This is my first summer in AZ with my eight month old son. With the summer heat fast approaching, I'm concerned about putting the baby in the hot car. He already sweats like crazy in the carseat when it's in the 80-90's, so how can I keep him cool when we start to reach triple digits?
I've heard about a cooling pad that you lay over the carseat and it's supposed to keep cool for hours. I have no idea what it's called, where to get it, or how much it costs.
Does anyone have something like this they could recommend?
I'm going on my 8th year in
I'm going on my 8th year in Arizona with 3 small children.
Yes, the cars are hot - but there has been no harm done putting a child in a hot car for a few seconds while you get the A/C cranked. They sweat, and it's uncomfortable just like you and me. But it's not harmful, just make sure your kids are drinking lots of water during the hot months. Always keep water in your car in case of emergency.
What I do is immediately turn the car on, and the A/C before I load up the baby, this gives you a couple minutes with the door open, and A/C on while you buckle the baby in the carseat. It might help a little. Throwing a light blanket over the seat will help with those metal buckles - those will hurt if they heat up and touch skin.
Shade is more important than being close when you park. Look for a shady spot under a tree or near a building.
The kids get used to it, there are about 1,500,000 children in Arizona who get seated in a hot car for a couple of minutes waiting for the A/C... which can feel like an eternity.
The babies are fine! A little uncomfortable, but they'll be fine. Just never ever leave them in the car - as a newbie you'll hear about all the stories of children and pets left in cars, it is deadly if you leave a child in a hot car.
And lots and lots of water - all day long. And again, always keep water in the car, even warm/hot water can save a life in an emergency.
Get one of those silver
Get one of those silver reflective sunshades that look like foil, and put it over the carseat. It will help.
It's called ColdSeat and it
It's called ColdSeat and it costs about $50. You can order one online or I think they have them at USA Baby. I got one for my son when he was 3 months going into my first summer as a mom and it is wonderful. It's doesn't do anything to cool the car down, but it does keep the seat cool and keep baby from being burned by the hot metal and plastic. Worth every penny!
Even now with the temps
Even now with the temps climbing, we take a small cooler filled with ice and place sippy cups filled with water and also milk bottles. I always start the car and let it begin cooling as my husband straps our son into the carseat. We give him a cold bottle or sippy cup, and he is good to go. I even drink from the sippy cups if needed. It is very convenient having a small cooler in the backseat. It works great for us.
One Happy Mom in Arizona.
Best thing I've done is get
Best thing I've done is get my windows tinted as dark as Arizona will allow. It's a huge difference.
Brooke Romney is an unbalanced mom of three young boys who constantly has too much to do, and too little time. She writes the Mom Beat column for The Gilbert Republic.
I agree. Tinted windows are
I agree. Tinted windows are a must. The kids love that the car isn't nearly as hot.
You can also cool off your own carseat by getting some of those cooler packs and putting them in a sack or freezing some water bottles. It'll save you some money and, if you have the water bottles, you'll have some cool water after/during running errands.
I love being a mom!
Yeah, Get your windows
Yeah,
Get your windows tinted - make sure you get a reflective coating (it's not like mirrored sunglasses it just means it reflects the portion of the light spectrum that generates the most heat).
Get one of the foil window shades, it's too hot here for the cardboard kind.
As for the cool seat, instead, go to a sporting goods store, and get a "reusable ice mat". These are connected little pillows of water that come in sheets about 12x18" that are meant to line coolers. They do the same thing as the cool seat, and they cost like $5-10, instead of the $50 for the cool seat. Just throw it on the seat before you go into somewhere, and the seat is cooler when you come out.
I try to always find some
I try to always find some shade when I park, even if it means walking a little longer. It might also help to do your errands early in the morning or after sun set. My daugther is 11, I put a towel on her seat so I can take it off. If we are home, I go turn on the car before she comes in so that its not as hot.
discussion leader, mom of an 11 year old girl. At this time, she is trying to make it work between raising her and having a full time job!
We have tinted windows and
We have tinted windows and use a foil-looking window shade. I think it works pretty well.
jesshod is an arizonamoms.com discussion leader living in Surprise.
The main thing is watch out
The main thing is watch out for the metal, it is outrageously hot. I used to just have an old sock in the car and put it around the little metal part of the seatbelt after I buckled it just incase their leg bumped against it.
Single mom in Mesa to two great kids (8 & 10) and two great adults (18 & 20)