1) Where does the seat go in the vehicle?
The center of the back seat is the safest place in the car--it is 43% safer than the side seats.
2) When is my child too big for his forward-facing seat?
There are three things to look for to see if your child is too big for his forward-facing seat:weight limit
A. Weight limit. Your child must not exceed the child safety seat's maximum weight limit. Check your instruction manual for your seat's limits. Maximum weight limits range from 40 to 80 pounds. head height limit
B. Head Height limit. Your child's ears must not be taller than the top of the child safety seat. shoulder height limit
C. Shoulder Height limit. Your child's shoulders must not be higher than the top harness strap slot used for forward-facing 5-point harness mode.
Should I buy a big seat with a high weight limit?
High-weight harness child safety seats are becoming more popular, and for good reason.
A. Safer than booster seats
B. Great for taller toddlers
C. Will last longer than shorter/smaller seats
D. Great for kids with special needs
E. Great for cars with lap-only belts
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Most Common Safety Seat Mistakes
What are the most common child safety seat installation mistakes?*
- Not using the right child safety seats for a child's size and age;
- Not placing the child safety seat in the correct direction;
- Incorrect installation of the child safety seat in relation to the vehicle's air bags;
- Incorrect installation and tightness of the child safety seat to the vehicle seat;
- Not securing/tightening the child safety seat's harness and crotch straps;
- Improper use of locking clips for certain vehicle safety belts;
- Not making sure the vehicle's seat belts fit properly across the child when using a booster seat; and
- Using a defective or broken child safety seat.
*Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
A few great resoures for more safety tips:
SeatCheck.org they'll also tell you where you can get your car seat safely installed for FREE.
The Car Seat Lady has a lot of great information.
Friday, October 9, 2009
My Review of KidSwitch
Originally submitted at One Step Ahead
Now your child can say, "I did it myself"! It's so important to help our kids build self-esteem and independence. That's why these light switch extenders are perfect for children's bedrooms, plus the bathroom, of course. They attach easily, so tots can turn their lights on and...
Love it!
By Kim from Boston, MA on 10/9/2009
Gift: No
Pros: Easy Use, Strong Construction
Best Uses: Accident Prevention, Kitchen/Bathroom, Bedrooms, Toddlers
Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children
Can't say enough good things about this. It gives my kids the confidence to go to the bathroom by themselves.
(legalese)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Are window shades in the back of the car safe?
Not necessarily the best accessory for your car.
Window shades that suction on to the window and pull down like a shade really are not safe in your car. Recently my sister found this out. Luckily without her baby in the car.
About 4 years ago the officer that installed my first car seat saw the window shade I had and told me that he doesn't not want that in my car with the baby. When I asked why he explained that in a crash that thing would/could go flying off the window and hit the baby on the head. He recommended that if I really needed a shade, to pick up one that clings to the window, and doesn't have any hard pieces attached to it (ie. suction cups or hard bar that it pulls down from). It made sense to me, so we never used it, and just relied on the tinted windows to do their job. Well a couple months ago I was in my sisters car and saw her cute little shade next to my 8 mo. old nieces car seat. When I told her what the officer had said to me years ago she just kind of shrugged and said ok. A month later her side air bags went off in her car (without the baby in it) and she saw how the thing went flying and landed in the car seat. She immediately took it out of the car and threw it away. She was amazed and had never event given it a thought.
Just something to think about. Everything out there on the market for use with your car seat is not necessarily safe to use with your car seat. Looks are not everything. Please do your research when preparing your child for travel in your car.
There are a ton of resources out there on car seat safety. Here's another favorite I've found.
The Car Seat Lady http://www.thecarseatlady.com/
Window shades that suction on to the window and pull down like a shade really are not safe in your car. Recently my sister found this out. Luckily without her baby in the car.
About 4 years ago the officer that installed my first car seat saw the window shade I had and told me that he doesn't not want that in my car with the baby. When I asked why he explained that in a crash that thing would/could go flying off the window and hit the baby on the head. He recommended that if I really needed a shade, to pick up one that clings to the window, and doesn't have any hard pieces attached to it (ie. suction cups or hard bar that it pulls down from). It made sense to me, so we never used it, and just relied on the tinted windows to do their job. Well a couple months ago I was in my sisters car and saw her cute little shade next to my 8 mo. old nieces car seat. When I told her what the officer had said to me years ago she just kind of shrugged and said ok. A month later her side air bags went off in her car (without the baby in it) and she saw how the thing went flying and landed in the car seat. She immediately took it out of the car and threw it away. She was amazed and had never event given it a thought.
Just something to think about. Everything out there on the market for use with your car seat is not necessarily safe to use with your car seat. Looks are not everything. Please do your research when preparing your child for travel in your car.
There are a ton of resources out there on car seat safety. Here's another favorite I've found.
The Car Seat Lady http://www.thecarseatlady.com/
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