Toddler Car Seat Questions:

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

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.

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...

KidSwitch

Love it!

By Kim from Boston, MA on 10/9/2009

 

5out of 5

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)

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/

What the Safety Experts have to say.

Another Car Seat Safety Expert that loves My Carseat Blankie.

Check out what Car-Seat.org has to say! Feel free to read a few other things they have to say about car seat safety, and some of their favorite picks from the ABC Show in Vegas earlier this month.

This is a picture of my little girl enjoying her My Carseat Blankie while she's safely latched in to her toddler car seat. It works great for kids of all ages. Just place it on them after they are buckled in.

As always you can find out where to have your car seat safely installed in your area (for FREE) at seatcheck.org It's worth the trip!

See what the Safety Squad has to say about My Carseat Blankie.

This was taken right from their blog...

New Car Seat Blanket for Cold Weather

We do most of our car seat business in Chicago. It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that most of the year it's very cold. There are very few infant car seats that include robust cold weather accessories (one notable exception is the Teutonia T Tario ). In response, endless aftermarket manufacturers have created solutions for keeping baby warm in the car seat.

The problem with nearly all these products is that they solve one problem, then cause another. We don't like to see products that add padding behind the head, neck or back, restrict airflow or integrate with the harness. At the very least, they are not tested by your car seat manufacturer. Nearly all carseats forbid use of these products.

The recommended solution has always been to use a blanket over the child in the carrier, so not to affect breathing. We came across a new product that takes that simple advice and made it better. My Carseat Blankie is a small blanket that adds value, without taking away any safety. It also reduces the likelihood of the blanket getting caught in stroller wheels like regular size blankets might.

There is nothing revolutionary about this product, except that it solves the problem in a non-revolutionary way. Simple, safe and with some style too.

Check it out at mycarseatblankie.com

Read more about car seat safety, and some of their favorite new infant car seats on their web site www.safetysquad.com.

Great online resources for Car Seat Safety.

I am here at the ABC (All Baby & Child) Show in Las Vegas this week. Checking out the latest and newest things coming out from all the big car seat manufacturers (Britax, Combi, Graco, etc.). Also showcasing my product My Carseat Blankie. I have met some amazing people! Two of which I need to share with you.

1. Car-Seat.org --- they've got some great information on car seat safety. And don't forget to check out their blog on some of the hot new items they've seen at the ABC Show this week.

2. SafetySquad.com --- this is a group of Highly Trained Firefighters, Paramedics & Police Officers from Chicago that teach you how to install your car seat safely. They can come to your house, they talk to you about car seat safety "do's" and "don'ts" that most of us are just not aware of. These guys have seen the results first hand, and want to give you the peace of mind knowing your seat is installed right. They also have drive-up service available as well. Also, check out their blog with their take on the latest and greatest here at the ABC Show!

It's been a great week so far. Can't wait to see what I find tomorrow.

Using a car seat on the plane.

Do I have to use a car seat on a plane?

You're not required to, but both the Federal Aviation Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommend that you use an FAA-approved child restraint device. That means either an approved car seat or the CARES harness.

Legally you may carry a child up to 24 months old on your lap, usually free of charge — but unexpected turbulence can send that lap-carried kid flying out of your arms. And in a crash, your child could be crushed against your body.

Ironically, the law mandates that everything in an airplane cabin be battened down during takeoff, landing, and turbulence — except children young enough to ride on their parents' lap. (how crazy is that!)

Why isn't there a law requiring child safety restraints in airplanes? Because Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) analyses have found that if forced to buy an extra airline ticket, many families would drive instead. And statistically that's a far more dangerous way to travel.

Whether you use a car seat or a harness, your child will need his own seat on the airplane. If your child is young enough to ride free, you may be able to find an empty seat for him, but there's no guarantee. Call your airline to ask for a possible child discount, or ask what the company's policy is for using empty seats.

How do I position and use the seat?

Whenever possible, book a window seat. That's where you'll need to put the car seat, to make sure it won't block the escape path in an emergency. You may not put a car seat in an exit row. (we did this once and were asked to move)

Here's what the FAA recommends for children riding on airplanes:

• Less than 20 pounds? Ride in a rear-facing car seat.
• 20 to 40 pounds? Ride in a forward-facing car seat.
• Over 40 pounds? Use the airplane seat belt.

As always, follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully when strapping your child into the seat.

For more on this log on to BabyCenter.com.

Safe Travels!

