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Safe in the Seat Gift Certificates

These are the perfect gift for:

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Baby showers

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Expectant or new parents

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Parents who love to travel

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Anyone who uses a car seat!

Follow @safeintheseat on social!

Is the safest thing to do to take your baby out of

Is the safest thing to do to take your baby out of their car seat as soon as you arrive at your retail store of choice?! Yes. Do I feel like it's my responsibility to educate you on the next safest option if you just can't swing that, also yes.⁠⁠
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Let me start with this...⁠Your car seat is not a sleeping device. It is designed to safely transport your baby in a car. ⁠⁠
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The SAFEST thing you can do once you arrive at your destination is to remove your baby from their car seat and baby-wear, or place their car seat in a compatible stroller system (and follow these same guidelines), or bring another adult with you for your errand.⁠⁠
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But, sometimes, the SAFEST option is just not an option at all because this is real life.⁠⁠
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When I started this account I promised to provide you car seat safety information from the heart of a mama. So, this is an example where I am going to buck the system a bit. I am a rule-follower, but also a realist. ⁠⁠
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If your baby is with you and you need to place the car seat in the shopping cart, here is how you do it as safely as possible:⁠⁠
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☑️Car seat in large part of the shopping cart--never in the top portion where a child sits or on a sling or attachment of some kind because it's a major tipping risk⁠⁠
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☑️Facing you and uncovered--maintain line of sight to your baby at all times⁠⁠
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☑️Fully buckled--chest clip and crotch buckle always buckled⁠⁠
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☑️Tightly harnessed--the straps should pass "the pinch test" whenever your baby is in their car seat in or out of the car⁠⁠
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☑️Handle all the way back--if your seat has the option to do this, use it to stabilize the seat⁠⁠
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☑️Short, supervised trips--quick errands not leisurely strolls around Target for 2 hours⁠⁠
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Sometimes real life happens and that errand cannot wait. You also aren't an octopus with eight arms. Or maybe you are single parenting like me and you just don't have a second set of hands to accompany you. Be mindful of what is safest and also armed with these guidelines to keep your baby as safe as possible when out and about. ⁠⁠
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We good?! ⁠⁠
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@peanut speaking the truth! Here's wishing you a f

@peanut speaking the truth! Here's wishing you a few mini-vacays to catch your breath this weekend!⁠⁠
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What on the agenda?!

📣📣FRIENDLY REMINDER📣📣 Kids grow which

📣📣FRIENDLY REMINDER📣📣
Kids grow which means their car seat has to be adjusted to grow with them!

For our rear facing kiddos that means shoulder straps should be routing out of the car seat shell even with or just below your child’s shoulders.

For our bigger forward-facing kiddos their straps should route through the car seat shell at or just above their shoulders.

Other harness adjustments to check while you’re at it:
✅ insert use
✅ crotch buckle position
✅ harness length
✅ standing height limit
✅ weight limit
✅ head height limit (most commonly-head must be 1 inch below when rear facing, top of ears must be contained within car seats shell when forward facing).

Who needs to do a quick car seat confidence check?!

📷: @danascosmeticsskin 💕

Reminder: you're the adult and responsible for al

Reminder: you're the adult and responsible for all safety related decisions! While children are master manipulators and negotiators, you've gotta
BEAT ❗️THE ❗️ BEHAVIOR ❗️WITH ❗️A ❗️BOUNDARY ❗️
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Your responsibility:⁠⁠
☑️The type of car seat your child will be in. ⁠⁠
☑️The vehicle seating position where it will be installed. ⁠⁠
☑️When your child will advance to the next stage. ⁠⁠
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(Hold these same boundaries with the other master minds in your life--other caregivers, ummmm hello mother-in-law). ⁠⁠
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Car seat safety decisions are not up for discussion. And, let me warn you, if you open that door even a little bit, your child will think they've got a shot. KEEP THAT DOOR LOCKED UP TIGHT!⁠⁠
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"Mommy cares so much about you and this car seat/this position/this direction is what is safest for you."⁠⁠
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Let's empower your child with choices that are appropriate for them:⁠⁠
▶️Would you like to be picked up or climb in to the car seat for this ride? ⁠⁠
▶️How about you buckle the chest clip while I do the crotch buckle? Ready, set, go!⁠⁠
▶️Which car seat safe toy would you like for this ride?! This one or that one?⁠⁠
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Kid's don't get to decide things that are a matter of life and death. That's on us! You are here and I know that means you are doing everything you possibly can to keep your littles safe in their seats! ⁠⁠
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Would love to know if you have kids? How many? Ages?! So glad you are here!

You have or will have spent years and years instal

You have or will have spent years and years installing car seats, harnessing your children, cleaning, carpooling, cajoling all in the name of safety. Don't stop too soon.⁠⁠
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When it comes to the car seat safety journey, it’s one of the few rides where you want it to take a loooooong time to get to your final destination. ⁠
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Children's bodies are just not developed enough on the inside to withstand crash forces or the airbag when sitting in the front seat. ⁠⁠
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Here's the good news. You already know what your gifting your child for their 13th birthday! They can ride shotgun :)⁠⁠ 🎉 🎂
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Hold those boundaries even with those spicy pre-teens. You have trekked through this car seat safety journey for years, don't stop now!

You onboard?! (See what I did there?!)

You see it. You know it could be safer. Do you sp

You see it. You know it could be safer. Do you speak up?! ⁠⁠
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I struggle with this, too. What I do know is that 95% of the time the person who you "tell" is grateful so long as the approach and intent is done thoughtfully. Everyone wants to keep their babies safe! Sometimes ego just gets in the way a little bit. ⁠⁠
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This is a process that you may be helpful for you to personally walk through as you determine whether to say something when you see something, or not!⁠⁠
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Many many of you write me about this, especially when you see an influencer sharing unsafe practices.⁠⁠
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Here's what we all need to remember. Influencers are people too--like us, they need the tools, resources, and support to keep their kiddos safe. I truly don't believe that people post pictures or stories of their kids knowing that what they are sharing is dangerous. ⁠⁠
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My best advice is to follow this process and then to use me as your "informer" if needed. Tagging this account and sharing it as a resource in replies to comments and stories is working so keep doing it! ⁠⁠
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Check out my stories right now for how to walk through this process! ⁠
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If you were doing something that could be done more safely, would you want someone to tell you?!

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