No update yet on the stupid library situation... I'm working on finding out who controls the library board. I'll update when I figure that out.
I know I've posted about this already but I have to share this again. It's too important not to share. This is a link to a video from ABC news.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3674114&affil=wjbf
It's difficult to think about so many parents don't... but if it's your child that is injured or killed in a crash then it's too late. Now is the time to make sure your child will be safe if you are ever involved in a crash.
It kills me to see parents turning their rear facing seats around the day the baby turns one or sometimes even sooner. It is safest for children to remain rear facing as long as possible. Our seats have a rear facing limit of 33 lbs. It is best to keep your child rear facing until they reach the maximum weight limit. Personally, I don't care if baby can't see the driver or you think it's more fun for them to be facing forward. Bottom line is that it's not as safe. And if you're worried about their legs being all scrunched up, just remember that a broken leg after a crash is much easier to fix than a broken neck!
Read these if you still aren't convinced:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx
http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html
http://carsafety4kids.com/rearfacing.html
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bsafety/0,,9r5v,00.html?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=1&pba=adid=13497414
The other issue is properly restraining older children. Children should stay in a 5-pt harness for as long as possible. Our seat has a weight limit of 80 lbs. I was 80 lbs until middle school! I know my children will be in their 5-pt harnesses for a long, long time. Too many parents make the mistake of putting a child into a belt-positioning booster too soon. Buy the seat with the higher weight limit and 5-pt harness and keep your child in it until they hit the weight limit.
Another important tip is to use the car seat tethers. If your vehicle has LATCH, use the LATCH points up to the weight limit specified on your car seat. Then tether the seat to the vehicle too. Our car seats have a strap that attaches from the back of the seat to the hook on the floor of the vehicle. I have all 4 seats tethered in our van, 2 rear facing and 2 forward facing.
I guess some people don't see the big deal with car seat safety. I have friends who don't buckle their kids, don't use car seats, or turn their kids too early. I don't want to appear judgmental but should I keep my mouth shut and pray that they don't get into an accident? I lost a cousin to a drunk driver and my brother-in-law is forever bound to a wheelchair because of a car accident. I have survived 2 serious accidents that I "shouldn't" have walked away from... but did. If you think it won't happen to you, think again.
The Jelly Bean Prayer {printable}
1 hour ago
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8 comments:
Heather, I could not agree more! Our 4 year old will be in a 5pt harness for a LONG time! I have a friend with a 7 month old son I noticed his carseat was facing forward and asked her how long he has been like that, she said since 4 months! I tried to explain to her the importance of keeping it rear facing, but she didn't want to hear it, how sad!
I too have a friend who puts safety last....
A girlfriend of mine was watching my 2 year old once a week for me and I was concerned about the constant moving back and forth of her car seat (I didn't want my friend to be "stuck" because she was keeping my daughter). Well, when my daughter was not with my friend, the friend's five year old would sit in the seat. He absolutely loved it because he could see out the windows whereas in his booster seat he was too low to get a good view. He called it "his throne". Anyway, she told me that she was so glad I was taking the seat back the week before kindergarten started because she didn't want her thirty five pound kindergarten "big boy" rolling up to his first day of school in a (gasp!) car seat.
I almost could not control my reaction to her ignorance. I asked her if she realized how much safer a 5 point harness is, especially for a boy as small as her son, compared to a booster seat. She said sure, she knew, but she also didn't want her kids sitting in car seats forever.
And that is the difference between her and I. *I* would sit in a rear facing car seat with a 5 point harness if they made one in an adult size!! All the teasing I got for keeping my daughter rear facing until just before her 2nd birthday is worth the reassurance that I am doing everything I can to keep her safe. Our babies are only babies for so long, but it is truly much longer than most parents "allow" their children to be such...more parents need to take notice of such basic safety precautions.
I agree - so mnay people disregard the safety advice and say "oh - they don't like it rearward" or too hard to put kiddos in that way .It's so sad for those parents who find out too late. My twins are still RW facing at 15 months but I think our restraints only recommend to 12kgs which one is fast apporaching.
my brother and his girlfriend have there 6 month old boy in a front facing 5 point harness carseat like a toddler seat, i know this is wrong And I have told them so but theres not much more I can do. im scared for his safety. they say it's alright as long as he's over 20 pounds, but I looked it up they have to be over 20 pounds AND 1 year old I told them but they didn't listen
My daughter was in a seat until she was 7. When my kids complain about things that are for their own safety I say "You are too precious to me to NOT make you do this." Or "you are too precious to me to let you do that..."
It got to where when I'd say no for something they'd roll their eyes and say "I know, I'm too precious to you..."
Who cares if your kids don't like something that is keeping them safe? Do the right thing with the carseats.
Good post. Thanks.
I think that some people are able to ignore the research, the statistics, the risks in favor of 1) denial that it's ever going to happen and 2) avoiding the certainty of a hassle in terms of having more buckles to complete each and every ride they take.
I'm not saying it's logical or responsible - I am just saying that I think some people see the risks as unlikely and the hassles as certain. They avoid the hassle because they know it's going to happen.
Thanks for the tips!
you know car seat safety is important to me too, so I had to share this.... My (family member) has a bunch of kids, and they've always had this old car seat that they just won't replace. It's known as "the car seat" in our family. It's so rediculous. So imagine my amusement when I was watching "Mr. Mom" a few months ago and in a scene, they're riding in the car and they have "the car seat"!!! So this seat is from the *early* 80's! My (family member) is using a seat well over 20 yrs old!!! I have to just laugh b/c if not, I get carried away w/ how irresponsible it is, and I kind of obsess about it.... Anyway, just had to share! But hey, they did get a new infant seat for their newest one, so she's not riding around in a 10yr old seat anymore. Oh, and before this one was born, they had their baby at the time at 10 months facing forward in a 10 yr old INFANT SEAT!!!! I just about died!!! They did it b/c it was a long trip and she hated being backward. Wow. And these parents are two of the smartest people I know.
OK, I've been wanting to tell you that. I'm just so thankful they've never been in a crash.
Emily
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