|
If you have a child then you're surely familiar with the
term baby car seat. While our parents didn't resort to these infant and toddler
protectors too tenaciously, we parents of the present and future must embrace
the safety contraptions. Knowing what we do about child safety and accidents,
car seats are a necessity for out little tikes.
Stores such as Babies R Us and BabyUniverse.com offer a wide variety of baby car
seats. Whether you're browsing through the masses of baby supplies for an infant
or toddler, or even a slightly older child, you won't have any trouble locating
your seat of choice.
In this day and age, protecting our children in easier and more enforced than
ever. Children are actually supposed to remain in car seats till they reach a
certain height and weight. It has actually become against the law, which varies
from state to state, not to secure your child properly in a vehicle. The good
old days of holding your baby in your arms are out the window.
It wasn't until I had a child of my own that I realized the paramount issues of
child safety. Baby car seats became a prime concern of my own. I, like many
other newbie parents I'm sure, was looking for the best, safest car seat I could
find. I wanted my little one strapped in safe and sound, but comfortable as
well.
While baby car seats range anywhere from fifty to several hundred dollars, one
thing you want to consider is how well they are tested and rated. You want to
find a durable, reliable car seat that ensures your child's safety at all times.
You don't have to spend a fortune to do this. Websites such as Dreamtimebaby.com
offer quality brands like Century, Britax, and Graco to name a few. Most
importantly, just do your research before making a purchase.
Having a new baby can be a challenge, but finding quality products for your
child doesn't have to be. Whether you're looking into strollers, bassinettes, or
car seats, you'll find what you're looking for on the Internet highway. It is
simple enough to do a quick search on the top rated baby car seats. This way you
won't have to worry about getting stuck with a cheap product. Reviews are
available by numerous parents who have already tested many of these products and
have valuable advice to offer, which can surely guide you in your search for the
ideal car seat.
Title: Baby Car Seats - Their Safety Is In Your Hands
Author: Heather Owens
Article:
Nowadays, if you're about to have a baby, then you're most likely familiar with
baby car seats. When we were children ourselves, safety precautions were a lot
less stringent in the car, and quite often there weren't any precautions at all.
Present day parents, though, really have very little choice in the matter. Many
states now have laws governing the transport of children in cars, with specific
regulations about the type of seat required at various stages of your baby or
infant's life. The simple practice of holding your baby in your arms in the car
just isn't an option any more.
Whether you're very keen on adhering to the law or not, it's still very obvious
from all the statistics on road accidents over the years, that car seats are
very definitely a lifesaver for little ones. There's no reason at all to avoid
using one - your baby's safety is at risk if you don't. Remember, too, that it's
not just babies - most laws cover children at least through the toddler years as
well. Usually the type of car seat required is related to height and weight.
Using a baby car seat is going to be a part of your child's life for quite a
while.
Before I had children of my own, I'd never paid a great deal of attention to
baby car seats. Once I realised I was going to have a baby, though, it became
very important for me to find out what was available, and even more importantly,
what style of seat was going to be the safest. There was no way I was going to
risk my
child's safety in a substandard car seat. However it was also important for my
baby to be comfortable, and for the baby car seat to be easy to use.
Baby car seats can range in cost enormously, from fifty to several hundred
dollars. It's important to understand that being more expensive doesn't always
equal being safer. The only way to really determine the safety level of a baby
car seat is to look at reviews done by various consumer groups. These groups
test
and rate a whole range of car seats, and so can give you some ideas of what car
seat to buy. Many reviews also look at the durability and ease of use of a car
seat, which is valuable too. Having said that, it's usually safe to stick with a
well known, quality brand, like Century, Britax or Graco, to name a few.
Doing your research isn't hard - there's so much information on the internet
nowadays. You can visit manufacturer websites to find out what they offer, as
well as the consumer review websites. You can also visit the bigger baby chain
stores to get a good look at a wide variety of baby car seats. This can be
valuable for determining the ease of use of a car seat.
Once you know what you want to buy, it's then just a question of tracking down
the best price. Again, visit baby stores, or check out the online websites. It's
possible to look at auction sites like eBay, but personally I'm always a little
concerned about buying a baby car seat when you don't know its history. Once a
seat is more than a few years old, various elements can deteriorate. Straps can
fray, plastic shells can become brittle. And if a car seat has already been
through an accident, you should NEVER use it again - its safety is compromised.
