Baby Car Seat Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know
Baby Car Seat Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know
You can’t use the seat belt to strap your child because they are too small. To keep your child safe on long-distance trips, strap them in a car seat. However, there are common mistakes that parents make when installing the seat. The most common one is making the seat too loose. Use the following car seat safety tips to protect your child.
Fasten the Seat
Your child will continue playing after you put them in the car seat. To protect your child, tighten the straps. Ensure that the child’s movement won’t affect the tightness of the straps. A common mistake that some parents make is strapping their kids with their winter coats still on. The bulkiness of the clothes can loosen the straps and put your child at risk. Therefore, give your child adequate cold protection when going out, but remove their heavy jackets before you strap them. Turn the car heater on if you think that they are still feeling cold.
Buy the Right Size
In the early development stages, your child will grow fast. Buy a car seat that fits your child’s height and weight. Make sure it made with high-quality material. The best car seat company should give you all information about their product. For example, check out this Jellymom car seat, you’ll see all details needed to help you make a decision. Also, you should also check the space in the back seat. If your toddler has older siblings, you should go for a car seat with a narrow base so that everybody can sit comfortably in the back seat. You should also check the straps on the car seat. Make sure that your seat has 5 straps: two for the shoulders, two for the waist, and another one that goes between the legs.
Car Seat Positioning
The best way to position the car seat is to make it face the rear. Attaching the seat this way protects your child’s legs from impact. A rule of thumb is to always keep the seat facing rearwards until the child outgrows it. When it’s time to turn the car seat the other way, ensure that you strap the upper part to the top anchor point of the seat. The strap fastens the car seat to the vehicle.
User Manual
Car seat manufacturers are always upgrading their designs to improve the safety of the device. When buying a car seat, make sure that it has everything. The user manual and seat diagram should come with the package. These guidelines will come in handy when you attach the car seat. For your child to be safe, you have to strap the car seat the right way.
Center Spot of the Back Seat
Your child is in constant motion when your car is moving. In case of an accident, the child will only stop moving if they hit something. The centre spot at the back seat is the safest place to strap in your child. That’s because there’s nothing in front that could hit the child. Since most cars don’t have lower anchors for the middle seat, you have to use the seat belt to fasten the car seat.
Use the above car seat tips to keep your child safe when driving. You shouldn’t be too quick to get your child a booster seat if they can still fit in the car seat. That’s because the car seat is always the safest option for toddlers.
Featured image: Unsplash
