Saturday, November 22, 2008

More tips for safer seating

Safe Seat Installation Helpful Tips

Location, location.

The safest place for a child is in your vehicle's rear-center seat. The car seat should never be installed on a front seat that has an air bag. Two exceptions: If your car doesn't have a back seat, or if your child has a medical condition that requires constant monitoring, you can have an on/off switch installed for the front-passenger air bag or have it disconnected so the child's car seat can go next to the driver. But to have that done you'll need a letter of authorization from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To obtain one, contact the agency via its Web site, www.nhtsa.gov.

In my family we are big on hand me downs. And it is so great in most cases. For an infant car seat it's suggested that you insist on new. There are a ton of baby items you can borrow or buy secondhand, don't make a car seat one of them if you can avoid it. A used seat may have been in a crash or recalled. The manufacturer's instructions may be missing. If, for some reason, you must use a secondhand seat, avoid those with an unknown history or that are older than 6 years. In the world of car seats, a 6-year-old model is a relic--and risky. You'll also want to avoid recalled models. You can check for recalled models at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls.

Source for this article:
ConsumerReports.org
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/travel-gear/car-seats/car-seats-4-07/tips-for-safer-seating/0704_car-seats_tips-for-safer-seating.htm

Friday, November 21, 2008

Just in time for the holidays!


5MinutesForMom.com is giving away a ton of fabulous prizes.

Log onto their blog and take a look at the list. I just signed up for the Holiday DVD pack. Wouldn't that be fun this time of year for the kids!

http://www.5minutesformom.com/4739/christmas-giveaway-2008/

Enter to win a My Carseat Blankie!

Win a Super Soft Minky Blankie on HipMamasPlace.com!

Visit HipMamasPlace.com during their Christmas Giveaway event and you could win your own Super Soft Minky My Carseat Blankie! Just in time for the holidays. Log on to their blog between now and December 4th for all the details.

http://www.hipmamasplace.com/

Thursday, November 20, 2008

13th Annual “Original” Castleberry Faire




Visit us at the 13th Annual Castleberry Faire in Wilmington, MA at the Shriners Auditorium on November 28, 29 & 30.

Click the link below for your discount coupon to the fair.
http://www.castleberryfairs.com/coupons/coupon_200812.htm

Car Seat for Premature Infants


A car seat specifically designed for premature infants.

Using the proper car seat for your child is very important to car seat safety. This car seat is used for infants weighing less than 9 lbs and measuring less than 21-1/2", it allows the child to be positioned on stomach or, if medically necessary, on back or side according to individual needs. It's made by Angel Guard Angel Ride Infant Car Bed. You can find it at child-source.com.
http://www.child-source.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=5&category_id=10&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Questions on using the booster seat

Upgrading to the booster seat.

Making the jump from the toddler seat to the booster seat is on the minds of many of my mom friends these days. With so many different seats available out there, and all sorts of new thoughts on car seat safety it can get very confusing. With my oldest getting ready to turn 4 I've been asking around to see what all my friends are using, and surfing the web to find out what truly is the safest option. Ultimately what I've found is that the safest option is to put them in a car seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible.

The Britax Frontier, retails for $279.99 at BabiesRUs, is one of my favorites so far. It has a weight capacity of up to 80 pounds using the five-point harness, and then you can still use it as a belted booster up to 100 pounds, and it has the latch system. My problem with a lot of the booster seats out there right now is that they don't latch into the seat. That means that the only thing preventing the seat from slipping out from under my child in a high-impact crash is actually my child. It may seem a little bit over the top for some of you, but the more articles I read about high impact crashes, and car seats, the more I think about this stuff.

Another I've found is the SafeGuard Go Hybrid Booster that retails for $199.99 at BabyCenter.com. This has a weight capacity of up to 60 pounds with 5-point harness and 31-52" tall, and then you can use as a belted booster for up to 100 pounds as well.

I did find one booster seat (with no back) that does have the safety latch system made by a company CLEK on BabyCenter.com, and it retails for $89.99 if your child is ready for the backless booster. They are a Winner of the iParenting Media Award 2007, and looks like a great option when they're at the point where they don't need the back.

Ultimately I suggest you do as much research as you can before going out and purchasing this next phase car seat for your family. It really is a big decision, and should not be taken lightly. There are many resources out there to help you make your decisions.
Here are a few helpful places I've found in my web surfing:

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_4427b997caacf504a8bdba101891ef9a_viewID=detail_view&itemID=ce45e2542a964110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&viewType=standard

Keep Kids Healthy
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/WELCOME/safety/car_seats_safety/

SeatCheck.org
http://www.seatcheck.org/

You can also visit the manufacturers web site directly of the car seats you're comparing and looking at. I found a lot of great information on their as well.

Win a blankie!


Visit SwellPregnancyGuide.com to win your own My Carseat Blankie!

http://www.swellpregnancyguide.com/blog/?p=112

They're celebrating the launch of their new web site, be sure to check them out. The giveaway goes until November 21.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

When to switch to the next car seat.

Here's a basic guide for determining when to move up.

Children who have outgrown car seats should be in a booster seat until they are at least 8 years old, or are 4’9” or taller.

For infants, from birth to at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds, you should use a rear facing car seat.

For Toddlers, 1 to 4 years old and 40 pounds, you should use a forward-facing car seat.

Safety Belts should only be used when the child has reached the age of at least 8 years old, or a height of more than 4’9”.

There are a ton of options out there for the booster seat option. Some have the latch system, and some do not. Currently I can find any guidelines that say the latch is necessary once you're little one has gotten to the booster seat stage.

Why do I need to use a booster?
Safety belts are not designed for children. Beginning at around age 4, many children are too large for toddler seats, but too small for adult safety belts. A booster seat raises your child up so that the safety belt fits right and can better protect your child. The shoulder belt should cross the child's chest and rest snugly on the shoulder, and the lap belt should rest low across the pelvis or hip area – never across the stomach area.

You can find out more detailed information on the American Academy of Pediatrics web site at:
http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm







MamaDivas

Take a look at what MamaDivas.com has written about our blankies. And while you're there, enter to win your own My Carseat Blankie on her blog.

http://www.mamadivas.com/2008/11/my-carseat-blankie-perfect-for-winter-blankie-giveaway#more-672


Thanks Mama Divas for your Seal of Approval!