Oh, goodness. I’m THAT mom. But here we go. Let’s just start this thing off by saying that I do NOT judge you for the way you do things, but I’m just simply here to help pass along some facts and show you how we do it. Also, not saying my way is the best way. Because Lord knows I had no clue what I was doing until I had help!
Jessi and I were hit by another car when she was only 5 months old. My kids safety is not something I take lightly. I may let them eat dirt and lick a bathroom floor, but you better believe they will be as safe as they can be in my swagger wagon! (Blah, I’m even MORE of that mom.)
In honor of Child Passenger Safety Week, I want to pass along some things I’ve learned and some things I do to keep my tiny humans safe! The #1 thing I hear from moms about carseats is “Wow, I had no idea”, so I figured I should do my part and tell what I’ve learned!
BASIC CARSEAT SAFETY
Chest Clip – Ummmm, it’s called a chest clip for a reason. It’s as easy as that. Make sure that thing stays on their chest. I know it may seem silly, but in an accident your child could be thrown from their seat if they are not in properly. So take the extra second to make sure!
Rear Facing – I was heartbroken when 2 days before Jessi’s first birthday new guidelines came out recommending to rear face until 2 years. I wanted to turn her around SO BAD. It’s totally your call when you turn them, but after reading the facts it changed my mind a lot. I love this post from Tie A Little Ribbon, she’s my carseat go to person!
No Jackets – Yes, it’s annoying in the winter and it gets cold. But when they have a puffy, thick coat on…they just aren’t strapped in properly. A lot of times I will put them in layers so they aren’t cold in the car and then put jackets on when we reach our destination.
Proper Install & Fit – You can go places to get your seat checked. We took ours to the local police station to have it installed and a really sweet lady taught us all about installing carseats and knowing what to make sure of. Learn the rules, and don’t put them in a loose seat with loose straps!
There are many other things I do to make sure they are in their seats safe, but those are my key factors. I always buckle them in and before I pull out I turn to make sure my 2 year old is STILL buckled in correctly. They are the tough ones because they like to “do it themselves” but we work with Jessi on staying safe and she’s great about knowing where the chest clip belongs!
Oh, and a big question from moms is where is the best place to put the carseat in the car, especially with multiple kids? The lovely Krystal from Tie A Little Ribbon just wrote a post about this that is so helpful! What we do is have Zoey (13 months) on the driver side rear facing, and Jessi (2.5 years) is in the middle forward facing. With a single child, the middle of the car is best, but if you’re like me and multiplying like bunnies, you do what you gotta do! My rear facing kiddo is safest, so I put her on the drivers side (in my opinion that is the more protected side), and my forward facing kid in the middle. I have a minivan so I have those options, but you do what you can! When our baby arrives, Jessi will go in the back, both rear facing younger ones will be on the front row.
I really want to encourage you to be educated and make the best choices for your family! I still have a LOT to learn but I try to make every effort to keep those kiddos safe. They are just way too cute not to!
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Love love love this! Thanks so much for the shout out and helping spread the awareness on the importance of car seat safety.
Thank you for all YOUR help! You’re awesome!
Okay now I have to go check our weight limits etc. We turned Oscar round because believe it or not he already weighs 28lbs at 1 year and his length is pretty proportionate to that weight (yup he is almost as tall and definitely as heavy as one of my friend’s 3 year old!!) I have no idea how Inproduced such a large kid! But I’ll go check our seats weight limits etc now xx
Amanda recently posted..Oscar’s First Year (A Slideshow)
Yes it’s definitely a good thing to check into! Even when they are bigger, it’s safest to rear face until they are older and neck muscles are stronger!
Car seat safety is of great importance to me too, and I like that you have shared to enlighten the people that may be taking it for granted. I love the pictures <3
Bilha Matthias recently posted..Montana Fishburne
I’m so happy to hear that!!! It’s always shocking to me how many moms have NO idea and just put them in the car however! YIKES!
I had no idea about SO many of these things. I will be checking ASAP! Thanks so much.
Brin recently posted..Weekend Plans
I waited until Belle was 2 to turn her — and trust me, it was really hard! But after looking at the guidelines, I knew it was the best choice for us. I don’t regret it! She got a little fussy at the end, but knowing she was safe was the important thing! Sometimes it’s a little annoying keeping her in the middle, but again, it’s the best way to go! Great post! I’m a big fan of car seat awareness!
April @ Red Dirt Mama recently posted..Her inner voice
We plan to wait until Zo is 2 and I know it will get tough but at least her and Jess can see each other really well and that helps! Yay for car seat safety!
The JACKETS thing is the one thing that drives.me.NUTS! As a nurse with a background in pediatrics and working in the operating room, I saw a horrific accident from a toddler who was thrown from her car seat because she was wearing a big, puffy winter jacket. So preventable! Great tips!
Sarah [NurseLovesFarmer.com] recently posted..Harvest is Almost Done
It’s just so sad because so many people have no idea!! I didn’t know until someone told me! I wish they told you all that stuff before they let you bring your baby home
I love that you posted this. We put Eva in her new big girl car seat yesterday and I was doing lots of research to make sure we did it the safest way possible. She just turned one but only weighs 18 lbs so I knew that she’d need to be rear facing for at least a few more months. After reading lots of good information yesterday I totally agree that keeping them rear facing until they are two years old is the safest, even if it isn’t the most fun. Thanks for keeping mamas educated!
Kate Bradley recently posted..Take Me There
I’m proud of you for keeping her rear facing! It’s sooooo hard! We finally turned Jessi at 18 months because it was a screaming fit every time she got in the car. Thankfully nothing ever happened but I often regret not waiting longer!
I’ve always wanted to ask (and I know you won’t get offended)…what if your child reaches the height & weight limit of being safe before they turn two? Is it still recommended to keep them rear facing? We produce looooong babies, and both of my boys had cramped legs long before two years of age, so we switched them forward. What is actually recommended in that kind of situation?
Honestly, I’m not totally sure. We actually turned Jessi at 18 months because it was TORTURE for her, and she was a big kid too. Zoey is smaller and doesn’t mind the car so it will be easier to keep her rear facing. But I feel like it’s more about their neck strength than how big they are. I will have to look into it more and I’ll let you know!!
Thank you so much for posting this! As a newborn nurse, i deal with this all the time while sending new babies home in their carseats every day. And you know what the scary part is? Even as a nurse (mind you we aren’t car seat certified) I never learned any of this stuff until having my own kiddo! Thank you for spreading the word to keep our little ones safe!