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The Safe in the Seat Blog

Eliminate Waste & Keep Kids Safe

Eliminate Waste & Keep Kids Safe

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Road Trips Done Right

Road Trips Done Right

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Baby, It’s HOT in Here

Baby, It’s HOT in Here

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Why Do Car Seats Expire?

Why Do Car Seats Expire?

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To Recycle or Not to Recycle? 

To Recycle or Not to Recycle? 

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What New Moms REALLY Want

What New Moms REALLY Want

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See Something, Say Something

See Something, Say Something

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Top 7 Tips for Road Trip Safety

Top 7 Tips for Road Trip Safety

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Why Kids Hate the Car Seat

Why Kids Hate the Car Seat

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Winter Safety FAQs

Winter Safety FAQs

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Car Seat Grads: How Soon is Too Soon?

Car Seat Grads: How Soon is Too Soon?

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Car Seat Safety: Where Do We Draw the [Car] Lines?

Car Seat Safety: Where Do We Draw the [Car] Lines?

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Candy is one of the most common culprits of chokin Candy is one of the most common culprits of choking in kids. And, choking is often silent. While we should all know what to do when a child is choking, pulling over safely and timely while on the road is often just not possible. ⁠⠀⁠ ⁠ Best practice: Have your little (or big) ones eat their candy (or any other food) before buckling up or when they get to their final destination.⁠ ⁠ In general, kids under 18 months old should not be permitted to eat or drink in the car seat. ⁠ ⁠ If your child is over 18 months old, still use extreme caution and only offer foods that are lower choking risks like Os, applesauce pouches (with the cap removed), Bambas, puffs.⁠ ⁠ Eating foods of any kind, at any age, poses a choking risk. Whether you are the driver or a fellow passenger, you may not hear your child choking and you certainly can't get to them to help quickly or safely. Consider this risk before you unwrap that treat!⁠ ⁠ The great news is, not only is no eating in the seat safer, but it makes for a much cleaner car too! #winwin⁠ Special thanks to my friends @feedinglittles for the assist with this post.
Does your weekend include any Halloween festivitie Does your weekend include any Halloween festivities? Or perhaps your child is just obsessed with her Frozen costume or superhero outfit. No matter the occasion costumes are bulky and should not be worn in car seats.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Much like bulky winter coats, costumes often create bulk in places that are dangerous for a tight harness fit. Best practice is to unzip before your trip!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ What are your weekend plans? Out and about or laying low?
Who doesn't love a good deal and a way to protect Who doesn't love a good deal and a way to protect the environment. Sign me up! That said, when it comes to kids and car seats, proceed with caution.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Only consider a second-hand car seat if you can confidently check all these things off this list. A car seat is the one device that is designed to save your child from injury or worse. Don't let second-hand mean second-rate safety!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 🌟If you need help choosing a car seat that is right for your budget, vehicle, child and family, check out the Car Seat Buying Kits which include Safe in the Seat's recommended seats. Link in bio!🌟⁠⁠
You're a rule follower. You know the height limit You're a rule follower. You know the height limit of your car seat. You know the weight limit. But do you know the head height limit?⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Head height limit:⁠⁠⁠ The limit of where your child's head must be in relation to the top of the car seat! ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Don't miss this like I did! Your little one's head needs to be contained within the shell of their rear-facing car seat, protecting them from injury in the event of a crash.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ For our rear facing kiddos, most typically, the rule is that the top of your child's head must be 1 inch below the top of the shell of the car seat or fully extended headrest. Your car seat manual has your seat's specific rules. ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Think about it this way--your rear-facing car seat is like a turtle shell, there to protect your child's body and bear the brunt of crash forces so their body doesn't have to! To do it's job, your child's head must be within the the shell and not above it!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Heads up (see what I did there)--kiddos with longer torsos always outgrow their seats faster. Pay special attention to head height limits on kids with this body type!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ For forward facing kiddos, the rules are a bit different. Most commonly, the top of their ears must be contained within the top of the car seat and the shoulder straps must be even with or above their shoulders. Check your car seat manual for details! ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ 🌟Anxious about all you need to know about choosing the next stage car seat?! Check out the Car Seat Buying Kits priced at just $27 for a limited time! Details in the “buying kit” highlight and link in bio to purchase. Hurry. Offer ends soon! 🌟⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Did you learn something or are you already in the know?! Spread the safety love and tag a friend!
❄️ Hey YOU. I see you preparing to brace the w ❄️ Hey YOU. I see you preparing to brace the winter weather. Good news, I’ve got you covered! ⁠⠀ You aren't worried about keeping your kids warm while in the car. What you are worried about is how to keep them warm while transitioning to and from the car and logistically managing the glacier-sized task of getting their coats on and off before buckling them up. Am I right?⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ First, we all need to agree on are these 3 things:⁠⠀ 1. Safety often isn't convenient. ⁠⠀ 2. Being cold sucks.⁠⠀ 3. Parenting is hard.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Let's tackle this together.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Bulky, puffy, extra padded layers under a harness are bad. They create space between the harness and your child's body and more space means more movement with crash forces. Yes, even those crash forces that happen when you are going 10 miles an hour on the backroads for a 5-minute ride. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Here is how I want you to think about it: ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ What goes UNDER the harness is what your child would likely wear INSIDE (a heated car, building, house). It's just a couple of thin layers, maybe a hat and gloves until they warmed up, but that's it. If they kept that big bulky coat on or their snowsuit while inside, they would start to overheat, get cranky and be desperate to start shedding layers. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ What lays OVER the harness is what your child would likely wear OUTSIDE (walk to car, play in snow, trek to neighbor's house) That's when we would layer them up with puffy jackets, big bulky hats, scarves, etc. These layers keep them warm during that transition from inside heat to outside cold.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Yep, it's annoying, inconvenient, and time-consuming to get in the car, remove outside layers, buckle up and then do it all in reverse minutes later. I GET IT. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ But, I also get this. You are the queen of safety. You protect your child from frostbite on the walk to the car and now you are going to protect them from head, neck, or spine injury while in the car. Because that's what you do. You protect your kids no matter what. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Cold weather warriors: Please chime in below with how you juggle the transition from outside cold to inside a warm car and seat safety! Link in bio for coat test!
All the more reason to know how to install your ow All the more reason to know how to install your own damn car seat. 🔥
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