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.
The focus of the 2014 Child Passenger Safety Week is “Don’t Delay- Register Your Car Seat Today.” Why do car seats need to be registered though? Unfortunately, like anything else that is manufactured, there are sometimes recalls on car seats. Often they are simple and you can continue to use the seat until the fix is available, but occasionally, the recall is stop, do not pass go, do not use your car seat again until fixed. This is obviously important information to have as the faster you can get this information, the better.
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.
One question we see a lot as CSPTs is, “how do I protect my vehicle’s seats when a car seat is installed?” It’s a valid question, especially for expectant parents who wonder what the car seat will do to a vehicle’s interior which was previously untouched by car seats and ground goldfish crackers.
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.
Our Clek Olli has been a big hit with our family. My daughter likes how comfortable it is and we like how portable it is. More than one last-minute ride with friends has been made possible by the Olli. The Heart Shades print we have is also very fashionable.
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.