Car Seats

Perhaps the most important thing you'll buy for your baby is a car seat. It's one of the few baby products that is required by law throughout the U.S., so you will likely need to show that you have a car seat just to bring your baby home from the hospital. Car seat safety advocates estimate that at least four our of five car seats are used incorrectly in some way, and car seats can't always function properly when misused, so be sure to learn how to use the car seat you select for your baby.

Go to www.seatcheck.org to find a FREE location near you for proper car seat installation.

Also, here's a great site to reference when trying to figure out which infant seat is right for you.

Top Infant Car Seats

Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of kids.

Why? In many cases, children are either not properly buckled into their safety seats or parents don’t realize that a booster seat is vital to ensuring children fit safely in their vehicle’s seat belt. Don’t take a chance. Have your child’s safety seat inspected!

Find a location near you at www.seatcheck.org.

When to turn the seat.

Recently my younger sister started asking me about "the next" car seat she'll need for her 9 month old daughter who is now weighing in at 20+lbs.

We started talking about how this next car seat she should think about how long she's going to use it. Is my niece going to be in this for the next 3+ years? Probably. (my son is 4-1/2 and is still in his from when he was 18 months) So I gave her my "2 cents" about how she should consider trying to keep my niece in the 5pt harness for as long as possible. That means buying a car seat that lets you keep them in the 5pt. harness for more then 40 lbs. BUT she also still has to use it backward facing at the minimum until she's a year old. Here's where the controversy came up at a recent family gathering. Both my mother (who is a mother of 5) and my other sister (mother of 2) told her that now our niece is 20lbs. they can turn the car seat around... NO! It's not just about weight, it's about spine development. I immediately recommended calling her pediatrician and get her thoughts on the matter. But the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends " All infants should always ride rear-facing until they are at least 2 year of age AND weigh at least 20lbs." Now my sister and my mother insisted I was being to protective. I had my other sister check with her peditrician, and guess what... I hate to say it but I was right. So I thought I'd share a quick guide here for you from the AAP web site.

Infants	Infant seats and rear-facing convertible seats	All infants should always ride rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds.
Toddlers/Preschoolers	Convertible seats	It is best to ride rear-facing as long as possible. Children 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds can ride forward-facing.
School-aged children	Booster seats	Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. Children should stay in a booster seat until adult belts fit correctly (usually when a child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age).
Older children	Seat belts	Children who have outgrown their booster seats should ride in a lap and shoulder belt in the back seat until 13 years of age.

Thanks to the AAP Car Seat Safety Guide 2009.

Also don't forget you can have your seat (any size) installed FREE professionally by a car seat safety inspector. To find out where check out www.seatcheck.org.

Video on installing your car seat.

Check out these videos on Baby Center about:

Installing an infant car seat properly.

Installing an Toddler Car seat.

Installing a Booster Car Seat.

Thanks Baby Center for the great videos!

Not using a safety seat consistently

Using a safety seat consistently and correctly is the law. All 50 states require that children up to 3 years of age (or 40 inches tall in Kentucky) ride in car seats in private vehicles, and many have laws requiring car seats or booster seats until a child is considerably older.

There's good reason for that. Every year, more than 90,000 children under age 8 are injured in car crashes, and more than 1,000 are killed. In fact, auto accidents are by far the leading cause of death for American children.

Safety seats dramatically reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a collision. Stephanie Tombrello, executive director of the nonprofit passenger-safety organization SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., urges all parents to get a safety seat that's convenient to use, and to make buckling your child into it such a habit that you don't even have to think about it.

Talk to other parents on the Baby Center Car Safety Tips bulletin board.

Read more on car seat safety from Baby Center at www.babycenter.com.

Moving your child into a booster seat to soon...

Though safety-seat laws vary from state to state, all require that children under age 3 ride in a safety seat. Experts are unequivocal in their recommendations for safe riding beyond that age:

• Your child should ride in a safety seat with a five-point harness until he weighs at least 40 pounds, or until his shoulders no longer fit under the harness straps. You can use a convertible rear- and forward-facing car seat until your child hits 40 pounds, or the harness system of a car-and-booster-seat combo from as little as 20 pounds up to 40 pounds.

• Your child should ride in a booster seat from the time he weighs 40 pounds and is at least 3 years old until he's 4 feet 9 inches tall and at least 8 years old.

Using an old or secondhand car seat?

That safety seat you scored at a garage sale for a fraction of its original price may seem like a bargain, but it could cost your child his life. The same goes for that older-model seat your sister gave you after her child outgrew it.

