for my baby that we are expecting in march

  88. Janet Boyanton says

    I would like to win this for my 6 week old grandson.

  89. Elizabeth Ray says

    I’d like to win this for my niece, who is expecting the first of a new generation in our family!

  90. Would like this for the grandkids.

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