Now that your little has outgrown her seat, you may want to keep it safely stored away for future use. Unsure about how to do it properly? You’re not alone. While there is no one singular “correct method” for storing an unused restraint. Different things may work for your particular climate and storage space.
As a CPST, over the years I’ve had more than a few parents contact me with a tale of bodily function woe. Their potty training children have had unspeakable accidents. A bout of car sickness left the seat looking like a sea of cottage cheese. In one memorable case, a skunk sprayed the seat. (And in case you’re wondering, if a skunk sprays the seat, you’re pretty much out of luck.)
Booster seats serve one primary purpose: to place the car’s seat belt over 3 strong points of a child’s body. A properly fitting booster will sit low over the hips and across the center of the shoulder to spread the possible force from a crash over these strong areas.
Many of our readers have questions about rear facing installation of the Safety 1st Guide 65. This seat definitely has some quirks, so here’s the down and dirty, step by step installation guide of the Guide 65.
You’ve chosen the car seat and you’re ready to install it. Where does it go? Middle? Sides? Use the lower anchors? Seat belt? Tether the car seat or not? All of these things need to be considered when choosing that perfect spot for the car seat. First things first.
Let’s be honest, all day at a dealership trying car seats in all the vehicles would be a dream come true. Ain’t nobody got time and well, the dealership wants to sell those cars without us in them. So, we are just going to make do with a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country and a 2012 Dodge Journey. My CSFTL colleague, Jess, and I both have three kids, in seats, in one row. This is our reality and we know it’s many other’s reality as well for many reasons.
We bought my Mazda 5 when my youngest daughter was on the way. I loved how roomy it is, how it has 3 rows, and most of all, those sliding doors. It’s narrow enough that I can park in the skinniest parking spaces and still unload both of my kids without trouble.
Seven year old Val normally rides in a high-backed booster
Seven year old Val normally rides in a high-backed booster
Most of the time, my daughters ride in captain’s chairs in the second row. This works out fine because those seats are adjacent to my beloved sliding doors so it’s easy to get them in and out. But sometimes, we have company in the car and somebody needs to move to the third row for a while.
Before installing a car seat, the most important step is reading the manuals for both the vehicle and the car seat. The vehicle manual will tell you what kind of seat belts your vehicle has. The car seat manual will tell you what kinds of seat belts the car seat can be used with and if the car seat has any additional locking features of its own.
A very common concern for parents is what to do when it seems that you’ve tightened your child’s car seat, and one of the straps is tight but the other is still very loose. What can you do? Let’s explore a few common culprits and ways to troubleshoot them.
Congrats, you’re going to be a new parent! Things are constantly changing in the newborn world, so even if this isn’t your first, there’s still a lot to learn. To help you mark at least one thing off your list, we’re going to help with narrowing down that dreaded car seat decision.