Not only are used seats unlikely to come with the manufacturer's instructions (vital for correct installation), but they could be missing important parts, have been involved in an accident (even unseen damage can affect the seat's functioning), fall short of current safety standards, or have been recalled due to faulty design. Moreover, plastic gets brittle as it gets older, so a seat that's too old could break in a crash.

If you must use a secondhand seat, make sure it has the original instructions (or contact the manufacturer for a replacement copy), has all its parts (check the manual), has never been involved in a serious accident, and hasn't been recalled. (Check your seat's recall status here.)

In addition, to avoid the dangers of aging plastic, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. recommends sticking with car seats that are ideally less than five years old and definitely less than ten years old. You can usually find an expiration date stamped somewhere on the seat.

More can be found on this at BabyCenter.com.

We sent a blankie to Tobey and Jennifer Maguire!

With the help of Style Cafe Moms we also sent a mod dot minky blankie to Tobey and Jennifer Maguire who are expecting baby #2 in the spring. How sweet is it that Jennifer found the time to hand write a thank you note!!!

We gifted Kelly Rutherford!

Kelly Rutherford is expecting baby #2 in June. My Carseat Blankie® was one of a few companies that thought we should sent her a blankie for the baby. Thanks to StyleCafeMoms.com for putting this together! Keep watching us! You never know where we'll be!!

Choosing between an infant seat and a toddler seat.

Infant seat or toddler seat for your newborn?

The choice can be a difficult one. Do I purchase an infant seat for my newborn, knowing that they grow so fast, and I could be buying a new one in 8-10 months, or do I just go ahead and buy a convertible car seat and use it rear facing? After all, some of the convertible car seats say they're good for 10 lbs. and up right..... Given the option of an infant-toddler car seat (also called a convertible car seat), why bother with an infant seat? The most important reason is safety. Although most newborns will fit in an infant-toddler car seat (with it rear facing), experts agree that babies under 20 lbs. are better off in the smaller infant car seats. They're contoured to securely hold newborns and offer good support in all the right places. (Note that some infant car seats can handle infants weighing up to 22 lbs.)

An infant car seat is also much more convenient. The car seat can double as an infant carrier, feeding chair, or rocker. That means you can take your child from one destination to another without waking him up (much easier then the toddler seats). With an infant-toddler car seat, you have to unbuckle your baby and transfer him to a stroller or other carrier. My kids are never good at this when it's nap time.

As far as safety concerns. Consider these sobering statistics: In 2000, 248,000 kids in the United States were injured in auto accidents and 1,668 children died. Most of them weren't properly restrained, which means that car seats could have prevented many of their deaths. And while you may assume that most of these tragedies resulted from fiery highway collisions, the truth is that 75 percent of car accidents happen within 25 miles of home, and 60 percent of them happen on streets where the speed limit is 40 mph or less.

So this is one piece of baby gear you'll want to buy long before your water breaks. Please take your time when considering which car seat is right for you. Read as much as you can online and talk to the sales people at the store you're purchasing.

And remember, check out seatcheck.org for a location near you to have your car seat properly installed. It's FREE and only takes a few minutes. We have done this for our infant seats and then again for the toddler seats. They always find something to change about how we installed our seats.

Other information on car seat safety can be found on BabyCenter.com.

We gifted the stars!

Style Cafe Moms recently gifted celebrity moms to help raise awareness of the new CPSIA Law regarding lead testing. My Carseat Blankie is happy to be included! This is a picture of the gift basket that was sent to Brooke Burke. We included 2 Double Minky Mod Dot blankies for her smallest ones.

You never know where we'll be next!

We found a way to get the celebrities involved and bring to light some of the issues of the CPSIA. Over the last few weeks, we've been trying to find someone to take up the cause (cause we're not connected with any celebrities!) Well, we found someone who is connected and willing to help take up the cause to get the word out.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Style Cafe Moms!

They jumped on this idea and have graciously agreed to help the cause. They are going to gift to the following celebrities to draw some awareness surrounding the new law that's on the books and how it will effect us, their potential and existing clients:

Jessica Alba
Jennie Garth
Brooke Burke

My Carseat Blankie® is honored and excited to be a part of this amazing opportunity! Our popular reversible mod dot minky blankie will be featured in these baskets.

Another 3-in-1 carseat to keep your child in a 5 pt. harness longer.

We all know that the 5-point harness is the safest way for your child to travel in the car. Over the last year the car seat manufacturers have finally started coming out with car seats to accomodate our desire as caring parents to keep them in the 5-point harness as long as possible. Britax and Sunshine Kids have had a great seat, but it's a bit pricey (not that our kids aren't worth that). But in todays economy they can be a little out of reach for a lot of us. Graco has finally come out with a great 3-in-1 car seat that will keep them in the harness up to 65lbs.

The Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat. It keeps them safe in a 5-point harness longer than most car seats - all the way up to 65 lbs. Later, the seat converts to a highback booster then backless booster, for comfortable custom protection up to 100 lbs. This is a great alternative to the more pricey ones. The price does vary at different places, check Walmart.com, Target.com, BabyCenter.com. If you want a variety of pattern check it out on Graco.com. Prices range from $149. to $179. depending on the store.

Happy shopping!

Keeping Kids Safe During a Crash

Keeping Kids Safe During Crashes This is an awesome site with instructional car seat videos for children of every stage. It should answer most of your basic questions.

Choosing and installing a child's car seat or booster seat can be confusing. These videos and other information on this site will help you choose the right child restraint system and install it correctly. It's also available in Spanish! Keeping Kids Safe During Crashes

I know I've shared this information before. But if you want to be sure your using the proper car seat for your child, and it's installed correctly, it only takes a 10 minute appointment. Find a professional FREE car seat inspection station in your area on SeatCheck.org. The police station near us installed both my children's car seats, and showed me what I should look for when my son outgrows his current car seat. It's the best FREE service you can do to insure your childs safety while traveling.

CPSIA delayed!

According to the most recent release from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the CPSC has done the only common sense thing it could have done, and granted a one year stay of testing and certification requirements until February 10, 2010.

The stay of enforcement provides some temporary, limited relief to the crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers who had been subject to the testing and certification required under the CPSIA. These businesses will not need to issue certificates based on testing of their products until additional decisions are issued by the Commission. However, all businesses, including, but not limited to, handmade toy and apparel makers, crafters and home-based small businesses, must still be sure that their products conform to all safety standards and similar requirements, including the lead and phthalates provisions of the CPSIA.

Please visit the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information on all of the efforts being made to successfully implement the CPSIA.

IntelliReview Top 10 Infant Seat Picks

Check out the Top 10 Product Picks for IntelliReview in the infant category.

A lot of great reasonably priced and safe infant seats
I highly recommend the Kolcraft Universal Infant Car Seat Carrier to go with any infant seat you pick out. We purchased this with the birth of our first child, and thought it was one of those frivilous purchases, but we were still deciding on what other strollers to purchase, and I figured this would "get us through" that decision time. Well I do have to say it was one of our favorite purchases. The basket on the bottom is large, and the easiest to access then any other stroller we used once we stopped using it. The wheels are nice and big and easy to maneuver around inside and out (we walk alot outside to the grocery store, etc.). I was sad when my little one outgrew the infant seat and we had to stop using this. It's 1 snap set up is the easiest I've ever seen as well. I have handed this down to my sister, and she feels the same, it's a "must have"!


http://www.intellireview.com/category/catalog_baby_carseats_infant/

We're on MommysCompany.com!

Check us out on Mommy's Company!
This web site is an online magazine and radio show for entrepreneur moms.

Laura Steves is a child welfare consultant and serve as Chief Mom Officer of Mommy’s Company. She enjoys sharing information and ideas with entrepreneur Moms everywhere.

My Carseat Blankie is her February Spotlight. Check it out when you have a minute!

http://mommyscompany.com/

Baby Basics: Car Seat Safety

The Position of the harness.
It's the one thing we might not think of to much about, but is very important to the safety of your child in their car seat. The harness chest clip should be fastened and positioned at your child’s mid-chest or armpit level, which keeps the shoulder straps from slipping. Harness straps should be snug and untwisted. Nothing should be between your baby and the harness. Do a test: If a harness is properly snug, you shouldn’t be able to insert more than one of your fingers behind it or easily pinch any slack in the belt. Position rear-facing harness straps in the slot positions at, or slightly below, your child’s shoulders. On forward-facing and convertible seats, which come into play after your baby’s first birthday and the 20-pound benchmark, harness straps should be positioned at, or slightly above, your child’s shoulders.

Take off the wraps.
If you need to keep your baby warm, place blankets or thick coats over him/her after you strap her into an infant or convertible car seat. Don’t wrap your baby up in a blanket, thick coat or other bulky garment and then strap her into a restraint system. That may prevent the restraint system from working properly.

You can read more on this on ConsumerReports.org.

