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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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Every car seat must have a certain percentage of t Every car seat must have a certain percentage of the seat itself on the vehicle seat. This can present a problem with some shallow vehicle seats and car seat combinations!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ DAY 11 SEAT CHECK CHALLENGE⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ✔️ If your car seat is hanging over the edge of the vehicle seat, determine if that is allowed (this applies to all stages of seats including booster).⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ✔️ Some car seats mark the overhang allowance right on the seat itself. Others have it listed in the car seat user manual or FAQ section on their website. The most common rule is that at least 80% of the car seat must be on the vehicle seat (again, this is car seat specific so do your homework!)⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ✔️ If you do have a vehicle with a shallow seat pan (where your butt goes), then this is a factor to consider when choosing a car seat!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Today is our last day to enter the giveaway for the @tinytags mama necklace! Follow @tinytags, comment below and share your #seatcheckchallenge adventures!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠
Are the other drivers who transport your child kee Are the other drivers who transport your child keeping them safe in the seat? Do not assume that caretakers know best practice car seat safety practices. Your baby, your rules, your responsibility to educate and set the standards! ⁠⁠ DAY 9 SEAT CHECK CHALLENGE:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 🎉NEW PRODUCT DROP: Caregiver Car Seat Safety Guide! 🎉⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ What's included:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ ALL stages of car seat safety (infant, convertible, booster)⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ The scientific safety facts (and sources)⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Car seat safety roadmap, deep dive in to why rear-facing, and booster readiness facts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Top 9 ways car seats protect ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Do this (common misuses) and risk that (how these misuses endanger the child) ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Harnessing and installation checklists for EVERY stage⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Boundary-setting scripts!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ Caregiver pledge⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ➡️ and more!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ P.S. If you own or purchase the VIP Building Your Car Seat Confidence online course, this Caregiver Guide is included (and has been updated--check your library!). ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ The guide is linked in stories and will be added to the link in bio!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Whether you use this guide to facilitate conversations with caretakers or you create your own way, the most important thing is that you have them! Every person who transports your child must be willing, able and committed to keeping them safe in the seat on every single ride!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Share your experiences/thoughts below about educating and setting boundaries with those who drive your child. I'll pick 3 of you to send this new guide to! ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠
Reach out? Replace? or Reuse? When you are in a Reach out? Replace? or Reuse? When you are in a car crash of any degree (whether your child is in the car seat or not at the time) you need to consider the potential impact on the car seat.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ DAY 8 SEAT CHECK CHALLENGE:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Swipe to see whether your car seat manufacturer wants you to reach out, replace or reuse the car seat after a car crash.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 📞Reach out: call your manufacturer and explain the details of the crash. They will advise you as to next steps.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ 🔃Replace: these manufacturer's require replacement for any type of crash. Your vehicle's insurance company should pay for the replacement cost of the car seat. You may need to get a written letter from the car seat manufacturer!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁉️ Reuse: call your manufacturer and explain the details of the crash. Minor crashes (typically defined as those where there are no injuries and the car can be driven) often do not require replacement. Moderate to severe crashes do require replacement. ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ While this isn't fun stuff to talk about, it is helpful to know in which category your car seat falls.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ With the @target trade-in event going on now, assess if your car seat needs to be recycled!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ This week we have an amazing giveaway from @tinytags for a "mama" necklace. To enter follow @tinytags, comment on this post (and the other's this week), share to your page/stories and use the tag #seatcheckchallenge. ⁠⁠
The crotch buckle is one of the key points of the The crotch buckle is one of the key points of the child’s 5 point harness. A poorly fitted crotch buckle can lead to a poor overall harness fit, so it’s important to get it right. Is your child’s crotch buckle fitted correctly? DAY 7 SEAT CHECK CHALLENGE ✔️number of settings: some seats, especially infant seats, only offer one crotch buckle setting. If this is you, you’re done! One less adjustment to worry about. ✔️Specific restrictions: some seats have specific crotch buckle rules that are based on weight or direction (rear or forward facing). If your seat restricts the crotch buckle slot based on these factors, make sure it’s currently correct and you know when to change it! ✔️If your seat doesn’t fall into the above categories, then your manual probably says something about choosing the crotch buckle slot that is closest to, but not under, the child. -> to check this, put your child in their car seat without a diaper (if they wear one) and assess whether their actual body (not clothing or diaper) is over the slot in the plastic where the crotch buckle comes out of the shell. If your child’s body is sitting on the slot then it’s probably time to move the crotch buckle forward. ✔️When you move the buckle, make sure you move it in the cover AND the plastic shell. It’s easy to miss that it needs to be moved in the plastic too! Your car seat manual will outline this process for you. Comment below, share and tag #seatcheckchallenge when you do!
It's very possible for a child to get in to a car It's very possible for a child to get in to a car and then not know how to get out. Tragic things happen this way. Keep exit doors and vehicle doors locked and keys far out of reach. DAY 6 SEAT CHECKLIST ✔️Have a designated place that the grown-ups put keys, up and out of reach of tiny hands. ✔️Child-proof your home with door locks that children cannot figure out! ✔️Always lock your vehicle. ✔️Talk to your child about vehicle safety and never, ever to go to the car without you. ✔️If developmentally appropriate, teach your child how to get out of the car if they get trapped inside of it. Remember, it CAN happen to you so the best way to prevent things like this from happening is to admit that they can! Comment below and share a post or story on your page with the hashtag #seatcheckchallenge to be entered in the next giveaway!
Lower anchor connectors are one of the two ways yo Lower anchor connectors are one of the two ways you can install a car seat. But they have a weight limit and can only be used until your child reaches it! Then it’s time for a seat belt installation (yes, you can start with a seat belt from the get-go!). DAY 4 CHECK CHALLENGE. ✔️Make sure you are only using one method or the other to install your child’s car seat—lower anchor connectors or the vehicle seatbelt (exceptions: nuna pipa, nuna pipa lite, Clek foonf) ✔️ If using lower anchor connectors, ensure that your child is under the weight limit for their permitted use. ✔️To find the lower anchor connector weight limit look on the side of your car seat or in the car seat’s user manual. ✔️ Add this maximum weight your child can be to use this installation method to the Safe in the Seat sticker (link in bio) or to a piece of tape so it’s top of mind! ✔️ if your child has reached the maximum weight limit allowed switch to the vehicle seatbelt installation method. Note: if you are using an infant car seat, yours doesn’t have a lower anchor weight limit. Today’s giveaway is a fun one! @funkswoodenwonders is giving away a toddler learning tower! To be eligible for this giveaway: 🎉 Follow @funkswoodenwonders 🎉 Comment below 🎉 Share a post or story on your page using #seatcheckchallenge Since we take a social media break on Sundays around here, this giveaway will run through Monday at 5pm EST! Let’s keep getting safer!
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