Finding yourself becoming a parent for the very first time includes a lot of learning all about children, including things you probably never even considered. There are numerous things that never crossed your mind when you were childless that now seem like really major issues. Because you child doesn’t come with a complete owner’s manual you will have to rely on the wisdom of others and your own ability to figure out what will be best for your new arrival.
If you are like most first-time parents, when you first learned of the upcoming event and arrival of a little one, your thoughts were most likely taken up with setting up and decorating a nursery, buying clothes, bottles, and other routine chores. Sadly, many people do not think about a child car seat until the baby is almost here. It’s very crucial to make certain you understand what to try to find in a car seat. You will be required to have one on your infant’s first journey, you won’t be allowed to leave the hospital without one.
A Car Seat Is A Must-Have
From a practical standpoint you’ll need an infant car seat to begin with. This seat will face with towards the back of your auto, offering your child the best protection. The seat should be able to easily recline in the reverse position, providing a safe and comfy cocoon for your baby.
It’s important to select a rear-facing seat which is durable and dependable, yet light enough so as to not be too awkward. Young children sleep often and frequently, you may even find that going for a ride in the car is a great way to get them to fall asleep. However, the last thing you want to do after finally getting your child to sleep in the car is to wake them up when you remove the car seat. That’s why it pays to find a quickly removable design which is light to carry and easy to remove. You want to be able to transport your infant from automobile to house with as little disturbance as possible.
Rear-facing infant car seats are only recommended for younger children, those weighing less than 20 pounds. Once they’ve grown a bit, have gotten taller and weigh around 20 pounds, the top of their head is dangerously close to the upper edge of the seat. This means that your child is no longer protected safely and effectively and you will need to move into a larger, forward facing car seat.
Forward-facing seats are much more upright and have better support for when you child falls asleep in the car. This type of seat also is much better designed for children as they grow, the seat is more adjustable and you can easily adjust the straps and supports. It’s essential that your child is able to sit up by themselves before using this kind of seat, you don’t want to move into this type of seat until you have to. A typical front-facing car seat will last your child 2-3 years and a convertible car seat serve them for up to 8 years.
2 Important Car Seat Buying Tips
When you are getting ready to buy your first car seat there are 2 very crucial things to keep in mind and pay attention to when buying.
The first crucial point is price. Yes, you will have to follow your budget but be wary of buying really inexpensive car seats. It also may seem like an fabulous deal to buy a 2nd hand seat, you see them at garage sales all of the time. The problem with a used car seat is that there’s no method of knowing for sure its history. Has it been recalled? Was it manufactured before certain safety requirements were in place? It’s possible to go online and research the seat but it may not be a risk worth taking, no matter how much money you spend. If you are planning on buying a pre-owned sea make sure that you can be definitely be sure of its history – such as when buying off close friends or a family member.
The second crucial point to remember is that child car seats should never be used in the front seat where the air bag is on (ready to use if needed). In an accident, the air bag will inflate with amazing force and speed. The explosion of the bag can cause serious injury or death to the child in the car seat. For safety the car seat should always be used in the back seat.
There are two excellent sources to go to for information on car seats. Consumer Reports has done multiple studies on car seats and ranks them according to a variety of criteria. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is the source of product recalls and safety concerns. Both will be able to offer you good advice when buying a car seat.