Car seat safety

This article from Baby Center is a useful refresher on car seat safety. Have a read through to be sure that you are not making any of "the biggest mistakes parents make." If in doubt, have a certified car seat technician check the installation of your car seat. There are several here in Calgary.

This is my last blog posting before handing over the reins of Little Traveller to Cheryl Stankewich -- a mom of three and a seasoned traveller herself.

Car seat compatibility

I remember the confusion and exhaustion I felt when shopping for a car seat for our first born a few years ago. I was heavily pregnant and my husband and I drove around Calgary checking out a number of different brands in several stores (that doesn't happen any more with two kids in tow: I research online then head straight to a store, make the purchase, and am out again within 10 minutes!) When we eventually decided on a car seat and a colour we both liked, we found it wouldn't fit in our Subaru. Let's just say that I wasn't very happy as we headed right back into the store to return it. Needless to say, we tried out a couple of options in the car before we bought a replacement.

But the internet has made life easier. The website carseatdata.org is a one stop shop for advice on car seats. It has useful pointers on choosing the best car seat, but the part I like best is the car seat compatibility search by car make/model. What a great time-saver! And you can even add your own data to the site if you wish.

There is an art to installing a car seat correctly (read: safely). There are two companies in Calgary offering car seat installation clinics, house calls and consultations: Seat Savvy Inc. and Keepin' Baby Safe. LaVonne Ries at Keepin' Baby Safe told me that 85% of car seats are not used correctly. Post a comment on this blog entry and I'll email you a free car seat inspection coupon (worth $20) for an upcoming clinic through Keepin Baby Safe.

US recommends rear-facing until 2

At a National Safety Highway Conference last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new recommendation on the use of rear-facing car seats. Their research shows that toddlers are five times safer in rear-facing seats until they turn two. (Previously, the recommendation was to switch to a forward-facing seat when a child is a year old and at least 20 lbs in weight.) So, while most children will have outgrown their infant seat by 12 months, the AAP recommend that you rear-face your convertible car seat to keep your toddler safe for a further 12 months. Almost all convertible car seats have rear-facing upper weight restrictions of 35 lbs.

You may need to use a bolster or adjust the angle of the seat to level the car seat when it is used in rear-facing mode so that your child's head doesn't flop forward -- check your manufacturer's guidelines or have a certified child restraint technician help with the installation. In Calgary, I recommend LaVonne Ries of Keepin' Baby Safe. She runs regular car seat clinics. The next one scheduled is April 24 at Strathcona Community Centre.

A simple travel product that works

Often, it's the little things that make a big difference when travelling. A friend just returned from a trip to Denmark with her two young children. She borrowed a Sunshine Kids Travel-Bag car seat bag from me and when I saw her today she sang its praises. Hauling 20 lbs of car seat around an airport isn't easy but this is a lightweight, convenient solution to many of the inherent problems. It also protects your precious car seat much better than the plastic bag option available at the airport check-in counter. The Travel-Bag is constructed of a heavy duty, waterproof and rip-resistant fabric and is sized to fit all car seats. I have many and I use them whenever I'm delivering car seats to customers and to store all my car seats. This is a simple travel product but it works well.

We rent them at Little Traveller for $8 per trip.