The worst part is that you won't know most of these issues exist until you're in
an accident and the car seat doesn't perform properly. So if you can buy new, or
at least use a relatively new car seat that you know for sure hasn't been in an
accident, do it.
In the end, being a new parent can be stressful enough, without having to worry
about your baby's safety as well. So take the time to look around, find what you
want, make sure it's safe, durable and reliable, and then make the investment in
your baby's future.
About the author:
Check out the author's book about babies at Baby's First Year
Discover more about parenting at Info About Baby You can
also sign up for a FREE Baby Tips newsletter at Baby Tips
Newsletter.
Title: Is Your Child Safety Seat Properly Installed?
Author: Janet Winter
Article:
Most adults would answer yes, but the reality is that this is
typically not the case.
The first step is to purchase the best seat available, but with
so many choices of safety seats for babies and young children,
how do you determine which is the best one to buy?
Of course you want to select a seat based on the quality of the
construction, but there are other things to look for.
First,
make sure the seat meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards*. Also make sure that the seat hasn't been recalled.
You can check this out by going to the Consumer Product Safety
Commission's web site. Be sure to register your new car seat
with the manufacturer, so you'll be notified of any future
recalls. Also, purchase a seat that includes a LATCH system,
which anchors the seat more securely than is often possible with
current safety belts.
Once you purchase the car seat, the most important thing is to
learn the proper way to install it in your vehicles.
Statistics
indicate that more than 80% of all child safety seats are not
installed correctly. This is mind boggling! Your child's life is
at stake, so read the instructions carefully and follow them
exactly.
The seat you select should fit a number of vehicles and be easy
to use. Obviously, if you have more than one vehicle the seat
should fit each one according to the manufacturer's instructions.
The most common problem when installing car seats is that they
aren't tight enough. When tightened properly, the seat shouldn't
move freely.
For a rear-facing safety seat, it should not easily slide more
than about an inch. To check this, grasp the seat near the belt
path on both sides and try to pull it away from the vehicle seat
and also test the movement from side to side.
Next, push the top
edge downward toward the floor of the car. The vehicle seat
cushion may give, but the safety seat should remain firmly in
place and the back of the seat should stay at approximately the
same angle (reclined about halfway back). It's normal - and okay
- if the top of the seat can be pushed toward the rear of the
car and if it swivels from side to side when gripped at the top
edge. If the belt is tight but the seat isn't secure, try
another seating position or a different safety seat altogether.
For a forward-facing safety seat with a harness, use a top
tether for a more secure installation. First, install the seat
using the vehicle belt or lower latch attachments but without
attaching the top tether. To test the seat, grasp it at the belt
path and pull it forward and side to side. Then grip the top and
test the same movements. If it can easily move more than an inch
forward or to the side, try another seating position that also
includes a tether anchor. Using the best lower installation
(vehicle belt or latch), attach and tighten the top tether.
If
your vehicle doesn't have a tether or anchor, either purchase a
different safety seat or order a tether kit from the safety seat
manufacturer. The kits are available for most vehicles made
since 1989 and for many back to the late 1970s.
One helpful hint for initial installation is to place both of
your knees inside the safety seat so you can gain enough
leverage to properly tighten the seat. Some cars require a
special metal locking clip, which should ideally be located as
close as possible to the seat belt's buckle.
Always restrain your children in the rear seat of your vehicle,
especially if it's equipped with a passenger-side air bag.
Booster seats are a must for children who have outgrown their
child safety seat but are too small for regular vehicle seat
belts.
These are typically three to six-year olds who weigh
between 40 and 80 pounds and are up to 4 feet 9 inches tall. If
your child's weight has exceeded the recommended range for a
forward-facing safety seat, make sure your child's knees reach
the end of that seat and that their legs hang straight down
before graduating to a booster seat.
Be cautious about purchasing a seat at a garage sale or using a
'hand-me-down' - particularly if the instructions aren't
included. Never use a seat that's more than six years old.
*Visit American
Academy of Pediatrics for an annual car safety seat guide
that includes a list of the seats that meet the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards.
For other great resources for parents, child-safe rocking chairs
and rocking horses plus many other terrific gift items visit WelcomeBabyGifts.com.
About the author:
Janet Winter is a web designer, travel agent, and writer on many
topics. She delights in providing great resources for parents
and unique gifts for newborns, toddlers and baby showers at WelcomeBabyGifts.com.
Please visit her other online stores: WildBirdGoodies.com
and APampered Dog.com
|