Baby Car Seat Tips

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Top Baby Car Seat Tips

Here are some tips to help you find the best baby car seat for you and your little one.

Life goes by so quick, especially when you have children. It seems like only yesterday when my son was born. I can't believe that in September, 2009, he will be 4 years old and my daughter will be 3 in March 2010.

When we go out and about, we always make sure they are in their car seats safe and sound. I don't want to be a part of the shoulda, coulda, but didn't crowd, because according to SafeKids USA: "Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under".

From the first car ride home from the hospital, to when your baby turns one year old AND 20 pounds, it is required by law to put your child in a rear-facing car seat. And it is a good idea that about 2-4 weeks before you bring your little one home to go to a child passenger safety technician to make sure your rear-facing car seat is installed properly. Because it is estimated that 90% of car seats are installed improperly.

Also, don't be in such a hurry to put your baby in the forward position. For one, he/she will be safer. And two, you will get longer usage from the baby car seat. I did not put my son forward-facing until he had outgrown his infant seat. You know if your little one has outgrown their seat if:

The tips of the child's ears are above the top of the car seat,

The child's shoulders are above the top harness slots of the car seat,

The child has reached the maximum forward-facing weight limit of the car seat.

There are a lot of different car seats out there, but for the most part, every seat meets the federal standard. The thing to look for is a car seat that is user friendly. Some of the things that were important to me when I bought my rear-facing car seat were:

Can I install the car seat easily?
Can the car seat be easily detached from its base?
Does it have at least 3 harness heights so it can accompany my growing baby?
Are the straps thick so they won't twist?
Can the car seat pad be easily removed if I need to wash it?
When installed, does this car seat wiggle less than 1 inch from side to side?

I also recommend buying a new car seat and steering away from used ones. This is because you won't know if the car seat was in a previous accident and car crashes can cause hidden damage to car seats. And if the used car seat is in another car crash, it could put your child at risk for injury.

Here are some tips that the child passenger safety technician told me when I had my little ones' baby car seat installed.

If an item didn't come with the car seat; it's not safe to use it with the car seat because it was not crash tested.
Remove all loose items in your car because they can become a projectile in a car crash, which can cause injury to you and/or your little one.
When putting your kids in their car seats, always make sure the harness straps are not twisted.
If your little one needs extra padding around his/her head, it is best to use a rolled up hand towel. (Never put the towel behind their head.)
When strapping your little ones in their car seat, make sure the harness strap is not too loose. If you can pinch any of the strap's material, it is too loose.
Make sure the chest clip (harness retainer tie) is at arm pit level. No higher or lower because this clip ensures that the harness straps are in the right place in case of a crash.

CLICK HERE to find out which infant car seat is easiest to use!

Don't forget to check the list of most recent car seat recalls.

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