Persevering Momma

Taking The Day One Spoon At a Time

Getting The Car Ready For a Newborn with a Little Car Seat Safety

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This post about infant car seat safety is sponsored by Chicco.

If you are expecting a newborn then there are a few things you might want to do to prepare for baby’s arrival when it comes to car seat safety. I know that I am in nesting mode right now. I have about 10 weeks left until baby arrives and that means I want to make sure everything will be ready and will work for baby when he arrives.

The first thing I like to do is to clean both cars. This allows me to know that I will have a clean area to work with while we play with where the car seat will go in our cars. If you have any other children then you will want to think about whether or not you will need to rearrange any of the seats. We know that we will be moving our forward-facing son to be behind the driver’s side of both cars so that we still have enough legroom for the driver.

One thing to note is that you should not use any aftermarket items with your car seats. This means no seat covers or pads under the car seats unless the manual states that you can use a towel or a product that’s sold by that manufacturer. We personally don’t use anything under our seats.

The second thing you will want to do in the case of using something like the Chicco Bravo Quick-fold Trio Travel System is to take the base for the car seat and try installing it in any vehicles that might use the base when baby arrives. This particular base has a very simple way to level the seat. There are two bubble level guides to check and offers an easy spring loaded leveling system that makes it easy for anyone to level.

Once you have the base installed you can click in the car seat to make sure that there is enough space for the seat to fit comfortably. Without pressure from the seat in front of it. After checking this you may want to practice installing the car seat carrier into the car without the base in case you choose to put baby into a car that does not have a base installed in it.

Car Seat Safety With Chicco

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This is a sponsored post thanks to Chicco for National Baby Car Seat Safety Week.

Over the years so much has changed in regards to safety in vehicles. One thing that is constantly changing is car seat safety for children. There are now many laws and recommendations on how to keep your child safe while traveling in the car.

The new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for keeping children rear facing until they max out on height and weight for their current car seat. I do believe in this philosophy and made sure that my son was rear facing past two years old (while it wasn’t as long as I really wanted I was pleased to have him rear facing until 2.5 years old). No matter what car seat or booster your child is in it is important to make sure that the car seat is installed properly and that your child is buckled in properly as well.

Car seat safety

Secure Car Seat Installation

Using LATCH vs Seat Belt

When you installing a car seat in your car you have to choose between two options for the installation; you can use LATCH (LATCH stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children.”) or the seat belt for the installation. Both are great options, but there are a couple things to note. Most car seats only allow LATCH installation for children 40lbs or less which means that you must use the seat belt installation if you child exceeds this limit. Another thing to note is that it is not safe to install the car seat using both the LATCH and seat belts at the same time.

Both of these options are equally safe, but you will want to choose whichever option works the best for your vehicle. This means that you should have a tight install and your seat should be level. If your seat is forward facing you will also need to secure the top tether which means placing it in a seat that has a top tether anchor available. (This is not something that is always set up for every seat in your vehicle. You will want to check your car manual to see where your available top tethers are located.)

The Inch Test

You may have heard people reference the inch test. This test is very important in making sure that your car seat install is done properly. In order to perform the test you will need to install the seat and with your non-dominant hand you will grab the belt path on the seat. You will then give the seat a gentle tug (like that of a firm handshake) and if the seat moves less than an inch then you have a good install. If the seat moves an inch or more then you will want to continue to tighten the seat into place.

Having a seat installed tight enough is very important if you were to get into an accident. This will ensure that your child is the safest and will help to reduce the motion of the seat during an accident.

Getting Help

If you have questions or want hands-on assistance, SafeKids.org can help you find a car seat checkup event in your area or contact a local child passenger safety technician (CPST). You can also get in touch with a nearby CPST via www.nhtsa.gov.

Car seat safety

Car Seat Expiration

Car seats often have their expiration dates in similar locations on the seats. I have snapped pictures of the expiration dates on a variety of car seats that we own to show you just where the expiration date is located so that it may make it a bit easier for you to find on your car seat.

Car seat safety
Graco Extend2Fit manufacture label on the back of the seat. Car seat manual states that the seat expires 10 years from date of manufacture. Nice and easy math!

If you are still struggling to find the expiration date on your seat you should check your car seat manual because they will show you where the date is on your seat.

The Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat

We have used a variety of different car seats and car seat brands with our son over the years and Chicco is included in that bunch of car seats. My sons newest seat is the Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat. This was an upgrade from an old seat that got damaged during our move a couple months ago.

