the car seat police

All of this is from TONS of researching and reading I have done the last few years. I have asked paramedics and doctors as well. My goal is not to make anyone mad or feel bad. Its simply to help educate parents who  are unaware. If there is an issue or any of this is inaccurate please let me know :) I want everyone to have the RIGHT information and to make good choices when it comes to the safety of our babes. They are worth the extra minute. 

Hey friends, I am doing this because I love you and I love your kids. Just your friendly neighborhood car seat police asking all of you to take a minute today to check out your car seats!

Babies grow so fast so its a good idea to check the straps and whatnot every few months to make sure you are getting the best use out of your money. Weston is currently napping in his since we just got home from the dr but I need to move his straps up when he wakes up.

Things to look for-

ALWAYS (and I will reach in your car seat and fix it myself if its wrong) make sure the chest strap is just so- at the chest. It does no good on their stomach and can cause them to fly out of the top of their car seat in a crash.

No more than 2 fingers should be able to fit between the straps and your child's chest.

in REAR facing seats- the straps should start at or BELOW the shoulders
in FORWARD facing seats the straps should be at or ABOVE the shoulders

REAR facing recommeded til 2 Below are quotes from the article.........

"But isn't forward-facing easier for everyone?

Yes, it's easier to interact with your child when she is facing forward, and less awkward to get her into the seat. But safety should be the main concern. "I would ask parents to consider the protection of the child in addition to comfort," says Hoffman. "It's minimally acceptable to change to forward-facing at a year, but parents can do better than that.

What about squished legs?

Kids who have been only rear-faced will most likely not be bothered, since they don't know anything else. And it's completely fine for their feet to touch the seat back, or for their legs to bend. "Once you make the switch, it's hard to go back, so try not to ever switch them before they are ready," says Hoffman.

For the bigger kids- All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car seat should use aBelt-Positioning Booster Seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.


If you can- use the latch system on your car! We had to transport Ryan in an ambulance one time and the paramedic needed to get the car seat out of our car- he applauded us for using the latch and using it the right way. Most parents dont, he said.

USE the instructions when installing the car seat. I know of a few friends who have theirs in incorrectly :( The  latch system is set up differently in  forward and rear facing seats. so GO check.

For any help with your car seat take it to your nearest fire station they are trained to help.

Love you all, be safe and happy travels :)

*********************************************************************

4 month well baby check for Mr Weston. 

Chubby and perfect!