Support Baby King and My Carseat Blankie in 2009

We've entered a Leading Moms in Business contest on StartUpNation.com. The winner is based completely on vote count and will not be chosen until May. You can vote as often as you'd like each day until then, so please support us!

http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-2009/contestant/2758/index.php

Thanks in advance!!

Kim
(owner and mompreneur)

Your favorite toys and kids clothing will be ILLEGAL soon!

I'm all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months that will absolutely decimate the small toy and clothing manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust.

With this act going into effect February 10, 2009 so many people will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade clothing, baby accessories and clothing out of the home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

How to Get Involved -- it only takes 5 minutes of your time!

-Find your congress person and senators and write a letter like the sample here.
Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or the House Committee on Small Business.

-Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923

-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: With enough votes it will be presented to President Obama in January!

-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.



Other Fantastic Resources

-The Handmade Toy Alliance (check out their proposed changes, a lot of which make a whole lot of sense

-CPSIA Facebook Group

-CPSIA information group on ning

-Z Recommends: Five steps you can take to save natural toys (excellent reading)

-Fashion Incubator

-The Smart Mama

-Etsy business forums (including this specific thread on local media coverage)

-Twitter: Search using the #CPSIA hashtag

-Endangered Whimsy - a blog gallery of handmade products endangered by the CPSIA. Feel free to submit yours.

Some words on car seat safety from AAA.

Consider these safety ideas from AAA and other auto experts:

Read the safety seat instructions. Sounds like a no-brainer, but plenty of people skip this step, which outlines how to thread the seat belt through the safety seat securely.

Read the car’s owner’s manual. It will indicate if you need “extras” such as a locking clip that secure the safety seat or an accessory belt for fitting child seats in particular seating positions.

Use rear-facing seats for newborns up to 1 year of age and 22 pounds in weight. The rear facing position supports the child’s entire head, neck and back and helps reduce stress to the neck and spinal cord in a crash.

Keep kids in the back seat. AAA reports that properly restrained children – especially those under age 13 – have significantly les chance of death or injury if they ride in the back.

Consider booster seats for kids who weigh more than 50 pounds. There are no federal standards for these booster seats, but experts at AAA believe booster seats reduce injury. When adult-size seat belts are used for these children, they risk injuries to the liver, spleen and bowel, and spine.

For more information go to seatcheck.org or aaa.org.

Common Safety Questions.

Common questions

Q: What if my baby weighs more than 20 pounds but is not 1 year old yet?
A:Use a seat that can be used rear-facing by children who weigh more than 20 pounds and keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible, or at least until he has reached his first birthday.

Q: What do I do if my baby slouches down or to the side in his car safety seat?
A: Pad around your child (never under or behind) with rolled-up cloth diapers or blankets. Do not use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer of the seat.

Q: Can I adjust the straps when my baby is wearing thicker clothing, like in the winter?
A: Yes, but make sure the harnesses are still snug. Also remember to tighten the straps again after the thicker clothes are no longer needed. Dress your baby in thinner layers instead of a bulky coat or snowsuit, and tuck a blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed.

Q: Are rear-facing convertible seats OK to use for preemies?
A: Premature infants should be tested while still in the hospital to make sure they can ride safely in a reclined position. Babies who need to lie flat during travel should ride in a crash-tested car bed. Very small infants who can ride safely in a reclined position usually fit better in infant-only seats; however, if you need to use a convertible seat, choose one without a tray-shield or T-shield harness. The shields often are too big and too far from the body to fit correctly.

Source for more information on safety:

http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Travel tips

Things you might not think about when traveling...

Traveling by air:
• The safest place for your child is in a seat, not in your lap.
• Not all car seats are certified for use on an air plane. Look for the label on the seat that says it's certified for airline use.
• The safest location for your safety seat is next to the window.
• Remember to pack healthy food and snacks. You never know what will be available on the plane...

Traveling by car:
• Give them soft toys in the car because hard toys can be a danger and harm the child in a crash.
• Items like a sunshade can dislodge during an impact crash and harm them as well.


One great item I have to share with you if you are traveling with a car seat. We used this with my son and it was great! We have loaned it out to friends and they all say the same thing... Awesome! It's called The Pack Back™ and we found it at One Step Ahead. It turns your car seat into a back pack, so you can take it with you easily on the plane, but still have all hands free to chase your toddler.

Read what she has to say.

Another fabulous review on our blankies!

Please take a moment and click on over to Mother2Mother to see what she has to say about our blankies. While you're there be sure to enter to win one of your own!

http://mother-2-mother.blogspot.com/search/label/blog%20give%20aways