I was unsure about switching to a Harnessed Booster, but he was just turned forward-facing and exceeded the minimum requirements for this seat. I love that this seat is an easy install in my 2016 Ford Escape so that if it needs to be loved it can be without much difficulty. My son also loves the attached cup holders and the arm rests.

Previously in my car we had a Diono Radian with one hanging cup holder that always got detached by my lovely son. It also had no side which was nice for me, but he disliked that he had no arm rest to use. He now has arm rests and two cup holders.

Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat shown with the folded (collapsed) cup holder.

One thing that many people like about the Diono is the fact that without the cup holders the car seat is slimmer than others and can fit 3 in a row much easier. This Chicco Seat has cup holders that fold in so that you can save space and fit more seats in one row than you can with other seats. This definitely is a perk for large families. The fact that this seat is also lighter than some seats like the Diono is a huge perk to me because I could barely lift the Diono seat to love it if needed.

Overall I would say that this seat really makes me feel like my son is safe and is accessible for him as well as for me! A huge perk for someone who struggles with car seats on a regular basis.

How do you keep your child safe in the car?

Keeping Your Children Safe While on Foot: Baby Safety Month Tips

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This is a sponsored post for Baby Safety Month thanks to Chicco.

I am a huge advocate for Baby Safety and thanks to Chicco I am here to talk with you about baby safety in and out of the home. September is Baby Safety Month and that means I want to help all of those parents out there who struggle with keeping their children safe. You might just not know every way to help keep your child safe. I will openly admit that there were so many things I didn’t know before having my son, but over time I have prided myself for learning as much as I can about different forms of Baby Safety.

children safe baby safety month

Child Safety Indoors and Out

I wanted to share this Inforgraphic with you even though today I will be focusing on safety while on foot. I know people tend to think about their child’s safety in the home as well as on the road, but fear that maybe people sometimes over look ways that they can help keep their children safe while out and about.

Chicco was kind enough to provide me with a Chicco BravoFor2 Stroller to help use in talking about child safety on the go.

Keeping Children Safe While on Foot

If you read the infographic above you will have found some great information, but I do want to add a few things. When it comes to hanging bags from the handles of the stroller, I would have to agree that in most instances you should not do this, but if you have a stroller that says it’s okay in the manual or has bag clips on the handles then it is safe to do. I have been noticing more strollers with this feature seeing as moms seem to prefer easy, fast access to their bags whenever possible.

children safe baby safety month

When you have your child in the stroller it is always best to have them buckled into it. The buckles are installed on the strollers for a reason. When you buckle your child in you help keep them safe for a variety of different reasons. First and foremost they won’t fall from the stroller. It also prevents them from standing on the seat in the stroller which is a fall hazard as well as puts extra stress on the seat than it was tested for. Buckling them into the stroller also makes it that much more difficult for someone to attempt to abduct your child. They have one extra step in getting them into their grasp and it gives you extra time to keep them safe if a problem like that were to arise.

One thing I have heard a lot of parents say is that they do read the car seat manual cover to cover, but they never glance at their stroller manual. This is something that bothers me because you need to know the small details with your stroller just as much as the big one. For example, the BravoFor2 is rated for up to 40 pounds on the front seat as well as the rear seat/standing board. The riding board and rear seat is also rated for ages 2 1/2 and older which means a younger child wouldn’t be safe on the back. I can understand this because my 1 1/2 year old doesn’t have the focus to staying standing properly or sitting properly in that seat. His 2 1/2 year old cousin understands the seat, but not the riding board. These are some of the small things that you need to know about your stroller to ensure that you are keeping your children safe.

children safe baby safety month

Part of me feels like I am drilling safety into you right now, but I feel like one can never be too safe. If you look at this picture you might just see two kids going for a ride in their stroller, but really this was a lesson. We were teaching my 3 1/2 year old niece how to properly stand on the foot board. Her instinct was to grab the push handle, but that isn’t how this stroller is made. We taught her where her handles were and explained to her why she needed to always be holding them when she is standing on the foot board. We want her safety to be the priority and we want her to understand that.

I am thankful that she is smart and understands these things. I personally wouldn’t let a child stand on the foot board until they understand what they need to do in order to ride on it safely.

What extra things do you do to keep your child safe while traveling on foot?